Our spotlight for this month is currently on display at the Mathias Ham House: the Ryan family conversation chair! The chair was historically a centerpiece in the Andrew-Ryan House (1873) at 1375 Locust Street in Dubuque. It sat in the parlor, just beyond the prominent box bay window. The home was originally constructed for William Andrew (1829-1896), a hardware dealer right next to that of William A. “Hog” Ryan (1820-1890), a notable meatpacker. The home exchanged hands until finally purchased by Hog Ryan in 1886 for his second wife and family, where generations lived until 1966.
Conversation chairs originated in Victorian France to allow privacy without physical contact. They came in diverse offerings, such as a two seat, s-shaped le confidant (also known as a tête-à-tête), a round multi-seated borne settee, and a back-to-back boudeuse. The Ryan’s chair is a three-person indiscret, arranged like a pinwheel or propeller. Like other conversation chairs, it allowed whispers of gossip or intrigue. The third chair was for monitoring discourse, eavesdropping, or chaperoning lovers. Napoleon III of France (1808-1873) placed indiscrets like this one in the Louvre, his palace, as a political tool.
Beyond the gossip and plots, a conversation chair was a highly fashionable addition to the civilian home. Historic photos reveal this chair has been reupholstered at least once. It still features the diamond capitonné tufting in satin jacquard, but the fabric pattern has changed, and the chairs no longer have passementerie or elaborate trim, like tassels, hanging from the scroll arms and backrest. The style blends the blocky American Neo-Grec and flowing Renaissance Revival styles of the 1860s-1870s.
Descendants of the family donated the chair to the Dubuque County Historical Society in 2019. It is given in memory of Roger, Brick, Phil, Cath, & William Ryan.