thanks for not being a zombie

Didn't people use to read with material much closer to their face than we do now? The armrests would put the book even with the face/eyes. Perhaps a function of light source or eyesight?

As someone who's myopic, I think John is right: the arm rests are at a height that would allow you to hold the book up for reading. What I wonder is if one would really write at that table--it seems the presence of the armrests would make it awkward to do so?

Hmm, never thought about the issue of eyesight. Good suggestion. It just seems that one's arms would be uncomfortable if raised that high to rest on those pads.

I'm not at all certain about the use of this chair for writing. I'm not even sure if that piece of wood is connected to the chair or is in the background, next to the clock.

I'm not myopic, but I'm inclined to agree with John and Prof B. Plus, if the armrests were too low, it would be difficult to straddle the chair without getting your legs tangled. In fact, I would guess that the armrests would be more uncomfortable if you were sitting facing forward (they might even be pretty close to someone's sight lines).

The narrow seat-back might also be explained by having to straddle the seat back.

Has any one thought to trouble the people at Wesley House, London? museum@wesleyschapel.org.uk

The following might be of interest:

Percy J. Boyling, _John Wesley's Chapel_, London: Epworth Press, 1942 rpt 1951
p. 44 for description
A Study Chair 'Reading Chair, c. 1720' A similar one is in Walmer Castle, and a copy in the vestry, Wesley Chapel, Harrogate. It has attached a writing desk with adjutable slope, a swing drawer for ink and quill, and below the seat a drawer for paper.
[One can see the slot for ink and quill in the image provided in the blog entry: viewer right; chair left.]
p. 45 an illustration of the chair
p. 43 [In the Boyling booklet there is an illustration of the study. The study chair is _not_ in front of the long case clock (See blog image, upper right). Nor is there a chair in front of the bureau. Or a table in the centre of the carpet (See blog image, lower left). Could the study chair have been near by a window? In some other room?]

Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, _The Personal History of Walmer Castle and Its Lords Warden_ ed. by Stephen Gwynn, London: MacMillan, 1927.
pp.143-144 [...] a number of articles which may with some certainty be identified with Pitt's occupation of Walmer. These are [...] a library reading-chair (upholstered in scarlet leather, with a book-rest at the back) on which the occupant sits astride
p. 145 illus. of Mr. Pitt's Reading-Chair

Francois, that would be *way* too easy. Isn't it far more fun to make random guesses in someone else's blog comments?

I merrily started to comment, but then became so enamoured of my acuity that I decided to write a post myself. Expect floods of readers over from chez moi. Synopsis: this chair presumes a male user. In fact, it emphatically excludes women.