Armchair from Merchants National Bank, Winona, MN

William Gray Purcell and George Grant Elmslie designed this chair for the boardroom of their Merchants National Bank in Winona, Minnesota. Merchants National was the largest and most elaborate of the Midwest banks designed by the architects, whose firm was the second most commissioned behind Frank Lloyd Wright among Prairie School disciples. Their unified design, which emphasized local agriculture and featured art-glass windows, extended to the building’s interior. The twelve boardroom chairs are cube-shaped, echoing the building’s form. Their square design, along with the tall spindles that compose a “screen” of sorts on three of the chair’s sides, are iconic Prairie School features. The green leather on the seat is original.