Sofa and Armchairs from Howard & Sons, Set of 3

Very fine, fully restored suite of Howard & Sons Berners street London seating, to include a large Baring sofa and pair of armchairs upholstered with Graham Sanderson Herringbone upholstery This is pretty much the finest suite ever made, Howard & Sons are known as simply put the makers of the most comfortable sofas and armchairs in the world. The armchairs are a pair of desirable library reading armchairs, they are both stamped Howard & Sons LTD Berners St with the serial number 15965 6026 to the inside back leg, the castors are stamped Howard & Sons London. The sofa is a the highly collectable duvet model meaning the arms and back are feather filled like the finest duvets, it is stamped and serial numbered to the inside back leg Howard Chairs LTD The suite has been fully restored to including being stripped back and reupholstered in Graham Sanderson’s Abraham Moon Chalet Stoneham light grey Herringbone 100% wool upholstery, it is very fine and luxurious, the legs have been cleaned waxed and polished with a view to keeping the original period patina. The cushion internals are what’s called split panel feather filled, they have a fibre core to the middle for structure and breathability and feathers top and bottom for comfort Sofa dimensions Height 92cm Width 215 cm Depth 85.5cm Seat height 55cm Pair of armchair dimensions Height 75cm frame only, including the back cushions it's 87 cm Width 70cm Depth 80cm Seat height 49cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought after names in upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made it's first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to Boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an Expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated it's many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These addresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well established decorators Lenygon and Morant appear to take over the name with the business address being given as 31 Old Burlington St (Lenygon and Morants premesis since 1909). Lenygon and Morant later moved to South Audley St where from 1954 they advertised as 'Makers of Howard Chairs and Sofas'. In 1967 the owners of Lenygon and Morant open Howard Chairs Limited, the company operating from Lyme St continue to make high quality sofas and armchairs. Exhibitions and Important Houses: At the 1862 International Exhibition (The 3rd World Expo) Howard and Sons entered a suite of library furniture for which they won a prize. They also went on to exhibit at the Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle twice; once in 1878 and again in 1900. Also at the Exposition Internationale d'Anvers 1894 (International Exposition/World Fair Antwerp). Winning Prizes at them all including 1 silver and 2 golds. They also employed their eclectic styles working for many important clients providing furniture for important houses such as Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, Elton Hall, Huntingdonshire and Stokesay Court, Shropshire. Condition: Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description pertaining to the condition. Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of creasing and wear, we recommend annual waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.