England - Furniture

A superb and rare complete Elizabeth II walnut cased, 117 piece, twelve place canteen of flatware cutlery, in the elegant Kings pattern, retailed by Harrods Knightsbridge London and bearing hallmarks for Sheffield, 1963 and the makers mark of  Gee & Holmes. Comprising: twelve table forks, twelve dessert forks, twelve dessert spoons, twelve soup spoons, twelve teaspoons, twelve fish knives with silver blades twelve fish forks with silver tines, twelve table forks, twelve dessert knives six table spoons three piece fork set  All contained in the original superb fitted walnut canteen box with hinged lid and a single fitted drawer and custom fitted in blue felt. It bears the label "Harrods Ltd Cutlers & Silversmiths, Knightsbridge, S.W." This is the complete set, it is highly unusual to find such a nice patterned set with not even a single piece missing! Condition: In excellent condition, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 19 cm x Width 50 cm x Depth 35.5 cm  - Canteen case Weight 5.44 kg Dimensions in inches: Height 7 inches x Width 1 foot, 8 inches x Depth 1 foot, 2 inches - Canteen case Weight 175 troy oz Harrods founder Charles Henry Harrod first established his business in 1824, aged 25. The business was located south of the River Thames in Southwark. The premises were located at 228 Borough High Street. He ran this business, variously listed as a draper, mercer and a haberdasher, certainly until 1831. During 1825 the business was listed as 'Harrod and Wicking, Linen Drapers, Retail', but this partnership was dissolved at the end of that year. His first grocery business appears to be as ‘Harrod & Co.Grocers’ at 163 Upper Whitecross Street, Clerkenwell, E.C.1., in 1832. In 1834 in London's East End, he established a wholesale grocery in Stepney, at 4, Cable Street, with a special interest in tea. In 1849, to escape the vice of the inner city and to capitalise on trade to the Great Exhibition of 1851 in nearby Hyde Park, Harrod took over a small shop in the district of Brompton, on the site of the current store. Beginning in a single room employing two assistants and a messenger boy, Harrod's son Charles Digby Harrod built the business into a thriving retail operation selling medicines, perfumes, stationery, fruit and vegetables. Harrods rapidly expanded, acquired the adjoining buildings, and employed one hundred people by 1880. However, the store's booming fortunes were reversed in early December 1883, when it burnt to the ground. Remarkably, in view of this calamity, Charles Harrod fulfilled all of his commitments to his customers to make Christmas deliveries that year—and made a record profit in the process. In short order, a new building was built on the same site, and soon Harrods extended credit for the first time to its best customers, among them Oscar Wilde,Lillie Langtry, Ellen Terry, Charlie Chaplin, Noël Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Sigmund Freud, A. A. Milne, and many members of the British Royal Family.  On Wednesday, 16 November 1898, Harrods debuted England's first "moving staircase" (escalator) in their Brompton Road stores; the device was actually a woven leather conveyor belt-like unit with a wood and "silver plate-glass" balustrade. Nervous customers were offered brandy at the top to revive them after their 'ordeal'. The department store was purchased by the Fayed brothers in 1985. In 2010 Harrods was sold to Qutar Holdings.  Harrods was the holder of royal warrants from 1910 till 2000 from the following: * Queen Elizabeth II (Provisions and Household Goods) * The Duke of Edinburgh (Outfitters) * The Prince of Wales (Outfitters and Saddlers) * The late Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (China and Glass) The store occupies a 5-acre (20,000 m2) site and has over one million square feet (90,000 m2) of selling space in over 330 departments making it the biggest department store in Europe. The UK's second-biggest shop, Selfridges, Oxford Street, is a little over half the size with 540,000 square feet (50,000 m2) of selling space, while the third largest, Allders of Croydon had 500,000 square feet (46,000 m2) of retail space. By comparison Europe's second-largest department store the KaDeWe in Berlin has a retail space of 650,000 square feet (60,000 m2). GEE & HOLMES LTD This enterprise can be traced to the registration of Thomas Raynes Ltd as a private limited company in 1935.   Capitalised at £1,000, it was based at 39 Eyre Street, and dealt in cutlery and various tools.  The subscribers were brothers: James Fairclough Gee (1899-1974) and Reginald L. Gee (1913-?).    They had been born at St Helens, Lancashire, the sons of James Gee (1868-1948) – an insurance superintendent – and his wife, Agnes née Fairclough.  In 1939, James and Reginald Gee were living with their parents at 47 Brooklands Crescent.  They were described in the Register of England & Wales (1939) as cutlery manufacturers.  Also residing at Brooklands Crescent (62) was Leonard Wycliffe Holmes (1901-1989), his wife Florence, and their son, James Geoffrey (1932-1985).  Leonard had been born in Sheffield, the son of John Clement Holmes (a steel and iron turner) and his wife, Bertha née Shelton.  Leonard apparently received a technical education, as in 1920 he co-presented a paper on electro-plating  at Mappin Hall.  He held an Associateship in Metallurgy from Sheffield University (Sheffield Daily Independent, 19 November 1920).  Leonard and Florence had been married at a Wadsley Church in 1927: she was the sister of James F. Gee.  In 1939, Leonard was working as a commercial traveller in cutlery.   During the Second World War, Thomas Raynes Ltd was listed at 41 Arundel Street – the same address as cutlery manufacturer, L. Holmes & Co.   The Hawley Collection has a stainless table knife marked ‘L. Holmes & Co’, which was probably made at this time.   Thomas Raynes Ltd became the vehicle for a new business entity – Gee & Holmes Ltd – which initially occupied 41 Arundel Street.  In an advertisement in 1946, the partners announced that they would be moving into a new factory at 61 Eyre Lane in early 1947.  The two-storey factory, which became known as Heritage Works, was bounded by Eyre Lane and Newton Lane.  Gee and Holmes...

