The Evolution of the
Rocking Chair
The rocking chair (or rocker) has been around since
sometime in the 1700's. While no one knows for sure how it came to exist,
American Legend has it that the rocking chair may have been invented by Benjamin
Franklin. It is said that he formed the idea by watching a baby being
lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking motion of its cradle, and decided to find
out if these could also be relaxing for an adult. So, he took a standard chair
and added two curved bands of wood to the bottom legs; and thus, the rocking
chair was born (or so legend has it)!
Since its birth the rocking chair has been and remains
still, a very popular and comfortable option for seating. Because of its
uncanny ability to help relieve tension and stress, it has become a welcome and
comforting fixture both indoors and out. It has served as a focal
point in living rooms and nurseries and provided a charming way to relax on
front porches around the world! Because of its popularity, it has been
manufactured in almost every material imaginable and comes in just about every
color conceivable! If you are looking for a
rocking chair, you are bound to find one that
suits you (and your taste)! Rockers come in a wide array of options,
everything from the classic unstained, wooden look to the brightly colored,
contemporary styled designs.
The rocking chair has not only evolved in color and style
though. It has been so well-liked that a modified version of the original
was born...the
glider rocker! Unlike the traditional
rocker, a glider rocker does not sit on two curved bands of wood. Instead
the glider rocker sits completely flat on the floor and the chair moves back and
forth on a double-rocker four bar linkage while the base remains still (a glider
rocker can be somewhat safer whereas kids and pets are involved as the pinch
points are moved away from the floor). But while the bases of a
traditional rocker and a glider rocker may differ, both rockers provide a gentle
rocking that can lull just about anyone to sleep!
Whether you prefer the comfort and style of the original
rocking chair or the more sleek and modern versions that have followed, I think
we all can agree that rocking chairs provide comfort and relaxation like no
other type of chair!
