A late Victorian walnut library arm chair by Howard & Sons

A late Victorian walnut library arm chair by Howard & Sons, the deep armchair fully upholstered over the back and scrolling, padded arms and shaped cusshion, the front legs turned, one stamped on the castor ‘Howard & Sons, London’ feet, one back leg numbered.  English,  circa 1900

Howard and Sons were founded in 1820.  They were the foremost makers of upholstered furniture during the nineteenth century and are still highly regarded today for the quality of their hand-crafted pieces.  Howard and Sons exhibited at all the large exhibitions of the nineteenth century including the Great Exhibition of 1851, the Expositions Universelles in Paris and 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.