A Pair of Howard & Sons Grafton Model Walnut and Upholstered Easy Armchairs, Circa 1900

Westenholz, Pimlico Rd, London, April 1987

Howard & Sons was founded in London by the Essex-born upholder John Tudor Howard in c.1820. By the mid-19th century the workshops were established in Berners Street and quickly gained a reputation for sturdy and comfortable seat furniture, though the company also produced case pieces. They collaborated with several large furniture sellers and manufacturers of the Victorian era such as Gillows and Maples, and participated in many of the great International Exhibitions of the 19th century including London in 1851 and 1862, Philadelphia in 1876, New York in 1877 and Paris in 1878. In 1935 the firm was acquired by Lenygon & Morant and was listed at 31 Old Burlington Street, and it continues trading today at Lyme Street in Camden.