A very fine English brass cased compass, professionally cleaned and polished restoring it to it's former glory. The face signed Short & Mason / London together with the brand name "...

Mid 19th century large painted Swedish bench day bed Large rustic Swedish pine bench / day bed circa 1850. Very heavy i...

Stunning oversized overmantel Gaudia™ mirror with a handcrafted bevel and a bronze patina minimalist frame in a pentagonal shape with delicately rounded corners. Handcrafted in Londo...

An extraordinary pair of hand made Italian armchairs beautifully made from walnut wood & newly upholstered in lush lambswool fur . Limited edition RKade studio

This is a large and decorative oil on canvas painting of "Sonning-on-Thames" by the renowned British artist Vernon Howard (1840-1902), Circa 1880 in date, signed and inscribed on a p...

An absolutely fantastic Vintage set of twelve Regency Revival dining chairs dating from the late 20th Century. These chairs have been masterfully crafted in beautiful solid flame ma...

This is an antique 3 draw telescope. An English, brass and leather dressed refractor by Newton & Co, dating to the Victorian period, circa 1870. Perfect for bird watching, landscape...

Large Sawtooth Bench in European oak. Handcrafted in solid English oak this bench has an elegant, imposing and robust design. The solid seat has a very bold sawtooth relief cut into it, and features precisely hand cut, wedged mortise and tenon joints. Finished in Danish oil for a durable protection. It has a shelf beneath that can be used as extra storage space, ideal for books or shoes. Also available in white oak and to custom dimensions. Please contact us for any further information and international shipping. James designs and makes furniture to be fun to live with, while being sensitive to the demands of natural timber. He takes design inspiration from a wide range of sources, from English pub furniture...

A modern lounge chair / armchair upholstered in a yellow gold, premium, soft, pure mohair fabric. Beech frames and sprung seats. Handmade in England. Also available in COM. The d...

