Swivel chairs are extremely common in offices around the world. It’s hard to imagine working in an office without a swivel chair at your desk. But swivel chairs haven’t always existed. In terms of history, they are actually a relatively new invention. Let’s take a look at the invention of this chair.
What is a Swivel Chair?
A swivel chair is a chair that has one single leg that allows the chair to rotate a full 360 degrees. Many common swivel chairs are office chairs that have wheels and allow the sitter to move around. They commonly also have adjustable heights and reclining settings.
The Invention of Swivel Chairs
Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair by modifying a Windsor chair. He connected the top and bottom parts of the chair with a single iron spindle which allowed the chair to rotate. There were no wheels on this early version of the chair. This chair is the chair he sat on when he drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
He developed the chair because he believed the current chair he was using did not offer enough movement. Jefferson went on to make a number of modifications to his chair design which included adding a writing surface to one of the arms.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swivel_chair
https://workplaceinsight.net/thomas-jefferson-came-invent-swivel-chair-laptop/