Power, by the seat of your pants
Washington’s reverberant chair imagery takes a back seat to nowhere.
In the Seat of Government, politicians “unseat” one another, and the ambitious aspire to “chair” committees. But despite widespread symbolic couching of power, few pay attention to the actual objects upon which one might sit about town.
My article, which responds in part to the forthcoming book “The Art of Seating,” appears in Washington Post Magazine in “The secrets and messages of the chairs where politicians sit.”
One of the most enlightening parts of the reporting was hearing anecdotes about powerful chairs from those who work in the upholstery, drapery, cabinet, and finishing shops in the Capitol area. A few of those appear in the piece.
A great review of a book on a fascinating topic. The social life of chairs.