Attributed to GILLOWS OF LANCASTER & LONDON (1730-1903)

A Fine and Rare Pair of Regency Period Bookcases (c. 1815 England)

A Fine and Rare Pair of Regency Period Bookcases (England)

Item Stock Code

7363

European Dimensions

66.00 cm wide 107.00 cm high 41.00 cm deep

UK/USA Converted Dimensions

25.98 inches wide 42.13 inches high 16.14 inches deep

Item Provenance & History

‘Gillows of Lancaster & London’ by Susan E Stuart, and published by the Antique Collectors Club in 2008, illustrates under plate 492, p380, Volume 1, a ‘Moving Library Bookcase’ of strikingly similar design, supplied by Gillows in 1813.

Item Literature

The founder of the Gillows dynasty, Robert (1704-1772) rose from humble beginnings as a provincial joiner, and evolved into a consummate businessman following a pursuit of excellence throughout his life.
Founding his business in 1730 he expanded his furniture making activities to include the direct import of quality West Indian timbers especially the finest mahogany. His talents as both a cabinetmaker as well as innovative designer brought him early success, and, bringing his two sons, Richard & Robert, into the business, he expanded his Lancaster showroom, to include another in London’s Oxford Street. The clientele now included the Government, the aristocracy and the burgeoning middle classes. His furniture had gained its’ reputation for excellence of workmanship, and materials employed, and coupled with his insistence on being at the cutting edge of design kept the company to the fore throughout its’ one hundred and seventy year history from 1730 until its’ amalgamation with Messrs S.J. Waring in 1900. Throughout this period it was the largest manufactory of furniture in England. The fortuitous survival of the Gillows records in their Estimate Sketch Books show over 20,000 designs and are preserved in the City of Westminster Library. Furniture made by Gillows is to be found in Royal collections and museums throughout the world.

Item Description / Dealer Expertise

Constructed in a finely figured mahogany, rising from tapering legs fitted with sleeve castors, the bases having blind cupboards, dressed with pleated silk, and flanked by tapered and reeded columns, with oblate knopped finials, and fitted with fine cast brass carrying handles: over, two deep shelves, and the platforms with three quarter shaped galleries.

GILLOWS OF LANCASTER & LONDON

Type	Artist/Maker
Country of origin	England
Started working	1730
Stopped working	1903

Furniture makers: In about 1695 Robert Gillow founded his firm in Lancaster. His son, Richard, was taken into partnership in 1757. The firm opened a London branch in Oxford Street about 1777.
Noble commissions came and in 1800, Richard Gillows took over a patent for an extending dining table which further enhanced the firm's reputation. The history of Gillows is exceptionally complete, as nearly all the order books and salesman's archives still exist. We know that the practice of stamping GILLOWS. LANCASTER started in around 1780 and continued until 1817, which might seem surprisingly early as the design seems to reflect the taste of the early Victorian era, yet it is twenty to thirty years ahead of its time.

Today, it is difficult to comprehend the range of Gillows' business at this time. They traded not only in finished furniture, but also in timber from the West Indies along with sugar and spirits from the same region. They undertook architectural joinery and fitted out entire buildings, providing wall papers, fixtures and fittings. Their salesmen toured the country with books of illustrations lavishly coloured to tempt buyers. Gilllows even pioneered 'flat-packing' in order to offer their clients a reduced price. There was no corner of the furniture trade they did not thoroughly exploit. Between 1780 and 1830, they were the furniture trade, leading in price, fashion and even work practices.

More information /
Purchase this item

Please email or call +44 (0)20-7221 8174 for more information or to purchase this item.

Status

FOR SALE

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Butchoff Antiques

Butchoff Antiques
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Contacts:	Ian Butchoff, Adam Kaye, James Kaye
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Attributed to GILLOWS OF LANCASTER & LONDON (1730-1903)

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