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USS Constitution‘s Restoration
March 31, 2016
For USS Constitution‘s 1931-1934 three-coast National Cruise, the ship was fully outfitted with furniture for the 81 officers and crew on board. The well-known Paine Furniture Company in Boston manufactured a variety of pieces for the ship during the 1927-1931 restoration, including the mahogany cabin lounge for the Captain’s After Cabin. Originally, the lounge was upholstered in dark brown leather and the cushions filled with horse hair. While not an exact replica of Federal era (1785-1825) furniture, the lounge displays motifs reminiscent of the period. Notably, the delicately carved swagged drapery on the lounge’s crest rail and the pierced support under the armrest are nods to the Federal era.
The original upholstery is long gone. For the current restoration, the lounge cushions were restored by Dynasty Auto Tops & Upholstery company in Saugus, Massachusetts. Dynasty Upholstery retied the springs, refilled the cushions with cotton batting, and covered them with a brown, leather-like vinyl. The damp atmosphere of the ship precludes using real leather, which rots too quickly.
For more information on this restoration effort please visit USS Constitution Museum
The cabin lounge is visible in the lower left corner of this photo of Commander Louis J. Gulliver’s cabin during the National Cruise, 1931-1934. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]
The cabin lounge with its newly restored cushions by Dynasty Auto Tops & Upholstery. The mahogany lounge frame will be cleaned and repaired before it is reinstalled in the Captain’s After Cabin. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]