Relevant categories: Tables,Cabinets and Chests,Desks
You may not know what campaign furniture is, but you have, more than likely, seen and possibly even used some examples of this type of furniture, at some point in your life. I remember, when I was a child, my grandmother had an old chest of draws in her guest bedroom.
It stands out in my childhood memories because it was such an interesting piece. I think it was made from mahogany, it was definitely a dark wood anyway, with intricately decorated metal straps and corner pieces, obviously intended to add strength and durability. I later found out that my grandfather, who unfortunately passed away when I was one year old, was a well-known antiques dealer in Hastings, south west England where my mother’s family live. I can only assume the chest of draws was an item he acquired and decided to keep instead of selling it on. I now know that the chest of draws was part of the ‘Campaign furniture’ genre.
Campaign furniture originated in Georgian times and remained popular until after the end of the Victorian era. It was used mainly by the British Army and Navy during the rapid expansion and maintenance of the British Empire so, the officers could live in relative luxury, while on long campaigns and journeys. Campaign furniture, broadly speaking, is any type of furniture that is specifically designed to be dismantled, collapsed or folded away for easy portability. Campaign furniture is, normally, characterised by brass corners and strapping and is usually made from mahogany, teak or camphor wood. It is a popular style with people aiming for classical décor and can make an attractive feature piece that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional.
The popularity of campaign furniture waned after the invention of the motor car brought about a change in warfare and shorter travelling times. However, it’s legacy lives on in the form of modern camping furniture, although, I would much rather my grandmother’s old chest of draws in my house than a modern-day camping chair!
Many of these pieces of campaign furniture - including desks, chests, chairs, commodes and other items of furniture - are on display in the Canonbury Antiques Hertfordshire showroom so please get in touch for an appointment. We are located just 25 minutes north of London in the Herts countryside just outside the town of Potters Bar. Conveniently located where the A1 meets the M25. We are a family run business and have been around since the 1960s - we specialise in campaign furniture, English dining furniture, continental antiques, art deco, architectural, bronzes and Chinese porcelain and Chinese antiques.
We also offer an interior design sourcing service as many of our clients are interior designers looking to source items for their interiors projects - we also offer a good trade discount plus discounts for bulk purchases. We can ship these items to anywhere in the world so please get in touch for a shippping quote on anything you see.
Please enjoy some videos from the Canonbury Antiques YouTube channel:
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