This two tier desk is an example of late Utility Furniture. It was originally part of a range of prototypes developed by A. E. (Arthur Edward) Walsh, who at the time was Director of Furniture Production to the Board of Trade (established September 1945). Documents relating to a patent application for this range of furniture note that: ‘The prototypes which have been made are the result of the efforts of a number of distinguished designers.’


The Utility Furniture Scheme

The Utility Furniture Scheme was introduced by the Board of Trade at the end of 1942. Under this scheme only the poorest quality wood was permitted in the making civilian furniture. Other restrictions included the introduction of standard designs, the limitation of supply to priority series, and the zoning of supply to save on transport. The Board of Trade selected the firms to make utility furniture, and allocated production programmes to them, together with the raw materials. The scheme continued following the end of the war. As an example of late Utility Furniture, this cocktail cabinet is more ‘luxurious’ than earlier pieces.

Towards the end of the Second World War, military production in Britain decreased. The British Government encouraged manufacturers to creatively apply war-time production methods to the manufacture of peace-time products, aiming to increase exports of goods in order to "fill the shops" with the things consumers wanted when peace was declared.
When interviewed in 1974, designer Edwin Cutler suggested that the Utility scheme changed the character of British furniture design: ‘the general standard was much better [after the war] than it was before … it was influenced by the simplicity of Utility. All you see with Utility furniture is pure, it’s good. If the joint isn’t up, then you see that the joint isn’t up.’

People that A. E. Walsh worked with via the Board of Trade came to be some of the most famous British designers of the post-war period, including Ernest Race and Gordon Russell.


“Trident” Aluminium-Framed Furniture

Documents relating to a patent application describe this range of furniture as “Trident” Aluminium-Framed Furniture. The range had its origins in experiments which were carried out by the Government in 1946 and onwards, the object of which, in the timber shortage after the war, was to find a means of applying some of the specialised technique used in aircraft construction to the manufacture of furniture. Notably, just after the Second World War, Sir Stafford Cripps, then President of the Board of Trade, sent A. E. Walsh and Gordon Russell to America to see how aluminium could be used in the making of furniture.

The patent application for this range of furniture was based upon effective use being made of a strong metal carcase or framework into which can be fitted panels of materials of various constructions and finishes. The frameworks are made from aluminium extrusions mainly of square tubular design. An important application of the patent was that any articles from the range could be made to be supplied packed and packaged in flat containers. It was intended that assembly of the furniture could be ‘easily explained in a simple book of instructions’.


Grand Rapids, 1949

The range was taken for display at the January Furniture Market at Grand Rapids (Michigan), 1949. It was hoped that an exhibition there would ‘provide a convenient centre for retailers from all parts of the United States who might be visiting Chicago for the January market there to see them’. A.E. Walsh & Partners produced a detailed report about the Grand Rapids venture, which included a number of subseqent revisions to be made to the range.

Whilst initially appearing extremely promising, the venture was not a success. Despite there being some interest and admiration of aspects of the range, no orders were subsequently placed. The rest of the furniture on display at the market was apparently made solely of wood and the feeling was that American furniture makers did not welcome the competition of composite furniture production. None of the pieces displayed at Grand Rapids came to be put into production.


Following Grand Rapids

This desk was later situated in the hallway of Walsh’s family home, where it came to be used for storing board games and similar objects. Family members recall that it didn’t function well as a desk, as the upper section had a tendency to tip forward when the front panel was opened.