A Good Quality Upholstered Victorian Three-Seater Sofa in the Manner of Howard & Sons c.1890-1900
SOLD
Origin: English
Period: Late Victorian
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1890-1900
Height: 29.5” (at back)
Width: 65.5”
Depth: 37.5”
The country house three-seater sofa in the manner of Howard & Sons, being coil sprung and horsehair stuffed, on squat tapering square legs with brass and ceramic pot castors, fully reupholstered in blendworth biscuit linen with single piping, the whole surviving from late Victorian England.
The condition of the sofa is fantastic, having been fully reupholstered. All of the original horsehair and innards to the upholstery has been retained. The frame is good quality and remains sturdy and strong having been tightened. It proves wonderfully comfortable with the low deep seat typical of the style and the castors appear to be original.
Howard and Sons of Berners Street in London were the foremost upholstery maker of the nineteenth century, regarded in the same way as Gillow were for cabinet furniture. Howard and Sons were such an important company that they collaborated with Gillow on several important projects and may have even manufactured pieces of upholstered furniture for Gillow as well as other important makers such as Maple and Co. In 1866 George Howard Patented something that would secure his family's company a place in history, he patented the 'Elastic Seat'. His patent totally re-designed the inside workings of traditional upholstery, creating the superior seat, is what they are now widely known only for. A good maker in the Howard style would have made this sofa and the quality of the frame make it nigh on as good as a Howard stamped armchair but without the eye-watering price tag.
One tends to see Howard style armchairs more often than sofas or settees; a pleasing find and a very comfortable one indeed.
Period: Late Victorian
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1890-1900
Height: 29.5” (at back)
Width: 65.5”
Depth: 37.5”
The country house three-seater sofa in the manner of Howard & Sons, being coil sprung and horsehair stuffed, on squat tapering square legs with brass and ceramic pot castors, fully reupholstered in blendworth biscuit linen with single piping, the whole surviving from late Victorian England.
The condition of the sofa is fantastic, having been fully reupholstered. All of the original horsehair and innards to the upholstery has been retained. The frame is good quality and remains sturdy and strong having been tightened. It proves wonderfully comfortable with the low deep seat typical of the style and the castors appear to be original.
Howard and Sons of Berners Street in London were the foremost upholstery maker of the nineteenth century, regarded in the same way as Gillow were for cabinet furniture. Howard and Sons were such an important company that they collaborated with Gillow on several important projects and may have even manufactured pieces of upholstered furniture for Gillow as well as other important makers such as Maple and Co. In 1866 George Howard Patented something that would secure his family's company a place in history, he patented the 'Elastic Seat'. His patent totally re-designed the inside workings of traditional upholstery, creating the superior seat, is what they are now widely known only for. A good maker in the Howard style would have made this sofa and the quality of the frame make it nigh on as good as a Howard stamped armchair but without the eye-watering price tag.
One tends to see Howard style armchairs more often than sofas or settees; a pleasing find and a very comfortable one indeed.