MY MOTHER, who was not known for her patience, once waited for nine months for an armless rocking chair upholstered in a custom green velvet stripe. Long waits were common in the 1960s.

A: This stained hardwood, armless sewing rocker was made around 1920 by the Plymouth Rocker Co., of Plymouth, Wis. Chairs were marked with a decal picturing a pair of Plymouth Rock chickens.