KIRKHAMFurniture-Making1982.pdf

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owner of a furniture-making firm combined the roles of craftsman and manager, as well as that of designer if the firm worked to original designs, whereas by 1870 all three functions were separate. However, the main reasonuhy 1870 was chosen as a convenient, if somewhat approximate, date to close this study is that it marks the eclipse of the central position of the West End trade and the decline of the comprehensive manufacturing firm within metropolitan furniture-making. Furthermore, the 1870s mark the end of the independence of local trade societies of London furniture-makers and the increasing strength of nationally organised trade unions. London was a thriving commercial, financial and manufacturing centre in 1700. It housed the royal court and was the seat of government8. It led the nation in matters of taste and was a centre of 'conspicuous consumption' 9 . The wealth of London attracted many. Skilled craftsmen were lured from the provinces by the relatively high wages in the capital10. Foreigners also came; some to escape persecution, others more specifically to work in the luxury and consumer trades, including furniture-making, which played such a vital part in the manufacturing life of the capital. London was the largest city in the kingdom throughout the period 1700 to 1870. Its population increased enormously in those years, as did that of the whole country. London grew from about 575,000 in 1700 to about 675,000 in 175011, reaching over 900,000 in 1801 when it accounted for approximately one-tenth of the population of England and Wales 12 . Between 1801 and 1871, London grew at the rate of 16-21 per decade, a rate much slower than the industrial towns of the north and Ilidlands 13 . In 1871, however, London was still by far the largest city, with an enormous population of over three and a quarter millions, accounting for about one- seventh of the population of England and Wale.4 Although furniture made in London was sold to all parts of Britain and abroad, her own population 10
provided a huge domestic market. It wa a changing market: the growth of the middle class meant that an increasing number of people could afford to buy a wide range of furniture and furnishings for their homes15. For much of the period, it is not known how many furniture-makers there were in total in London. It was estimated, however, that there were 16 6,610 cabinet-makers and upholsterers in London in 1831 , about 6,500-7,000 in 184117 and nearly 8,000 in 185018. There were upwards of 8,500 cabinet-makers, upholsterers, chair-makers and bedstead-makers in the capital in 1841, according to the census returns 19 and one contemporary writer put the total number of furniture-makers in London in 1851 at just over 16,00020. p . a. Hall has estimated that, in 1861, there were 20-30,000 furniture-makers in London 21 . These included masters as well as men and skilled as well as unskilled. Furniture-making was organised at many levels 22 . However, this study concentrates on actual manufacturers; retail firms are included only in so far as they affected the manufacturing trade. Ilanufacturing itself was organised in different ways, from the individual master craftsman to firms which incorporated only one or two crafts, to large concerns. This thesis focuses primarily on what, for the purpose of this study, I have termed the comprehensive manufacturing firm because it brought together a variety of furniture-making crafts within a single firm and produced a comprehensive range of furniture and furnishings. Such firms were an outstanding and distinguishing feature of the quality trade in London to about 1870. They manufactured all their own furniture, which they also retailed, and formed the hub of the quality trade. The cheap or trade, which was responsible for the demise of the comprehensive firm which made its own goods on its own premises, deserves detailed consideration in its own right. It is discussed in this thesis mainly in terms of the way in which it affected and contrasted 'I
Page 1 and 2: FURNITURE-IIAKING IN LONDON c. 1700
Page 3 and 4: LIST OF PLATES AND TABLES TABLE OF
Page 5 and 6: Abbreviations used in footnotes BL
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTION It is the intention of
Page 9: ise of the professional designer. B
Page 13 and 14: their own goods, formed part of the
Page 15 and 16: Footnotes David Landes, The Unbound
Page 17 and 18: 40 Of tenders submitted in 1856 for
Page 19 and 20: THE FURNITURE-flAKING CRAFTS: 1) TH
Page 21 and 22: the royal accounts, cabinet-makers
Page 23 and 24: legs listed in the Linnell inventor
Page 25 and 26: particular type of inlaid top was u
Page 27 and 28: public or, more often, to the large
Page 29 and 30: on which it was probably modelled.
Page 31 and 32: dressing-cases were known as fitter
Page 33 and 34: foreign craftsmen came on to the ma
Page 35 and 36: to obtain work in the quality trade
Page 37 and 38: had developed within chair-making i
Page 39 and 40: had moved premises to Wardour Stree
Page 41 and 42: furniture trade in 1850, he noted t
Page 43 and 44: Footnotes 1 M. Dorothy George, Lond
Page 45 and 46: 43 In 1750, a member of the Joiners
Page 47 and 48: I 86 Peter Thornton and William Rie
Page 49 and 50: 132 BM. Heal Collection, K.1797 133
Page 51 and 52: CHAPTER 2 THE FURNITURE-NKINC CRAFT
Page 53 and 54: The main items gilded were frames.
