In " Circles and Lines " historian John Demos writes about the shape of life across the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries covering a traditional, a transition and a more modern time period. Demos traces change through these time periods and asserts the use of a mid 18th century Philadelphia Chippendale chair to demonstrate the transition of American life from circular to linear.

According to Demos, the consumer revolution offered choices for those who could afford the Philadelphia Chippendale chair. For example, "a well-to-do tobacco planter and his wife ...would explore new possibilities for furnishing and decorating their house" . This supports the idea of free choice and moving in a pattern supporting the idea of progress. A description of the Chippendale chair would include that it is hand carved by highly skilled journeymen cabinetmakers that have fashioned ornamentation out of mahogany wood. These craftsman...