Antique Howard & Sons Bridgewater Armchair William Morris Strawberry Thief

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Antique Howard & Sons Bridgewater Armchair William Morris Strawberry Thief

About the Item

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning fully restored Victorian walnut framed Howard & Son’s Bridgewater model, Berners street armchair I have various other Howard and Son's armchairs and sofas listed under my other items. This is a rare chair, it is the original and most collectable model, the Bridgewater, the piece has been fully restored to include having the walnut lages cleaned waxed and polished, the fabric has all been newly upholstered, it is of course the world famous William Morris Strawberry thief, its a thick upholstery fabric not the thinner curtain fabric Howard & Son’s are simply put the finest chair makers in history, the Queen even has a private collection. The chair isn't stamped Howard but as you can see from the model it is, I've had a massive collection over the years buying and restoring some of the rarest and most collectable (and expensive) Howard models around, this is a sublime piece Armchair dimensions Height:- 81cm Width:- 71cm Depth:- 93.5cm Seat height:- 38.5cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point A History of Howard and Sons The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought after names in Upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made its first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated its many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These adresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well established decorators Lenygon and Morant appear to take over the name with the business address being given as 31 Old Burlington St (Lenygon and Morants premesis since 1909). Lenygon and Morant later moved to South Audley St where from 1954 they advertised as 'Makers of Howard Chairs and Sofas'. In 1967 the owners of Lenygon and Morant open Howard Chairs Limited, the company operating from Lyme St continue to make high quality sofas and armchairs. Exhibitions and Important Houses: At the 1862 International Exhibition (The 3rd World Expo) Howard and Sons entered a suite of library furniture for which they won a prize. They also went on to exhibit at the Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle twice; once in 1878 and again in 1900. Also at the Exposition Internationale d'Anvers 1894 (International Exposition/World Fair Antwerp). Winning Prizes at them all including 1 silver and 2 golds. They also employed their eclectic styles working for many important clients providing furniture for important houses such as Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, Elton Hall, Huntingdonshire and Stokesay Court, Shropshire. This item is available for collection from our Pulborough warehouses Condition Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description pertaining to the condition. Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.

Creator:
Howard Chairs Ltd. (Maker),Howard and Sons (Maker),William Morris (English) (Maker),Howard & Sons Ltd (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 27.96 in (71 cm)Depth: 36.82 in (93.5 cm)Seat Height: 15.16 in (38.5 cm)
Style:
Victorian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Upholstery,Walnut,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
19th Century
Condition:
Reupholstered. Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2823331526562

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.