Page 55 and 56: changed by 1870: the person who pro
Page 57 and 58: e-furnishing of Windsor Castle for
Page 59 and 60: each carved by different craftsmen
Page 61 and 62:
century 66 . The specialisation was
Page 63 and 64:
also used the services of a furnitu
Page 65 and 66:
published in the same year as Campb
Page 67 and 68:
within the craft, which was split i
Page 69 and 70:
24 Collyer, Directory, p. 95 and Ca
Page 71 and 72:
69 Collyer, Directory, p. 170 70 Ge
Page 73 and 74:
CHAPTER THE CRAFT TRAINING: APPRENT
Page 75 and 76:
certain cases, the promise of a tra
Page 77 and 78:
indentures 18 . This was sometimes
Page 79 and 80:
to place advertisements in the news
Page 81 and 82:
furniture trades. Parents needed to
Page 83 and 84:
for which parents and guardians wer
Page 85 and 86:
suggestions that the firm's reputat
Page 87 and 88:
The relatively low fee of £31.lOs.
Page 89 and 90:
years. Seven apprentices were taken
Page 91 and 92:
He had as many if' not more apprent
Page 93 and 94:
furniture-makers recorded with thei
Page 95 and 96:
apprentices at will99. Low wages, o
Page 97 and 98:
therefore were less able to train b
Page 99 and 100:
Footnotes Margaret Gay Davies, The
Page 101 and 102:
41 (continued) master's name,which
Page 103 and 104:
76 see n. 56 and p. 164 77 see pp.
Page 105 and 106:
132 ibid., 22 Aug 1850 124 Francis
Page 107 and 108:
THE COMPREHENSIVE MAJUFACTURINC FIR
Page 109 and 110:
looking or pier-glasses bordered by
Page 111 and 112:
manufacturing firms. Indeed, the ma
Page 113 and 114:
combined cabinet-making and upholst
Page 115 and 116:
comprehensively as the leading West
Page 117 and 118:
indicate that turning was also exec
Page 119 and 120:
nineteenth century London were Gill
Page 121 and 122:
was the production of a wide variet
Page 123 and 124:
mid-1860s) and also made the lookin
Page 125 and 126:
Lord lelbourne by Thomas Chippendal
Page 127 and 128:
use inferior materials to keep pric
Page 129 and 130:
24 ibid., p. 506 25 ibid., P. 510 2
Page 131 and 132:
71 ibid., p. 19 72 ibid., pp. 4 + 1
Page 133 and 134:
116 Henry Mayhew, ed. The Shops and
Page 135 and 136:
CHAPTER 5 WORKSHOPS: SIZE AND STOCK
Page 137 and 138:
trades, where each craftsman worked
Page 139 and 140:
chairs, had only eighty-five chair
Page 141 and 142:
They also illustrate the gulf betwe
Page 143 and 144:
of solid mahogany and veneers 39 .
Page 145 and 146:
furniture-making firm in the late e
Page 147 and 148:
workpeople in 1830 when the tools o
Page 149 and 150:
Footnotes 1 CLRO. Miscellaneous Com
Page 151 and 152:
47 Beard, 'Thomas Chippendale's Fir
Page 153 and 154:
91 Pollen, . cit., p. 204 92 David
Page 155 and 156:
THE ENTREPRENEUR FURNITURE-MAKER In
Page 157 and 158:
in the eight years prior to his par
Page 159 and 160:
The comprehensive nature of product
Page 161 and 162:
until a craft-trained son or male r
Page 163 and 164:
Winn in 1767, shortly after the dea
Page 165 and 166:
accepted by the mid-eighteenth cent
Page 167 and 168:
to finance his business. The £7,00
Page 169 and 170:
house, which originally cost about
Page 171 and 172:
circumstances permitted: indeed, he
Page 173 and 174:
135 daughter of a Baronet • Such
Page 175 and 176:
25 PRO LC 10/16 The bill included c
Page 177 and 178:
75 Kirkham, 'Ince and Mayhew', p. 5
Page 179 and 180:
127 The Gentleman's Magazine, Jan 1
Page 181 and 182:
THE DESIGNER In 1700, much of the f
Page 183 and 184:
Lock worked as an independent maste
Page 185 and 186:
(fl.c.1750-c.1779), in order to off
Page 187 and 188:
were talented designers with fewer
Page 189 and 190:
the enormous quantity of furniture
Page 191 and 192:
to manufacture and very soon there
Page 193 and 194:
80 headed the firm's design team in
Page 195 and 196:
at a more informal atmosphere where
Page 197 and 198:
early days, whose furniture designs
Page 199 and 200:
Footnotes 1 see Peter Ward-Jackson,
Page 201 and 202:
47 6CM, pp. 86-8 48 ibid. and LFM,
Page 203 and 204:
94 E.P. Thompson, The Making of the
Page 205 and 206:
MACHINERY The furniture trade did n
Page 207 and 208:
similar patent to come from a metro
Page 209 and 210:
