Howard & Sons Kidney Shaped Sofa 19th Century Circa 1890

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Howard & Sons Kidney Shaped Sofa 19th Century Circa 1890

About the Item

Howard & Sons Kidney shaped sofa 19th century Circa 1890 Exceptional rare and unique19th century Victorian Howard & Son’s Kidney shaped Sofa England circa 1890, the fabulous ‘Kidney’ shaped walnut frame with its elegant scooped back, the sofa having recently been recovered in a sumptuous deep olive green velvet material, to the underside of the seat the trademark Howard and Sons arched support spine running from front to back, raised on turned walnut legs to the front and splayed legs to the rear with brass cup and castors, the legs made from solid hand carved walnut, the brass castors all stamped Howard & Son’s London, the rear leg stamped with the model number 3994 4731 Howard & Sons Ltd, Berners St, this elegant and extremely comfortable sofa would happily grace any home, this is definitely a must have for any fine English furniture connoisseur, it screams ‘English Country House’ with its style, charm and charisma, perfect for a bay window or a quiet corner of the room, reserve now. Background: Howard and Sons In 1820 John Howard started trading at 24 Lemon St, London, as a ‘Cabinet Manufacturer’. He was to stay there for nine years until he moved premises to 27 Great Alie St. and then later in 1832 he was to move the small distance to 34 Great Alie St where he would stay and open an upholstery workshop/showroom at 36 Red lion St until 1845 (the Red Lion premises were only used for one year). It wasn’t until 1848 after a short period of non-trading that the company was to take on part of the address more familiar with the company. In 1848 John Howard and Sons started trading at 22 Berners St as ‘Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator’. In 1853 John Howard expanded the business into 26 Berners St. From 1861-89 and 1865-68 there were workshops at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq respectively. After Crystal Palace 1862 saw the first big break for the company when they won a prize at only the second Exhibition they attended, the prize was for suite of library furniture. In1865 the young George Howard patented a method for veneering walls with a wooden veneer, instead of wall paper or paint, This was to evolve into flooring which prompted George to take out a patent in 1867 on the improved production of parquet flooring. From 1865 Howard and Sons were listed as ‘Upholsterers, Cabinet Makers and Parquet Flooring Manufacturers by Steam Power’. A further four patents were subsequently taken out on the manufacture and fixing of parquetry to floors and ceilings in November 1879, July 1880 and July and December 1883. In 1866 George Howard Patented something that would secure his family’s company a place in history, he patented the ‘Elastic Seat’. His patent totally re-designed the inside workings of traditional upholstery, creating the superior seat, is what they are now widely known only for. 1872 saw the company’s most significant move when they settled at the address 25, 26 and 27 Berners St, this was only after they consolidated their workshops in 1869 to the Cleveland Works in Cleveland St. These addresses were to remain unchanged until 1935. Howard and sons were to exhibit and win prizes from this address at the 1878 International Exhibition, the 1894 Antwerp Exhibition and win 1 silver and 2 gold medals at the 1900 Paris Exhibition. Howard and Sons became a limited company in 1899, and advertised in 1920 as manufacturers of ‘Parquet Floors by Electric Power’, and were awarded a royal warrant In 1935 Howard and Sons traded from 31 Old Burlington St where they produced mainly upholstered furniture and then ceased trading in 1947. This was the end of the cabinet making side of the firm under the name ‘Howard’, as after seven years of silence in 1954 the well established house decorators Lenygon and Morant Ltd advertised as being ‘Makers of Howard Chairs and Sofas’ from their address at 48 South Audley St, this lasted until 1959 when the name was once again silent. Chairs that follow George Howard’s patent are today available at 30 Lyme St from ‘Howard Chairs Ltd’. Howard and Sons would make identification easier by marking their work. Cabinet work would either have paper labels, stamps on later pieces Ivorine labels. Upholstered furniture would have either a name and/or number stamp on the inside of the back foot, a paper label on the hessian or a name stamp on the castor cup or wheel. The content i.e. address on the stamp varies depending on the date of the piece. Instant identification however can be determined by their favoured use of a variation of turning on the front legs, generally speaking the more squashed this turning the later the piece, a standard square tapered leg was also used.. Some upholstered pieces retain their initialled calico covering, either this or a floral calico were used on all upholstered pieces and were usually covered using a well fitted loose cover also made by Howard and Sons. Both the initialled and floral covers came in a limited range of colours. It is believed that Queen Elizabeth II has the largest private collection of Howard & Sons chairs in the world. Summary: Antique Rare Model 19th Century Howard & Sons Ltd Kidney Shaped Sofa Original Date: 1890 Maker: Howard & Sons Wood: Walnut Stamped: 3994 4731 Casters Stamped: Howard & Sons Ltd Investment Practical & Beautiful Condition: Very good condition, no weakness to joints, recently re upholstered. Dimensions: Width: 68” / 173cm Depth: 30” / 76cm Height: 30” / 76cm Floor to seat: 16” / 40cm Floor to arm: 29” / 74cm.

Creator:
Howard & Sons Ltd (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 68 in (172.72 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
Style:
Victorian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Velvet,Walnut
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1890-1899
Date of Manufacture:
1890
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Good condition, no weakness to the joints.
Seller Location:
Longdon, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1832325634912

Shop All Howard & Sons Ltd

Howard & Sons Ltd

For more than two centuries, the name Howard & Sons Ltd has been synonymous with elegance and exceptional handcrafted quality. Their Victorian furnishings graced grand old hotels like The Savoy in London, British Royal residences and luxury yachts of the day, including American business tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt’s North Star.

Today, stately armchairs, sofas and rich, hand-carved serving tables from Howard & Sons continue to be a gold standard among the most discerning furniture collectors. Queen Elizabeth II is even said to have owned the world's most extensive collection of Howard & Sons chairs.

Howard & Sons Ltd was founded in 1820 on Leman street in London by cabinetmaker and upholsterer John Howard. Although he had three sons — George, Charles and Joseph — it was only George who later joined his father in running the family business. Before their upholstered armchairs and sofas garnered universal acclaim, Howard & Sons was a cabinetry company that collaborated with another well-known cabinetmaker, Gillows of Lancaster and London, on large projects and likely manufactured upholstered furniture for Gillows.

Howard & Sons Ltd showcased their pieces and won awards at several important exhibitions towards the end of the 19th century. They were given medals at the 1878 Paris Exhibition, the 1894 Antwerp Exhibition and the 1900 Paris Exposition. In 1901, they received their first Royal warrant to supply upholstered furniture to King Edward VII.

Howard & Sons Ltd continued production until 1947. During the 1950s, a London decorating firm called Lenygon & Morant began to trade under the Howard name. The company re-emerged in 1967 as Howard Chairs Ltd. Today, the brand is again known again as Howard & Sons and carries on the tradition of creating bespoke furniture from their London-based workshop.

On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Howard & Sons Ltd seating, case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other collectibles.