"How long have kids been tipping their chairs?"

The upper deck of the stern-wheel steamboat the Homer Smith leaving Pittsburgh to deliver excursionists to Rock Springs Park in 1928. (Courtesy of Richard Bowker)

I love to talk about Rock Springs Park and can steer any conversation in that direction. For instance, this past school year a first grade teacher was upset about the fact that one of her students was always tipping his chair back in class. She couldn't get him to stop and was worried he might injure himself or a fellow classmate. Exasperated she asked me, "How long have kids been tipping their chairs, anyway?"

I immediately thought of my book project and the little boy in the picture above. (Zoom in)

"I know for a fact that kids have been tipping their chairs since at least as far back as 1928," I responded.

I'm not sure my observation was appreciated.