Legend has it that Benjamin Franklin had rockers attached to his chair in 1787, making him the inventor of the rocking chair. Since the early 18th century, additional rockers were increasingly attached to chairs to provide more comfortable seating. Rocking chairs in various styles have been crafted over time using a wide range of materials.
President Kennedy further popularized the rocking chair when such a piece of furniture entered the White House for the first time in 1961. The chair from the famous Oval Office can still be seen today at the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston. Additionally, numerous museums across the USA, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, display renowned rocking chair artifacts.
Numerous American artists today create individually designed rocking chairs. The "hardwood Hemingway" Sam Maloof, for instance, handcrafted chairs for Presidents Reagan, Carter, and Clinton, which fetch prices beyond the $20,000 mark.
Rocking chairs have become an integral part of the modern American landscape. Particularly in the South, they are seen in various colors and types of wood on the porch or by the open fireplace.
If you're interested in owning your own rocking chair and would like to use it outdoors, it's essential to consider its weather resistance. Unfortunately, one can often snag on rattan or other woven materials in the rocking chair.
