Modern wheelchairs are lightweight, customizable, and available for sports, battery-operated and constantly being improved. In spite of the modern feel of wheelchairs, they have been around in one form or another for much longer than most people would guess. Probably from the time that wheels were invented and the time that chairs were around, it was natural that the two would come together. If that seems like an exaggeration, then read on about the history of antique wheelchairs.
A Long, Long Time Ago
The oldest existing picture of a chair with wheels is from China – in the 6th Century! The odds that they were around before someone drew a picture that would survive this long are excellent. There is also an image of a wheeled chair from Ancient Egypt. Again, it’s more likely that it exists because their culture made long-lasting images than that they invented antique wheelchairs. Records show that in the 16th Century, King Phillip of Spain owned an elaborate rolling chair and in 1700, King Louis XIV of France used a wheeled conveyance while recuperating from an operation. No doubt commoners with a flair for furniture building found uses for antique wheelchairs as well.