Gillows of Lancaster London Wardrobes and Armoires
It would be difficult to find an antique furniture enthusiast or collector unfamiliar with the name Gillows of Lancaster and London. The British furniture company — which has earned references in the writings of Jane Austen and elsewhere in literature — is renowned for its exceptional quality craftsmanship, and attracted designers such as Thomas Chippendale, Thomas Sheraton and George Hepplewhite in its heyday.
The firm was founded circa 1730 by Robert Gillow (1704–72), who worked as a joiner, housebuilder and overseas merchant before making furniture for homes and export. Gillow established his business in his home city of Lancaster. However, the company later expanded into London in the 1750s after Robert entered into a partnership with his son, Richard, who apprenticed with a London architect and learned the merchant trade in Barbados. Richard had entrepreneurial aptitude — he managed apprenticeships at the firm, ensured that quality materials were a priority, navigated economic hardships, and designed furniture, too. He created seating based on sketches drawn by his cousin, James Gillow, in London.
London’s wealthy upper class took notice of the Gillows’ high-quality furniture, which came to include bedroom furniture, cabinets, a range of seating and other pieces made of rosewood or rich mahogany imported from the West Indies and Jamaica. By the end of the 18th century, the manufacturer was one of the leading furniture makers in Britain. Gillows designed its own furnishings and worked with significant designers; they had in-house upholsterers and cabinetmakers and employed decorative techniques such as “japanning” in their designs.
Gillows of Lancaster and London became Gillow Co. in 1813 after selling to Redmayne, Whiteside and Ferguson. The company continued to thrive throughout the Georgian era and into the Victorian period, a time that yielded well-known collaborations with Scottish architect and designer Bruce Talbert on a regular basis. High-brow clients of the manufacturer clamored for their inventive and functional designs for tables and writing desks, many of which incorporated whimsical elements such as secret and pop-up drawers. There was also demand for earlier Gillow designs such as Baroque and Gothic Revival pieces as well as adaptations of Chippendale works.
Despite their success, Gillow Co. entered into financial hardship during the late 1800s with the advent of mass-produced furniture. By 1903, they merged with Waring of Liverpool to become Waring and Gillows and, in 1980, were taken over by Maple Co. to become Maple, Waring and Gillow. Today, many Gillows of Lancaster and London pieces are in museums throughout the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia.
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Creator: Gillows of Lancaster
London
Gillows. An Arts
Crafts Oak Treble Wardrobe with Ebony Floral Inlays
By Gillows of Lancaster
London
Located in London, GB
Gillows. An Arts & Crafts Glasgow style Arts & Crafts oak treble wardrobe with ebony and walnut stylized floral inlays to the cornice and further leaf style inlays to the door tops a...
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1890s British Arts and Crafts Antique Gillows of Lancaster London Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Ebony, Oak
Gillow
s of Lancaster, an Aesthetic Movement Walnut Armoire Wardrobe Compactum
By Gillows of Lancaster
London
Located in London, GB
Gillow's of Lancaster, an Aesthetic Movement walnut armoire wardrobe compactum with lots of useful storage space.
The moulded cornice and b...
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Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Antique Gillows of Lancaster London Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Walnut
Bruce Talbert for Gillow. A Walnut, Amboyna, Ebonized and Gilt Bedroom Suite.
By Bruce James Talbert, Gillows of Lancaster
London
Located in London, GB
Bruce Talbert (1838-1881) for Gillow and co., a rare and important walnut, amboyna, ebonized, and gilt bedroom suite, each with differing carved rosettes, comprising: a triple mirror door wardrobe, 208cm high, 208cm wide, 58cm deep; a pair of bedside lockers, 85cm high, 38cm wide; and a pair of single bedsteads, 124cm wide Provenance: The famous Argentinian writer and suffragette Victoria Ocampo (1890-1979), bought from her estate and shipped back from Argentina. Bruce James Talbert originally trained as a carver and then an architect, and he became an influential and very successful furniture designer. He served an apprenticeship in Dundee and had his own carving business for two years where he learned the skills to apply carved details to furniture and then joined the architectural offices of Charles Edward. In 1856 he moved to Glasgow and worked for the architects W. N. Tait and Campbell Douglas. He moved to Manchester in the early 1860s, where he gained employment with the cabinetmakers Doveston, Bird, and Hull, which was short-lived, then moved to Coventry gaining work with Skidmore's Art Manufactures. In 1863 he won the competition to design the masthead for 'The Building News and in the mid-1860s moved to London, where he started designing furniture for Holland and Sons. His 'Pericles' Gothic sideboard was displayed on their stand at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 where it was the Grand Prix winner. It was at this point that his most prolific period began and also when he started designing furniture for Gillows of Lancaster in 1868. in the same year, he published his very influential first book 'Gothic Forms Applied to Furniture, Metal Work and Decoration for Domestic Purposes', which he dedicated to George Edmund Street. This was followed in 1876 by 'Examples of Ancient and Modern Furniture, Metalwork, Tapestries and Modern Furniture' and in 1881 by 'Fashionable Furniture. Other companies he designed for were Marsh, Jones and Cribb, Jackson and Graham, and for a short time, was a partner with Daniel Cottier. He designed textiles for Templeton's, Warner's, Cowlishaw, and Barbour and Miller; carpet designs for Templeton's and Brinton and Co.; and his wallpaper designs were printed by Jeffrey and Co. He also designed church metalwork and furniture for Cox and Sons...
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1880s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Gillows of Lancaster London Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Walnut
Gillows of Lancaster marquetry inlaid oak wardrobe
By Gillows of Lancaster
London
Located in Cheshire, GB
Gillows of Lancaster marquetry inlaid oak wardrobe, having carved moulded cornice above large original bevelled mirror door opening to reveal an upholstered interior with large hangi...
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19th Century British Antique Gillows of Lancaster London Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Oak
$7,515 Sale Price
20% Off
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Gillows Of Lancaster London wardrobes and armoires for sale on 1stDibs.
Gillows of Lancaster
London wardrobes and armoires are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gillows of Lancaster
London wardrobes and armoires, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Prices for Gillows of Lancaster
London wardrobes and armoires can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,558 and can go as high as $12,706, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $8,132.
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