FURNITURE

Victorian Dining Chairs – a Craze that will Last and Last

Gillows, one of the most prestigious names in high quality Victorian dining chairs, was a Lancashire company. So too were cabinetmakers Lamb & Co, Manchester is historically part of Lancashire. In fact, there’s a long history of making fine Victorian dining chairs in Lancashire. Little wonder, as George Hepplewhite served his apprenticeship here.

Lancashire and dining chairs are inextricably linked – the Lancashire chair being a case in point. A variation on the Windsor, but with a straight spindle back more suited to dining, it’s an Arts & Crafts style which is still being made today, and familiar to anyone who has ever been to a tearoom or pub in Preston. But Victorian dining chairs come in all shapes and sizes, from late Georgian to Gothic Revival and pre-Modernist pieces. It defines an era, not a style, and it was one that lasted almost 70 years – from 1837 to 1901.

Victorian dining chairs in Lancashire – defined by the times they lived in

The social and historical changes which took place during the Victorian age were phenomenal, with class barriers broken and the Empire opening up like a new bloom before the eyes of the designers. People buying Victorian dining chairs in Preston will see in them social changes, rebellion and artistic expression – giving tremendous scope for 21st century interiors.

The arrival of mechanisation in the north was followed by a backlash, and the growth of the Arts & Crafts movement. This was a direct result of the rise of the wealthy industrialists. The elegance of the Georgian period was past, and people wanted opulence – the showier, the better. It became the norm to have lavish dinner parties, with tables groaning with multiple courses of elaborate cuisine. Early Victorian dining chairs were equally impressive – showy and plushly upholstered (to allow for the fact a meal might take several hours to consume!) and built to accommodate layers of petticoats and crinolines.

The less wealthy wanted the same look, and designers turned to mechanisation to cope with demand, pushing down prices but creating a trend in poorly made furniture. Many of the elaborate 1850s Victorian dining chairs in Lancashire auctions are expensive to look at, but peer closer and you’ll see the applied ornament and veneer hiding a multitude of sins. They’ll often have been repaired as well. These chairs should be at the lower end of the price range, however fancy they are – don’t mistake them for Aesthetic originals, which were always highly crafted.

Victorian dining chairs of the Arts & Crafts era

The pre-cursor of the Arts & Crafts furniture ushered in by William Morris and his contemporaries, the Aesthetic Movement, represents the crème de la crème of Victorian dining chairs. Preston buyers may or may not find the exquisite carvings and detailed painting applicable to their modern homes. However, if you want to invest, Bruce Talbert made Victorian dining chairs in Lancashire for Gillows, in a pleasing Gothic Reform style.

Victorian dining chairs from 1870 onwards often carried the name of Heals or Liberty – both names to invest in. They came in many styles, from English vernacular to Anglo-oriental. Add to this the Gothic and Chippendale revival pieces, and in Lancashire you have Victorian dining chairs for every mood. 

About the Author

The author, Christian Davies, is a second generation antiques dealer and owner of Christian Davies Antiques, a family based antiques business based in Preston, Lancashire.

Christian has over 23 years experience in the antiques business and has a passion for genuine, high quality antiques furniture, such as Victorian dining chairs, which he sources from the UK and Europe.

Victorian Dining Table & Set Gothic Chippendale Chairs

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