The American wicker furniture industry was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1840s when Cyrus Wakefield purchased a lot of cast-off raw rattan that had used as packing material in ships active in the China Trade. Wakefield transformed this previously unheralded material into a commercial product that ultimately developed into a new furniture industry. Lightweight yet strong, well-ventilated and inexpensive, rattan furniture (commonly called “wicker”) became popular for use outdoors and on porches starting in the late 1870s. The versatility of the material allowed for adventurous, trendy, and sometimes playful designs that followed the whims of the eclectic Victorian era. Two major companies dominated the early wicker furniture industry: Wakefield Rattan Company and the Heywood Brothers Company, both based in Massachusetts.

The rocker with the American flag woven into its seat back bears the date “1776” and was likely shown by the Wakefield Rattan Company in its debut displays at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition—the first major display of American wicker furniture to a large audience.

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