Hi Cynthia,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Victorian and late-19th-century folding rocking chairs weren’t just clever designs—they were the payoff of several quiet but powerful technology shifts in furniture making. The biggest breakthrough was steam bending, perfected mid-century. Heating wood with steam made long, continuous curves possible without carving or laminating. By the Victorian period, metalworking had caught up with furniture design, which could be seen in machine-cut screws with standardized threads, stamped and cast steel hinges that were strong enough to bear body weight, and rivets and pivot pins that allowed repeated folding without loosening.

All of this technology met changing demands, with rail travel, seaside holidays, verandas, and camping creating a market for portable comfort. Additionally, urban homes valued space-saving furniture and a thriving patent culture encouraged inventors to refine folding-rocking hybrids.

Research into folding furniture hasn't progressed to a point where we can identify the maker of this unmarked/unlabeled chair. Because the secondary market usually follows research, values on these chairs remains low but when offered at auction, such chairs typically sell in the $50-100 range; it's worth mentioning that some private and retail sellers are currently advertising some similar models online for higher prices.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

An antique late Victorian or Eastlake turned and bentwood hardwood (probably oak) folding rocking chair
unattributed maker, American, English or European, late 19th or early 20th Century
With turned ears and arched galleried crest, joined bentwood elements and woven cream-colored fabric panel with floral decoration, on rockers. Unmarked.
(DIMENSIONS)
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition and assumes minor wear commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Acquired at a garage/yard sale
$50-100*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia