Theatre Seating – Church
Manufacturer: Imperial Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Estimated Date: Circa 1890-1910 (Late Victorian to Early Edwardian Period)
Description:
A set of auditorium-style folding seats manufactured by the Imperial Seating Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was a regional maker of institutional seating active around the turn of the 20th century. Each chair features steam-bent wood backs and seats, ornate cast-iron end panels with floral and scroll motifs, and flip-up mechanisms. Cast markings on the leg read "IMPERIAL SEATING CO."
Imperial Seating Company was one of several regional makers competing with American Seating Co. during the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. They produced many of the same styles of auditorium, theater, and church seating, often nearly identical in design and quality. Because Imperial was a smaller operation and only active for a short time before being absorbed into larger firms around 1915, their pieces are a bit
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