Dagmar - Large Luupo Round Ottoman Custom-made ottoman developed & produced at our workshops in London using the highest quality materials. This example is upholstered in 'Moonlight...

A lovely early 20th-century wooden needlework cabinet with small compartments for cotton and needles. The inside is lined with light green silk. Made in England. Good condition for ...

This is a superb antique Victorian golden oak cased three decanter tantalus with decorative silver plated cut brass gothic revival mounts and carry handles to the sides, circa 1880 i...

This is  fabulous  dining set comprising an antique George III style triple pedestal dining table Circa 1920 in date, and a superb Vintage set of eighteen bar back dining chairs, mid 20th Century in date The rounded cornered table...

The Big Country 1958 US 1 sheet film movie poster, bass, linen backed. Another fabulous design by Saul Bass features on the US 1 Sheet Style B poster for 50s The Big Country starrin...

Wonderful set of 12 botanical prints. A beautiful colour of off-white/cream to the paper. Dated 1791 Originally from " Flora Londinensis " published by William Curtis Copper-pla...

A magnificent Faberge crowned 12 arm bronze and rock crystal chandelier dating from about 1870. With four Faberger eggs and 38 Lights. Featuring rock crystal candle tubes and dri...

Very decorative 19th century copper cheese making pot French circa 1850’s would make a great log bin / garden planter Height 15 inches Width 29 inches Depth 43 inches

Vintage French ceramic wall mirror with bird motif (circa 1960s), by Mithé Espelt. A porthole-shaped decorative wall mirror delights the eye. Th...

Scandinavian elm and burr low open bookcase circa 1950. Stunning art deco influenced Swedish low open bookcase.  Made from elm, narrow depth and rounded ends make this the ideal sto...

An elegantly formed brass electrolier with opaline glass shades. c.1930 Made by GEC, beautifully designed brass two-branch electrolier with matched pair of Holophane glass shades....

These are a very high quality pair of large shield back Napoleon III armchairs. Deep buttoned and attractive carved ebonised show wood frame. Generous proportions and very comfy Mea...

Sensational image by Gustave Doré Woodcut engraving Published C.1880 Unframed. Free shipping

A square push-pull door handle with raised abstract design made of cast bronze. Mid to late 20th century, found in Germany. A nice heavy piece with a dark applied patina. There are ...

A matching pair of 19th Century Victorian manner cast iron fireplace inserts. A generous outer plate set with an arched high relief border, the three bared arched fire front with ash...

A very stylish English Art Deco pink tinted mirrored dodecagon dial mantle clock made by ABEC and dating from around 1930. The heavily made quality clock stands mounted on a long rec...

Cartier Lacquer de Chine Oval Vendome Pocket Cigarette Lighter With A Red Cartier Presentation Box Serial ref 19624J Fully working makes for an ideal gift.

A Stunning Pair of Hungarian Walnut and Leather Chairs by Lajos Kozma (1884 -1948) These exceptional chairs by Kozma truly showcase masterful craftsmanship and distinctive design. T...

Superb quality set of six antique Victorian mahogany dining chairs having a superb quality mahogany balloon back with carved scrolls, newly reupholstered serpentine shaped seats in a...

A diminutive and elgantly formed opaline pendant lamp with copper gallery. c.1920. Thick pressed glass of ridged hexagonal form with open bottom, complete with copper gallery suppor...

Large scale textile wall art by renowned artist Margo Farrin O'Connor, California 1970s. It's a mixture of wool, wool mix and jute, on a wooden batten. Gr...

A silvered bronze vase with a frieze of prancing horses, bears incised monogram of French foundry Valsuani. Signed M Divani. Marcello Valsuani emigrated from Italy to France and wor...

Swedish Mora clock from the 1960's in original colour with painted floral decoration. Working Longcase clock mechanism of pendulum and 2 weights and a bell chime on the hour. Width:...

