Well Isn’t that Interesting… at Beaubears Island
This convertible high chair/stroller is just one of the interesting pieces of history on display at Beaubears Island Interpretive Centre.
This is an example of late Victorian and early Edwardian furniture from around the dawn of the 20th century. The high chair/stroller combo is a multipurpose object indicative of that era.
The chair converts into a complete stroller and would have been used to not only feed the child but also allow the parent to wheel the child around the house. The wheels are not really sturdy enough for outdoor use, and as such would have been used only indoors. Advertisements for this type of chair were seen as early as the 1880s.
It should be noted that, the attractive design seen on the back of this piece were pressed into the wood using heat, steam and a mould. There was no hand-carving done, and this chair is related to the millions of so-called “pressed-back” chairs.
The Beaubears Island Interpretive Centre opens on May 25 this year, and is located at 35 St. Patrick’s Drive, Nelson-Miramichi. Here you’ll meet characters from early French fur traders, to the Marquis Charles Deschamps de Boishebert, to the various shipbuilders who inhabited the island for over 100 years. Come experience the multicultural history of the Miramichi. For more information on Beaubears Island tours and ferry services, visit the website www.beaubearsisland.com.
This article was first featured in the 2020 Winter Issue of Giv’er Miramichi Magazine.
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