Metamorphic library steps
Encyclopedia
Metamorphic library steps are a type of archaic dual-use furniture
, consisting of a small folding staircase that can be transformed into chair
or desk
form (such as a small writing table
or library table). In desk form, it can also be considered a mechanical desk
.
Metamorphic library steps were first built in the mid-18th century for the private libraries and office
s of the Europe
an nobility
or the Bourgeoisie
. The number of specialised rooms in the typical manor was increasing, so existing ones, like the library
, had to use space more efficiently. Consequently, these rooms often had high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The topmost shelves were difficult to reach, so movable library steps or library stairs were created as a form of domestic furniture.
Design History
During the second half of the 18th century a succession of talented, German-born cabinet-makers passed through the French courts. Jean-François Oeben, Jean-Henri Riesener and David Roentgen had successively introduced the courts of Louis XV and Louis XVI to a wide range of finely made and exquisitely finished mechanical furniture. The ingenuity of these cabinet-makers, especially David Roentgen who became master cabinet-maker to Marie Antoinette, led to a fascination for les meubles à surprises. Cabinet-makers working in London based their designs on those of their French counterparts and a number of interesting mechanical furniture devices started to emerge. During the same period the portability of furniture became important. British officers keen to maintain their ‘home comforts’ transported chairs, sofas, dining tables and even four-poster beds into battle. By necessity, these items were designed to be portable and, while they reflected the style of the period, they could also be ‘flat-packed’ for ease of transportation. This ‘flat-pack’ or ‘knock-down’ furniture, as it was then known, was also popular for anyone travelling by sea and some items were designed to be multi-purpose to save cabin space. The quality of this ‘campaign furniture
’ was so high that the furniture designer and respected protagonist of the emerging English Empire Style, Thomas Sheraton, even recommended certain pieces for the home. Tables, chairs and stools containing Library Steps were patented in Great Britain by Robert Campbell in 1774 but the chair-based design did not become popular until the second decade of the 19th century. Despite the appeal of the Regency period Metamorphic Library Chair, there is limited information available on the development of the design or the firms that made them. Most design references are based on two outline sketches. The first, by Rudolph Ackermann in 1811, illustrates a Morgan & Sanders chair and the second shows a chair made by Gillows in 1834. The lack of detail in these sketches and the scarcity of research relating to mechanical furniture design of this period, have led to many inaccurate claims.
See also the list of desk forms and types.
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, consisting of a small folding staircase that can be transformed into chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
or desk
Desk
A desk is a furniture form and a class of table often used in a work or office setting for reading or writing on or using a computer. Desks often have one or more drawers to store office supplies and papers. Unlike a regular table, usually only one side of a desk is suitable to sit on . Not all...
form (such as a small writing table
Writing table
A writing table has a series of drawers directly under the surface of the table, to contain writing implements, so that it may serve as a desk...
or library table). In desk form, it can also be considered a mechanical desk
Mechanical desk
A mechanical desk is usually an antique desk type which was produced during the 18th or the 19th century. At one extreme there are desks furnished with a multitude of panels that swing out while stacks of small drawers pop up when a user lowers or extracts the main writing surface or desktop from a...
.
Metamorphic library steps were first built in the mid-18th century for the private libraries and office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
s of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
or the Bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
. The number of specialised rooms in the typical manor was increasing, so existing ones, like the library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, had to use space more efficiently. Consequently, these rooms often had high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The topmost shelves were difficult to reach, so movable library steps or library stairs were created as a form of domestic furniture.
Design History
During the second half of the 18th century a succession of talented, German-born cabinet-makers passed through the French courts. Jean-François Oeben, Jean-Henri Riesener and David Roentgen had successively introduced the courts of Louis XV and Louis XVI to a wide range of finely made and exquisitely finished mechanical furniture. The ingenuity of these cabinet-makers, especially David Roentgen who became master cabinet-maker to Marie Antoinette, led to a fascination for les meubles à surprises. Cabinet-makers working in London based their designs on those of their French counterparts and a number of interesting mechanical furniture devices started to emerge. During the same period the portability of furniture became important. British officers keen to maintain their ‘home comforts’ transported chairs, sofas, dining tables and even four-poster beds into battle. By necessity, these items were designed to be portable and, while they reflected the style of the period, they could also be ‘flat-packed’ for ease of transportation. This ‘flat-pack’ or ‘knock-down’ furniture, as it was then known, was also popular for anyone travelling by sea and some items were designed to be multi-purpose to save cabin space. The quality of this ‘campaign furniture
Campaign furniture
Campaign furniture is a type of furniture made for travel. Historically, much of it was made for military campaigns.- Types :Campaign furniture includes folding chairs, tables, and chests that could be easily unscrewed and packed...
’ was so high that the furniture designer and respected protagonist of the emerging English Empire Style, Thomas Sheraton, even recommended certain pieces for the home. Tables, chairs and stools containing Library Steps were patented in Great Britain by Robert Campbell in 1774 but the chair-based design did not become popular until the second decade of the 19th century. Despite the appeal of the Regency period Metamorphic Library Chair, there is limited information available on the development of the design or the firms that made them. Most design references are based on two outline sketches. The first, by Rudolph Ackermann in 1811, illustrates a Morgan & Sanders chair and the second shows a chair made by Gillows in 1834. The lack of detail in these sketches and the scarcity of research relating to mechanical furniture design of this period, have led to many inaccurate claims.
See also the list of desk forms and types.