to introduce machinery is confirmed
Page 211 and 212:
inventions and their firms are list
Page 213 and 214:
as well as a carving machine 59 . T
Page 215 and 216:
and down England as well as churche
Page 217 and 218:
Footnotes 1 J.H. Pollen, 'Furniture
Page 219 and 220:
49 Art Union, vol. VII, 1845, P. 17
Page 221 and 222:
CHAPTER NEW MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE
Page 223 and 224:
way as if they were wood. Costs wer
Page 225 and 226:
increased in popularity. Despite cl
Page 227 and 228:
it was used for pen-trays, inkstand
Page 229 and 230:
sideboard backs from the 1840g. The
Page 231 and 232:
travellers 61 , understood the cons
Page 233 and 234:
23 Papier mch manufacturers patente
Page 235 and 236:
CHAPTER 10 PATENTS 23
Page 237 and 238:
technological advances in materials
Page 239 and 240:
assistance of an upholsterer 15 . T
Page 241 and 242:
. quickly in the trade. By 1815, af
Page 243 and 244:
from Southampton and it is likely t
Page 245 and 246:
upholsterer, cabinet-maker and chai
Page 247 and 248:
in particular, the term 'patent' wa
Page 249 and 250:
was suitable for the nouveaux riche
Page 251 and 252:
gentlemen, turned manufacturer in o
Page 253 and 254:
y both Butler and Morgan and Sander
Page 255 and 256:
24 no. 11194 25 no. 2007 26 nos. 32
Page 257 and 258:
75 no. 2420. Hughes, . cit., P. 452
Page 259 and 260:
THE LONDON COMPANIES The craft guil
Page 261 and 262:
entrepreneurs, who dominated the gu
Page 263 and 264:
23 dealers and bed-joiners who must
Page 265 and 266:
to have used a company to present t
Page 267 and 268:
the aim of every respectable artisa
Page 269 and 270:
thereafter members were allowed an
Page 271 and 272:
the following decade .ahile between
Page 273 and 274:
Aldermen to revoke them, may have e
Page 275 and 276:
Footnotes William F. Kahi, The Deve
Page 277 and 278:
42 ibid., p. 47 43 ibid., p. 47 44
Page 279 and 280:
95 Kellett, 'Breakdown', pp. 389-90
Page 281 and 282:
TRADE SOCIETIES As guild controls w
Page 283:
society. One of the earliest visual
Page 286 and 287:
makers of the metropolis went on st
Page 288 and 289:
I - . i.'J I ( ) ' IiO. •/) 0.1
Page 290 and 291:
the 1790s, helped along by events i
Page 292 and 293:
comprehensive statement of prices o
Page 294 and 295:
70 1818 . West End upholsterers als
Page 296 and 297:
unions which hoped to break down so
Page 298 and 299:
Association of Working Men to Procu
Page 300 and 301:
of journeymen mechanics' 115 . Thes
Page 302 and 303:
done by free trade while the carpen
Page 304 and 305:
as agreed in the piece-rate books,
Page 306 and 307:
economic stability between 1848 and
Page 308 and 309:
173 makers and Carvers joined in th
Page 310 and 311:
Footnotes 1 E.P. Thompson, 'English
Page 312 and 313:
47 Thompson, English Working Class,
Page 314 and 315:
95 Lovett, Life and Struggles, p. 3
Page 316 and 317:
149 ibid. 150 ibid. 151 ibid. 152 i
Page 318 and 319:
CO NC LU S ION 31&
Page 320 and 321:
Although the London companies attem
Page 322 and 323:
Although the garret-masters of the
Page 324 and 325:
his profits by the concentration of
Page 326 and 327:
APPENDIX I 3z
Page 328 and 329:
TABLE 2 (Appendix I) Origins of App
Page 330 and 331:
TABLE 3 C raft cabinet-maker cabine
Page 332 and 333:
TABLE 6 I! 1711-19 1720-29 1 730_39
Page 334 and 335:
Table 7 (continued) Carver and Glid
Page 336 and 337:
TABLE 11 Apprenticeships of less th
Page 338 and 339:
Table 12 (continued) Ma ste rJF i r
Page 340:
Table 12 (continued) Master/Firm Oc
Page 343 and 344:
TABLE 1 CABINET Furniture patents t
Page 345 and 346:
TABLE 2 (continued) Oat e No. Name
Page 347 and 348:
TABLE 2 (continued) 8, Upholstery D
Page 349 and 350:
Marylebone Public Library Records o
Page 351 and 352:
London und Paris Notes to the Peopl
Page 353 and 354:
Ince, William and Mayhew, John The
Page 355 and 356:
I Weale, John ed. London Exhibited
Page 357 and 358:
Crook, J. Mordaunt 'The pre-Victori
Page 359 and 360:
Hayward, Helena Thomas Johnson and
Page 361 and 362:
Leeson, R.A. pited We Stand: an ill
Page 363 and 364:
Stedman Jones, Gareth Outcast Londo
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