Victorian furniture styles
This page describes various different Victorian styles of furniture. The styles vary and include Japanese designs, …
Read article
Chairs by designer Shao Fan
Artist Shao Fan is sculptor and painter, and freely experiments with various media. To the contemporary Chinese des…
Read article
Obituaries of Clive Wainwright
Clive Wainwright (1942–99) was a furniture historian, with particular knowledge of 19th-century furniture designers…
Read article
Korean red lacquer chest
This Korean red lacquer chest inlaid with mother-of-pearl decoration was purchased by a curator from the Ceramics D…
Read article
Furniture timbers
Wood and metal are usually regarded as highly compatible materials. However, interactions between certain metals a…
Read article
Conservation of Houghton Hall textiles and furniture
Houghton Hall, Norfolk, was built and furnished in 1722-1735 for Sir Robert Walpole, the first British Prime Minister, by the innovative and leading designer William Kent.
Obituary of Ralph Edwards, CBA, FSA
Herbert Cecil Ralph Edwards (1894–1977) was renowned for his scholarly knowledge of English furniture. In 1926 he joined the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Woodwork. In 1937 he became Keeper of the department and after his retirement acted as advisor on works of art to the Ministry of Works and the Historic Buildings councils.
Obituary of John Forrest Hayward
John Forrest Hayward (1916–83) was a distinguished art historian and specialist in the study of arms and armour. He spent WWII with the Special Operations Executive, fitting out agents to be parachuted behind the enemy lines and in 1945 he joined the Monuments and Fine Arts Office in Austria. In 1949 he joined the Metalwork Department of the Victoria & Albert Museum, allowing him to widen his field of studies to include gold and silver plate, jewellery and bronze. In 1956 he became Deputy Keeper of the Department of Furniture and Woodwork.
The Story of Alma-Tadema and the Epps Family
Lawrence Alma-Tadema was a talented furniture designer and a leading Victorian painter. He worked on this screen with his pupil, Laura Epps.
Penguin Donkey bookcase by Egon Riss and Isokon, 1939
This bookcase was was made by Isokon, probably the most forward-thinking British furniture manufacturer of the 1930s. In the late 30s this little bookcase was set to be a best seller, but its success was thwarted by the onset of war. Now it is a rare design.
British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age
31 March–12 August 2012
Showcasing over 300 British design objects, this exhibition celebrates the best of British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games' to the summer of 2012.
More detailsShop online
Antelope Chair - Race Furniture for the V&A
The V&A Shop is delighted to announce its exclusive collaboration with Race Furniture on the reissue of the Antelope Chair in its original Festival of Britain yellow.
Buy nowEvent - Form, Fashion, Function: A Concise History of Furniture
Thu 24 January 2013 10:30
SHORT COURSE: Explore the fascinating history of European furniture, using objects, resources and expertise featured in the V&A’s new furniture gallery.
Book online
