Victorian Armchair
DimensionsOverall: 121 × 70.5 × 60 cm
Credit LineGift of Mr. Robert Trip and Mr. Peter Martin, 2012
Object number2012.025.001
Label TextThis armchair, attributed to Henry Coombs’ (1819-1882) shop, was reupholstered in the 20th century. Upholstery as we know it today was introduced from the late 16th century. Early upholsterers stuffed leather or fabric with marsh grass, down, or animal hair, usually horse hair. But the stuffing sometimes shifted within the chair when someone sat in it. This armchair illustrates one solution to this problem: tufting. Buttons sewn into the upholstery kept the stuffing in place.
English-born Henry Coombs (1819-1882) immigrated to London in 1843 and soon opened a cabinet-making business. He operated it at King and Richmond streets, on the northwest corner of the Market Square, until he closed up shop in 1875. The notice announcing the closure highlighted the medals Coombs’ furniture had won locally and in Paris, France. It also noted that customers could be confident of the quality of his goods. While other manufacturers had adopted machinery, Coombs still trusted the skill of trained craftsmen.
NameArmchair
