Field bedstead
George Washington's campaign furniture, like that of his English officer counterparts, not only provided him the comforts of home while in the field of war, but attested to his rank and distinction. In October 1775, shortly after assuming command of the Continental Army, he acquired "a Field Bedstead & Curtains, Mattresses, Blankets etc. etc." Designed for portability and durability, this bedstead's tapering posts, turned legs, and rails are ingeniously hinged so it can be folded into a compact bundle for easy transport.
Alternate names for this form include: folding bedstead, camp bedstead, tent bedstead.
Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 80-1, cat. 15.
Deitz, Paula, Design Notebook: Washington slept here, often on a camp cot, The New York Times, 3 July 1980, C10.
Mount Vernon Ladies Association, General Washington's Military Equipment (Mount Vernon, VA: MVLA, 1965, 3rd ed.), 26, 28-9, fig. 21.
Mount Vernon Ladies Association, General Washington's Swords and Military Equipment (Mount Vernon, VA: MVLA, 1944), 40-1.