Set of Plates from Ackermann's Repository illustrating Furniture and Furnishings. Three Volumes.

London: 1809-1828. 4to. Later quarter morocco, marbled boards. 185 colored plates.

A complete selection of the furniture plates from Ackermann's The Repository of Fine Arts, the magazine which disseminated current ideas and taste in the arts, dress, decoration and architecture during the Regency period, especially those featuring the designs of individual cabinet-makers and craftsmen such as George Smith, George Bullock (a friend of Walter Scott, who designed many of the interiors at Abbotsford), John Taylor who produced furniture books of his own, and included early Gothic interiors by Augustus Pugin.  Large commercial firms were also represented often in a number of successive plates: one of the most important was Morgan & Sanders who provided the furniture for Trafalgar House and appeared often in the early issues, later were featured Snell of Albemarle Street who specialized in French furniture, and pieces of Morell & Hughes who provided the furniture for Syon House, while John Stafford, an upholsterer from Bath, provided a series of fashionable window draperies between 1812 and 1814.

The plates include a wide variety of furniture, furnishings and interior design such as chairs (including invalid and mechanical chairs), sofas and day beds, tables (including ladies' writing and work or sewing tables), a large selection and variety of styles of beds, with their hangings, book cases and library desks, chests and bureau, a wide variety of window hangings, numerous examples of mantle pieces, and specialty pieces such as globes, ladders, a pianoforte, music and artists furniture, and pier tables and glasses.  There are several overall room layouts in various styles including Grecian, French Directoire, and Gothic.  All plates are colored.  Professionally bound in period styled bindings.  The plates are laid down and mounted on large sheets of paper.  Very good.

 

SOLD