10 Downing Street Guard Chairs

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One of the original chairs
One of the original chairs

The 10 Downing Street Guard Chairs are two antique chairs. During the early 1800s, No. 10 Downing Street was guarded by two men sitting in leather chairs made by Thomas Chippendale who was the finest furniture maker at the time.[citation needed] There was a drawer underneath the chair which was filled with hot coals in order to keep the guards warm whilst on duty. The chairs were made with a circular back and hood for two reasons:

1. To shield the guards from bad weather.

2. To improve the surrounding acoustics, thereby allowing the guard to hear better from a wider angle.

[edit] Current state

Both chairs have been kept. One of them sits in the entrance to No. 10 Downing Street, the other is owned by a private collector of furniture. In the picture to the right, fraying to the inner arm rests is evident. The guard's sword and belt used to rub against it whilst sitting down so the leather was worn away over the years.

[edit] References

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