Duncan Fife arrived in America in the early 1780's having
crossed the Atlantic from Scotland as a rather poor immigrant.
His family settled in Albany where Duncan learned his craft. By
1791 he had moved to New York City, set up his own shop and
changed his name from Fife to Phyfe. Branding was as important
in the early 19th century as it is now. Trading an "F" for a
more sophisticated "Ph" attracted a deeper pocketed clientele.
It was his way of putting the polo player on his dining room
chairs. For almost 50 years the Duncan Phyfe factory produced
furnishings for Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and wealthy Southern
customers. The exhibit at the Met covers three distinct periods
of furniture design as imagined by the craftsmen at Phyfe. Thank
you Duncan for fulfilling our monthly cultural obligation. WORDS
FOR THE WISE Klismos refers to a type of chair attributed to the
Greeks. The chair is defined by a soft curving back that
s-curves through the seat and then down to the curve of its
legs. The French resurrected the