Original vintage TWA Italy 1950s travel advertising poster featuring a wodnerful design by American artist David Klein. We adore the softly illustrated vie...

A truly exceptional pair of Memento Mori 'remember you must die' painted on board, these date to the 16th century and were originally housed in an North Italian Monastery, this incre...

Great image of medical interest. Unframed. Published, circa 1900.

Gorgeous pair of matching Art Deco Bedside Cabinets with the most beautiful highly figured walnut doors. The chrome up-stands and hinges have been removed and highly buffed to create...

Handmade “Monumental Serenity” organic modern wall light/wall sconce, in silky smooth white plaster, created by artist Hannah Woodhouse in her London studio. Contemporary organic mod...

Great example of an early 19th century cherrywood farmhouse table. With a drawer at each end and a small side drawer. This table would seat 8 people around it comfortably. Norman...

Your bedroom is the room in the house most of us spend the majority of time so we wanted to offer you some truly unique touches to make it the perfect space for you. We now cut and m...

A pair of large oval convex mirrors with distressed foxed finish. Bronze patinated simple brass banded frame. Fixed hooks on reverse for hanging either portrait or landscape.

This is a stunning antique Chinese camphor wood trunk with brass fittings, and featuring an interesting desert scape scene, circa 19...

Ceramic wall mirror with birds and flowers (circa 1970s) by Mithé Espelt. A delightful decorative piece topped with two pairs of whimsical ename...

Vintage Industrial Haberdashery Storage Drawer Unit An amazing statement set of factory drawers. These drawers were salvaged from a disused Hungarian factory. There are 60 drawers s...

This is an antique Gentleman's valet suitcase. An English, leather fitted case with silver topped bottles, dating to the early 20th century, circa 1920. Superb fitted suitcase, rep...

A rare and complete Elizabeth II, 127 piece 12 place setting Kings Pattern sterling silver table-service, bearing hallmarks for 1978 and the mak...

This is a good, very early Mason's Ironstone Hydra jug or pitcher in the Basket Japan pattern, made in the English, late Georgian period, circa 1815-1820. This jug is very decorativ...

An aluminium and brass brutalist style decorative clock by David Marshall (circa 1980s). The piece is weighty and wonderfully tactile with the maker's mark impressed on the clock's b...

Great images of shells Unframed. It gives you the option of perhaps making a set up using your own choice of frames. Lithograph after Cpt. Brown, Gilpin and Edwards with original h...

If you would like this armchair upholstered please click yes in the upholstery drop down menu. This would require 8 metres of material. You can supply your own or please get in touch...

A very decorative set of six small, early 19th century, black lacquer and gilt-decorated gaming trays. Circa 1830. Why we like them Exquisite gilt decoration, wonderfully well-pres...

LIGHT / SHADE collection are down lights, V2 GLÜCK, CAVE and VEX. Designed in response to a need for beautiful and unique direct lighting. A double cloth lower section cleverly conce...

Morris & Co. Attributed to Philip Webb A rare pair of unusually large Sussex Armchairs. This original pair have been fully restored, gently dismantled, joints cleaned, glued and clam...

This is a beautiful antique Victorian Sheraton Revival top quality flame mahogany and marquetry inlaid bookcase, masterfully crafted in rich solid mahogany and attributed to the reno...

Elegant Cartier 18k Gold Plated Art Deco Design Oval Pocket Cigarette Lighter With A Red Cartier Presentation Box Serviced & Fully working makes for an ideal gift.

As part of our second collection we have taken influence for our seating from the strong classic designs of the British country house. We have always felt this style of seating offer...

This is a superb large Vintage twin pedestal dining table in elegant George III style, crafted in mahogany with twelve Chippendale chairs and dating from the late 20th Century. Capa...

This is a beautiful antique French Louis Revival ormolu mounted dining table / desk, circa 1920 in date and in 18th Century style. The elegantly crafted oval walnut top features exq...