19 th Century Victorian Furniture th Century 1J. Byrne 2015

Victorian Furniture Victorian furniture is popular today, probably due to it’s accessibility more than the aesthetics. Queen Victoria identified herself with the middle class. There was a big demand by the ever-increasing middle class population for this type of furniture. Mass production using machines led to vast quantities of Victorian furniture being manufactured. Wood used Mahogany, Burr walnut, Rosewood & Ebony. Furniture history changed forever through the Victorian period. It became desirable to have a home laden with furniture to show your status to your peers. 2J. Byrne 2015

Victorian Furniture Machines started to replace hand labour, the beginning of the industrial age. This in turn created a large gap between the designer and the craftsmen. The factories had changed, the designers no longer had direct contact with the customer. The demand for furniture was high, the factories were manufacturing at a fast pace, and a frantic rush for the designers to keep ahead of each other resulted in poor quality design. New machines were introduced to speed up manufacture. They soon began to take over most of the work and the furniture started to be designed around what the machine could make, therefore the quality of design declined. At this stage circular saws, planers and band saws were introduced. Many machines were horse driven, water driven or even man powered. 3J. Byrne 2015

Victorian Furniture The Grecian lines of the Regency Period were replaced by showier furniture with plenty of curves. This showier furniture after 1850 led to low prices and poor construction and workmanship that was often hidden by veneer and applied ornament. William Morris started a rebellion against this trend, founding a company to demonstrate the superiority of quality handmade furniture. Honesty of the hand made joints was his feature of construction. This lead to the Arts and Crafts Movement on the 1880 ′ s leading on to Art Nouveau This drew attention to the merits of 18th Century furniture and led to the practice of purchasing second hand furniture and the antique shop began. 4J. Byrne 2015

Victorian Furniture Overall the Victorian period saw the introduction of labour saving machinery which was misused due to high demand which caused a serious deterioration in design and construction. Features of Victorian Furniture Cumbersome furniture, dust catching carving. Buttoned upholstery – armchairs frequently with low arms scrolled at the front. Balloon & spoon back chairs Thonet’s steam bent chair. Ladies easy chairs without arms because the vastness of the skirts. Chesterfield – fat layer of well sprung upholstery named after the Earl of Chesterfield. 5J. Byrne 2015

Features of Victorian Furniture Later Victorian easy chairs removed the fully upholstered arms to help lighten up the appearance. Sometimes had a small drawer fitted in the front to hold a spittoon. Papier Mache chair. Boxes and trays. Papier Mache was applied over a wooded frame for chairs. Ottomans used in rooms which had bow windows or circular ends and picture galleries. Smokers bow for houses, barbers shop, cottages and offices. Work table for games and sewing. Reflects Louis XIV (14 th ) style. Davenport – lades writing desk. Chest of drawers with wooden knobs – more to do with cheapness. J. Byrne 20156

Features of Victorian Furniture Chiffoniers used in dining and sitting rooms. Lootable named after the fashionable card game. Whatnot suited the over furnished rooms. Sutherland table – a cross between a gate leg and Pembroke table very narrow, failing in proportion. Gothic revival sideboard. Telescopic table – strong steady table with bulbous turning. Solved the problem of leg room. Sideboard contained back piece of mirror – mass produced in Military desk – designed in three parts for travelling, sunken handles. Brass bedstead – four poster with curtains started to disappear. J. Byrne 20157

Duncan Phyfe (1768 – 1854) Born in Scotland, Phyfe came to New York City in about 1794 and established a cabinet shop. His firm continued under the name Duncan Phyfe & Sons until 1847,when Phyfe retired, having accumulated a sizable fortune. Phyfe's shop was located at 35 Partition (now Fulton) Street. Phyfe was one of the first American cabinetmakers to successfully incorporate the factory method into the cabinet workshop. He employed master craftsmen, & apprentices, as well as carvers, turners, and upholsterers He introduced the Empire style to New York City. 8J. Byrne 2015

Duncan Phyfe 9J. Byrne 2015

William Morris ( 1834 – 1896 ) William Morris began as an architect but later took up painting. He set up a firm along with Philip Webb, Madox Brown, Burne-Jones & Rossetti producing high quality decorative objects. Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. later became Morris & Co. in His textile & wallpaper designs are reproduced today. Morris disliked machines and believed that Real art had to be hand made. He was one of the co founders of The Arts & Crafts Movement. Only the wealthy could afford his products. 10 J. Byrne 2015

Morris wrote “ Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful and believe to be beautiful ” “Art is the expression of man’s pleasure in labour “ The furniture joints were left visible sometimes even featured, native woods were used mainly oak and often left natural colour. A lot of Ironmongery was used also. The Ladder back Morris Chair is thought to have been designed by Philip Webb. 11J. Byrne 2015 William Morris ( 1834 – 1896 )

Morris Furniture Painted by Morris Morris Chair Image courtesy of Morris society 12 J. Byrne 2015

Wightwick Manor Staffordshire J. Byrne Morris furniture, rugs, and textiles. Image Courtesy of Morris Society

Philip Webb (1831 – 1915 ) Born in Oxford, Webb studied at Aynho in Northamptonshire and later moved to London where he met William Morris He was the main Designer of Red House at Bexleyheath for Morris. He became part of the company later known as Morris & Co. Webb and Morris formed an important part of the Arts and Crafts movement, and founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in Webb also joined Morris's revolutionary Socialist League, becoming its treasurer. 14 J. Byrne 2015

Morris & Co. Rossetti Chair Prenzel - webb Philip Webb Sussex Chair Philip Webb Chair 15 J. Byrne 2015

Michael Thonet ( ) The pioneer of Bentwood. He developed a technique by which solid lengths of beech could be softened by boiling or steaming & bent into frames. Thonet patented his process in 1841 and set up business in Vienna in He developed his designs until they could be mass produced. Chair No. 14 comprises only six parts. He exhibited his chairs at the Crystal Palace Exhibition in 1851 and was so successful that he opened a London Factory. In 1870 he was turning out 1,200 daily. By 1871 his company was the largest furniture-maker in the world. Rocker chair No. 64, moulded Chair made from one continuous piece of Plywood. 16 J. Byrne 2015

Thonet Chairs Moulded Chair Chair No. 14 Rocker No. 64 Lounger 17 J. Byrne 2015

Thonet Chairs Taken from Thonet’s Book Flat pack chair No.14 A take on Thonets chair Chair No J. Byrne 2015

Charles Rennie Mackintosh ( ) This outstanding Scottish Architect & Designer was an important influence on the development of Modernism. With his wife Margaret her sister Frances & her husband Herbert MacNair “The Four ” as they became known established their own style which was not popular in Britain however it was hugely popular on the Continent, Austria & Germany. He designed from furniture to wall coverings, cutlery to light fittings. Furniture was based on straight lines and gentle curves using geometric shapes. His chairs have long straight backs. Furniture was often painted black or shades of white He was one of the founders of the Modern Movement. 19 J. Byrne 2015

Mackintosh Willow ChairAsh Armchair 20 J. Byrne 2015

Mackintosh Writing Desk High Back Chairs 21 J. Byrne 2015

References morris/artdecorative.html morris/artdecorative.html J. Byrne