Campaign Benches
Sometimes called “knock-down” furniture, campaign furniture was designed to be folded, collapsed, taken apart and packed flat to load onto a ship or a camel’s back. Although mobile furniture for military campaigns dates back to the Romans, the British Army in its global conquests in the 18th and 19th centuries defined the style with sturdy and elegant pieces. Even in a tent thousands of miles from London, a four-poster bed, dining table and seating could simulate the comforts of home.
Antique and vintage campaign-style furniture was also initially designed as propaganda. The mahogany and teak structures were part of a purposeful demonstration of power in these campaigns, with the colonizing military officers imposing their culture and view of what they considered “civilized” on a given land and its peoples. Designers and manufacturers including Thomas Butler, Ross & Co. of Dublin, and Morgan & Sanders contributed to the rapid production of this furniture as the British Empire expanded through Africa, Asia and Australia.
Campaign furniture was utilitarian as well as refined, fitted with recessed brass handles and brass angles on stackable chests and other case pieces to protect vulnerable corners. The Wellington chest was one of the most famous pieces to come out of this style, named for the Duke of Wellington, who slept in his campaign bed long after his battles were over.
The flexibility of campaign-style furniture would influence 20th-century Scandinavian modernists such as Kaare Klint, Mogens Koch and Arne Norell. For his 1930s Safari chair, Klint drew on the simple Roorkhee chair, named for a town in northern India. The lightweight and adaptable campaign-style seat was created in the late 19th century and had no fixed joinery. The Roorkhee’s influence can also be seen in the Wassily chair, a pared-down work of tubular metal and durable canvas conceived by legendary Bauhaus instructor Marcel Breuer.
Now, 21st-century designers like Jomo Tariku and Dokter and Misses are creating pieces that recognize the contributions of African artisans to campaign furniture in order to reframe this style without overlooking its difficult past.
Find a collection of authentic antique and vintage campaign bedroom furniture, chairs, decorative objects and other pieces on 1stDibs.
Early 20th Century English Campaign Benches
Oak
Late 20th Century French Campaign Benches
Bamboo, Rattan
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Benches
Brass
20th Century Italian Campaign Benches
Brass, Steel
Late 20th Century Campaign Benches
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Campaign Benches
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Campaign Benches
Nickel
1960s French Vintage Campaign Benches
Oak
2010s German Campaign Benches
Poplar
1960s Italian Vintage Campaign Benches
Bronze, Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century Peruvian Antique Campaign Benches
Mahogany
20th Century Philippine Campaign Benches
Bamboo
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Campaign Benches
Leather, Wood, Oak
17th Century Spanish Antique Campaign Benches
Iron
19th Century French Antique Campaign Benches
Oak
Early 19th Century English Antique Campaign Benches
Oak
1890s Spanish Antique Campaign Benches
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Benches
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Benches
1950s Italian Vintage Campaign Benches
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Campaign Benches
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Campaign Benches
Bronze, Wrought Iron
1950s British Vintage Campaign Benches
Brass
1960s French Vintage Campaign Benches
Fir
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Benches
Wood
20th Century American Campaign Benches
Brass, Metal
1950s French Vintage Campaign Benches
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Campaign Benches
Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary European Campaign Benches
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Italian Campaign Benches
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Campaign Benches
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Campaign Benches
Leather, Upholstery, Faux Bamboo