Military Campaign Style Desk Leather
Vintage 1930s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1930s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Vintage 1950s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Yew
Vintage 1960s Italian Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century American Campaign Desks
Oak
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Yew
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Antique 19th Century English High Victorian Desks
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century English Early Victorian Desks
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 19th Century British Desk Sets
Brass
Antique 1880s English Victorian Armchairs
Upholstery, Oak
Antique 1780s Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Hardwood
People Also Browsed
Antique Mid-19th Century British Blanket Chests
Oak
Vintage 1930s English Art Deco Cabinets
Brass
20th Century British Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century American Campaign Dressers
Brass
Antique Mid-18th Century English Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
Antique 1880s English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Hardwood
20th Century British Campaign End Tables
Hardwood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal
Antique 1740s English George II Secretaires
Mahogany
Antique Late 19th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Iron
Vintage 1950s Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Leather, Hardwood, Oak
20th Century English Campaign Secretaires
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Campaign Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Hardwood
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1950s English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1930s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1930s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
Vintage 1930s English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Vintage 1910s English Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany, Leather
Vintage 1950s English Campaign Desks
Mahogany
Vintage 1930s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Yew
Early 20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Yew
Mid-20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1950s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Vintage 1950s English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Vintage 1930s British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Yew
20th Century British Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1920s English Campaign Desks
Leather, Mahogany
Vintage 1920s English Campaign Desks
Mahogany
Vintage 1920s English Campaign Desks
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Leather, Yew
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1990s Australian Campaign Desks
Leather
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
20th Century English Campaign Bookcases
Leather, Glass, Hardwood
20th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Yew
20th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Yew
20th Century English Campaign Sideboards
Brass
Vintage 1950s English Campaign Bookcases
Yew
20th Century Bookcases
Brass
Antique 1890s English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Mahogany
Antique 1860s English Other Desks
Mahogany
20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Metal
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century English Campaign Desks
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Ormolu
20th Century British Pedestals
Hardwood
Antique Mid-19th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Campaign Desks and Writing Tables
Metal, Brass
Military Campaign Style Desk Leather For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Military Campaign Style Desk Leather?
A Close Look at campaign Furniture
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.