Dressing Table
1947 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The donor of this dressing table bought it at Heal & Son in London in 1947 for £17 3s 3d. This model appears in the 1947 Utility Furniture Catalogue as one of two designs of dressing table in the Chiltern range. They were available in oak, like this one, or mahogany. A note in the bedroom furniture stock book of Heal & Son says production of the design was discontinued in 1949.
After the Second World War, rationing in Britain persisted under the Utility scheme which controlled the design and distribution of furniture. Utility furniture often only had solid wood for the frames. The rest of the piece was constructed from veneered panels to conserve timber. The designer and furniture maker Gordon Russell led the design panel for the Utility Furniture Scheme but did not contribute designs for the range. These were supplied by a committee of designers, with most of the work done by Edwin Clinch and H. J. Cutler. They were both based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, an area with a tradition of furniture-making.
After the Second World War, rationing in Britain persisted under the Utility scheme which controlled the design and distribution of furniture. Utility furniture often only had solid wood for the frames. The rest of the piece was constructed from veneered panels to conserve timber. The designer and furniture maker Gordon Russell led the design panel for the Utility Furniture Scheme but did not contribute designs for the range. These were supplied by a committee of designers, with most of the work done by Edwin Clinch and H. J. Cutler. They were both based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, an area with a tradition of furniture-making.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 9 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Oak, oak veneer, mirror |
| Brief description | Dressing table by Heal & Sons, 1947, veneered in oak with solid oak drawer handles and an oblong mirror |
| Physical description | Dressing table with an oak frame in-filled with oak-veneered panels. A bank of three drawers on either side, joined by a central drawer below a plain unframed oblong mirror mounted on oak batons. The drawer pulls are solid oak mouldings. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Twentieth Century Gallery
DRESSING TABLE
Designed by Ambrose Heal (British, 1872-1959), about 1943
Made by Heal & Son Ltd, London, Great Britain, 1947
Oak
Given by R.R. Ryder
W.114-1978
The Utility Furniture Scheme was begun in 1941 by the Board of Trade as a means of rationing production and consumption of furniture. It regulated the use of basic raw materials that would be in great demand in the War and allowed only those with a proven need for furniture to buy it. The scheme evolved into an attempt by members of the Design Panel to raise what they saw as the low level of design in Britain. The restrictions were relaxed in 1952. This dressing table was bought by the donor in 1947 but was designed earlier for it is a typical example of the early 'Utility' furniture which had austere and traditional lines; it cost £17. 3s. 3d.(1994) |
| Credit line | Given by R. R. Ryder |
| Production | Previously and erroneously the design of this dressing table has been attributed to Heal, but Ambrose Heal was not part of the Utility furniture design committee. |
| Summary | The donor of this dressing table bought it at Heal & Son in London in 1947 for £17 3s 3d. This model appears in the 1947 Utility Furniture Catalogue as one of two designs of dressing table in the Chiltern range. They were available in oak, like this one, or mahogany. A note in the bedroom furniture stock book of Heal & Son says production of the design was discontinued in 1949. After the Second World War, rationing in Britain persisted under the Utility scheme which controlled the design and distribution of furniture. Utility furniture often only had solid wood for the frames. The rest of the piece was constructed from veneered panels to conserve timber. The designer and furniture maker Gordon Russell led the design panel for the Utility Furniture Scheme but did not contribute designs for the range. These were supplied by a committee of designers, with most of the work done by Edwin Clinch and H. J. Cutler. They were both based in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, an area with a tradition of furniture-making. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.114:1 to 9-1978 |
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| Record created | May 31, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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