Gillows Armchair

AN EARLY VICTORIAN OAK ARMCHAIR IN THE MANNER OF A.W.N PUGIN, Circa 1850.

A LATE REGENCY EBONISED LIBRARY ARMCHAIR, CIRCA 1820. Original brass socket castors.

A GEORGE II FRUITWOOD OPEN ARMCHAIR, CIRCA 1750. With pierced splat, scrolled arms and acanthus-carved cabriole legs.

A fine George IV Antiquarian laburnum gothic armchair, Scottish, circa 1825.

Bruce Talbert for Gillows. An Aesthetic Movement Rosewood armchair with a pink button back upholstered back and seat.

We are delighted to offer this very large and collectable fully restored Regency circa 1810-1820 metamorphic armchair which converts into Library steps after the original 18th century design by Gillows of Lancaster. This wonderful piece of English history has been on a journey of restoration, the frame has been washed back and French polished by a Victorian trained polisher, the leather upholstery has been stripped back, hand dyed six times, antiqued and sealed, it has a lovely rich reddish brown colour to it. This chair is larger than any other of its type you would have seen, it is a important and extremely expensive looking thing that commands attention in any setting. The original made by Gillows can currently be viewed in the Victorian & Albert museum, below is an extra from their listing. The period 1800-1825 was a great one for ‘patent’ or ‘metamorphic’ furniture This chair, which transforms into a short set of steps for use with bookshelves, is close to a design for a ‘Library Chair’ published in Rudolph Ackermann’s Repository of the Arts in July 1811, which was made by the London firm of Morgan and Saunders, of Catherine Street, Strand. They were well known for their ingenious furniture, including reading chairs with writing surfaces attached and a great variety of travelling beds...

We are delighted to offer for sale this large and collectable fully restored Regency circa 1810-1820 metamorphic armchair which converts into Library steps attributed to Gillows of Lancaster and London This wonderful piece of English history has been on a journey of restoration, the frame has been washed back and French polished by a Victorian trained polisher, the leather upholstery is all new, it is Italian cattle hide, upholstered plain then hand dyed six times, antiqued and sealed, it has a lovely rich reddish brown colour to it. This chair is larger than any other of its type you would have seen, it is an important and extremely expensive looking thing that commands attention in any setting. You can see the same model made by Gillows currently viewed in the Victorian & Albert Museum, below is an extra from their listing. The period 1800-1825 was a great one for ‘patent’ or ‘metamorphic’ furniture This chair, which transforms into a short set of steps for use with bookshelves, is close to a design for a ‘Library Chair’ published in Rudolph Ackermann’s Repository of the Arts in July 1811, which was made by the London firm of Morgan and Saunders, of Catherine Street, Strand. They were well known for their ingenious furniture, including reading chairs with writing surfaces attached and a great variety of travelling beds...

Bruce Talbert attributed, stamped Gillows. An Aesthetic Movement oak armchair. It was professionally re-upholstered in a light blue Damask.