Single wire work garden chair with high back, scalloped apron on sides and decorated with centered medallions on bottom apron. Late 19th century. 35 inches high, 17 1/2 inches wide. $295. By the mid-nineteenth century, furniture makers took advantage of technological advance in the manufacture of metal and began using reinforced steel wire first to make fencing and then to make chairs and benches that could withstand all climate conditions and were thus ideal for outdoor use. And because they were portable they were widely used from lawns to porches to interiors. Catalogs of ironwork manufacturers from the second half of the 19th century featured elaborate wire chairs, plant stands, etc in their general line of garden furniture.