September 27, 1987
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society
Wheelchair one of top sights at history museum
The child’s wheelchair in the Victorian bathroom at the museum has to be one of the most evocative items in the collection. Viewers must begin to wonder about the person it was designed for as well as the person, presumably an adult, who purchased it.
The antique wheelchair still rolls easily and can be maneuvered through small, tight spaces with a finger’s touch. On each side of the front is a large, iron-shod wooden wheel and at the rear one small cast wheel. In the wooden wheels are bearings that permit the quiet movement of the chair. The occupant of the chair controlled it by starting, stopping and turning the two large wooden wheels.
There is no handle or bar at the top of the back for the chair to be pushed. If it was pushed, the arms of the chair or the back of the seat served as the handle.
The frame of the chair is well-preserved, carefully constructed oak. The wood was stained light brown to blend with the woven wicker seat, back and lower front.
A traditional simple caning pattern kept the wicker strong and supportive. The caning is in excellent condition, and the chair could be used today. A wooden footrest is attached to the front of the chair.
An ingenious bit of design permits the seat back to be adjusted forward and backward. A small lever near the wooden arms of the chair is inconspicuous unless a person is aware that it is present. With the use of the lever, the back of the seat reclines, and the lower front and footrest flip to a horizontal position. The occupant could comfortably recline at will. The back can be adjusted to any angle of comfort.
This is an important feature for anyone confined to one position for any length of time. The design shows a sensitivity to the problems and comfort of a child confined to a wheelchair. The design also shows an awareness of the aesthetics of a piece of functional furniture. This chair is functional, comfortable and attractive.
The chair was manufactured by the Seargeant Manufacturing Co. of Muskegon, Mich., and New York, N.Y. Nothing is known about the original owner or the retail store from which it was purchased. Only the small size determines that it was designed for a child.
The museum received the wheelchair from Zoe Parks Llewellyn in memory of her late husband, John R. “Jack” Parks Jr. He was a collector of unusual antique items and owned the chair approximately a decade before his death. It is not known where he purchased the chair or from whom. The chair was purchased in Terre Haute.
The almost perfect condition of the caning and of the operating mechanisms lead to the conjecture that the chair did not receive heavy or long-time use. It could have been custom-made for a particular child. It was well cared for and carefully preserved and is in mint condition today.
Items like the wheelchair please and puzzle museum curators and visitors. The professional wants to know the original owner, the time of purchase, from whom purchased and the price. The museum visitor wants to know for whom the chair was purchased, why it was necessary, and what happened to the user of the chair.
The visitor’s questions are no less valid than the curator’s questions. It is through the interest and curiosity of such collectors as Jack Parks that such attractive items are saved and available to contemporary viewers.
In the entire collection at the museum, no item evokes more curiosity and interest: Did the wheelchair belong to a little boy or a little girl? Why did the child need the chair? Did the child use it a long time or a short time? Did the parents have it made especially for the child? Were the parents wealthy or poor? Where did they live and where is the child now?
Anyone who can answer these questions is asked to contact the museum. Anyone who know about similar chairs also is asked to share that knowledge.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.