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Sales > Chairs > Armchairs > Upholstered > Howard and Sons Chair
Howard and Sons Chair
A little background information on Howard and Sons chairs and sofas.
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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.
Howard and Sons exhibited at all the large exhibitions of the nineteenth century including the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the subsequent shows at Crystal Palace, as well as exhibitions in America and France. Howard and Sons had the Royal Warrant and supplied several Royal residences with many items of antique furniture, most frequently of course with upholstery.
Although Howard and Sons supplied almost any item for the nineteenth century house and were renowned for their excellent build quality and superb finishing in all areas of chattels and interior decorating, it is their upholstered furniture for which the company is now so famous.
Howard and Sons really lead the way with the design and manufacture of upholstered furniture in the nineteenth century. The upholstered easy armchairs, sofas, wing chairs, library chairs, stools, pouffes, chaise longues and day beds made by Howard and Sons were better than normal pieces of the same period in many ways. Details such as the "siege de duvet" upholstery system for comfort, pocketed cushions, quad lashed springs and so on are all key features that other makers were simply not using, whether through lack of competence or because of cost.
More interesting, perhaps, is that while leading the way as far as innovation and engineering is concerned, Howard and Sons held onto many decidedly traditional upholstering techniques long after other manufacturers had modernised. Some of these methods were decidedly eighteenth century and must have made Howard and Son's upholstery much more expensive than that of other contempory makers.
Features such as tenon jointed frames, a hard stitched front edge (instead of a sprung front) and beautifully smooth and chamfured birchwood frames mean that sofas and chairs made by Howard and Sons are not just comfortable, but also extremely hard wearing.
The comfortable armchairs and sofas made by Howard and Sons in the nineteenth century are now a very good investment for the modern collector. For the 20 years that Hares Antiques has been specialising in armchairs and settees made by Howard and Sons they have become rarer and more sought after, increasing in value every year.
If there are any further details required relating to Howard and Sons furniture, please do not hesitate to contact one of us at hares@hares-antiques.com
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"Bridgewater"
Circa 19th Antique Armchair, by Howard and Son, "Bridgewater" model - of slightly larger depth compared to the above example, in an old - possibly original leather.
English circa 1890
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"Bridgewater"
Circa 19th Antique Armchair, by Howard and Son, "Bridgewater" model - with horse hair upholstery instead of the siege de duvet feather version, resulting in a firmer seat yet still a perfectly proportioned armchair. Turned and square leg versions are available.
English circa 1880
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"Bridgewater"
A Pair of Restored and Re-Upholstered 19th Century Antique Armchairs, by Howard and Son. The "Bridgewater" Model. These armchairs have been completely restored and re-upholstered into a copy of Howard and Son's original under-ticking.
Turned and square leg versions are available.
English circa 1890
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Howard & Son Footstool
Circa 19th Antique Footstool, by Howard and Son, with a fixed cushion in the siege de duvet manner. These are of an age comparable to the armchairs, and have the same seat height - a variety of widths are available to match the chairs.
Turned and square leg versions are also available.
English circa 1900
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"Grafton"
Circa 19th Antique Armchair, by Howard and Son, "Grafton" model - of larger depth (4 inches or so) compared to the Bridgewater example. This armchair has been completely restored and re-upholstered into a copy of Howard and Son's original under-ticking.
Turned and square leg versions are available.
English circa 1900
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"Harley"
Circa 19th Antique Armchair, by Howard and Son, "Harley" model - of similar depth compared to the Grafton but with higher arms and a wider seat. This armchair has been completely restored and re-upholstered into a damask fabric.
Turned and square leg versions are available.
English circa 1900
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Late C19th Howard Grafton, shown in our classic "tight-loose cover".
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Unusual Howard armchair, Clayton model, with special order show-wood, en suite with the sofa below.
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Two seat Howard sofa, en suite with the chair shown above.
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Most unusual late C19th Howard hall porter's wing chair.
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Unusual pair of Howard library chairs.
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Small Howard chair, Clayton model.
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Typical Howard Bridgewater, prior to restoration.
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Pair of rare Howard armchairs, "Harley" model.
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Pair of very rare Howard armchairs, "Bridgewater" model.
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A pair of square taper leg Howard "Ivors".
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A walnut and upholstered, stamped Howard & Sons "Titchfield" armchair, circa 1880, on baluster turned tapering legs at the front.
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"Bridgewater"
A Pair of Restored and Re-Upholstered 19th Century Antique Armchairs, by Howard and Son. The "Bridgewater" Model. These armchairs have been completely restored and re-upholstered into a copy of Howard and Son's original under-ticking.
This pair is shown in a square tapering leg.
English circa 1890
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C19th Howard and Sons wing chair, with vertical scroll to the arms, and on
square taper legs.
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A small Howard and Sons library armchair, English circa 1910.
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The Howard and Sons Club armchair has an elongated seat, and are most comfortable to sit in with ones feet up on.
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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.
Howard and Sons exhibited at all the large exhibitions of the nineteenth century including the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the subsequent shows at Crystal Palace, as well as exhibitions in America and France. Howard and Sons had the Royal Warrant and supplied several Royal residences with many items of antique furniture, most frequently of course with upholstery.
Although Howard and Sons supplied almost any item for the nineteenth century house and were renowned for their excellent build quality and superb finishing in all areas of chattels and interior decorating, it is their upholstered furniture for which the company is now so famous.
Howard and Sons really lead the way with the design and manufacture of upholstered furniture in the nineteenth century. The upholstered easy armchairs, sofas, wing chairs, library chairs, stools, pouffes, chaise longues and day beds made by Howard and Sons were better than normal pieces of the same period in many ways. Details such as the "siege de duvet" upholstery system for comfort, pocketed cushions, quad lashed springs and so on are all key features that other makers were simply not using, whether through lack of competence or because of cost.
More interesting, perhaps, is that while leading the way as far as innovation and engineering is concerned, Howard and Sons held onto many decidedly traditional upholstering techniques long after other manufacturers had modernised. Some of these methods were decidedly eighteenth century and must have made Howard and Son's upholstery much more expensive than that of other contempory makers.
Features such as tenon jointed frames, a hard stitched front edge (instead of a sprung front) and beautifully smooth and chamfured birchwood frames mean that sofas and chairs made by Howard and Sons are not just comfortable, but also extremely hard wearing.
The comfortable armchairs and sofas made by Howard and Sons in the nineteenth century are now a very good investment for the modern collector. For the 20 years that Hares Antiques has been specialising in armchairs and settees made by Howard and Sons they have become rarer and more sought after, increasing in value every year.
If there are any further details required relating to Howard and Sons furniture, please do not hesitate to contact one of us at hares@hares-antiques.com
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