Hitchcock Chair c. 1936

This Hitchcock Chair was drawn by Robert Brigadier on March 17, 1936, likely as a study for the Brooklyn Museum. The drawing offers a technical elevation of the chair, carefully noting its dimensions. We might consider this drawing as part of the museum's institutional history. In the 1930s, museums like the Brooklyn Museum were increasingly interested in American design and decorative arts, and in documenting and preserving examples of American craftsmanship. The Hitchcock chair itself is a quintessential example of 19th-century American furniture, mass-produced yet still bearing the mark of handcraft. The drawing, therefore, is a reflection of the museum's curatorial interests and its role in shaping public perceptions of American art and design. Looking at such a drawing, the art historian might ask, what other kinds of objects were collected by the Brooklyn Museum during this period? What other institutions were engaged in similar efforts? Such questions help us to understand the social and cultural context in which this drawing was created and the values it embodies.