Antique Furniture Focus – James Shoolbred

James Shoolbred could be considered as a pioneer in the field of furniture retailing and antique furniture bearing the “James Shoolbred & Co” makers mark, (sometimes depicted as “Jas Shoolbred & Co”), is now very desirable and much sought after.

The firm began as a drapers shop situated on London’s famous Tottenham Court Road, mainly involved in supplying fabrics to the furniture makers. They developed and grew the business and, by the 1860’s, were designing and manufacturing their own furniture and accessories. As the century progressed, so did they, and by the 1880’s they had to enlarge their premises – which they did by buying neighboring properties on Tottenham Court Road.

It is at this point that things began to get really interesting. James Shoolbred & Co began to do two things that put them ahead of their time, namely:

1. They produced an annual catalogue with their designs pictured in it for people to envisage what a particualr item would look like in their own home
2. They laid out the store in small themed areas to simulate a real living space and carefully displayed the merchandise in those spaces to enable the buyer to see what things would look like in a real environment.

The technique worked a treat, and is, of course, still very much alive to this day with major retailers such as Marks & Spencer, IKEA and John Lewis all following suit.

James Shoolbred & Co supplied top quality product to customers all over the world and continued to do so into the twentieth century until their eventual demise in the 1930’s as a result of the financial crash of the 1920’s.

Nowadays, antique James Shoolbred pieces are very desirable and here at Regent Antiques we always try to have a selection of their work on offer. Here are a few examples from our current inventory:

First, may we show you this antique Edwardian mahogany & satinwood Wellington chest, circa 1900 in date:

Antique Edwardian Wellington Chest by James Shoolbred c. 1880

This lovely 7-drawer chest  stands on a plinth base and has graduating drawers each beautifully inlaid with floral motifs. There is also an ingenious locking flap which enables you to lock all the drawers with one key.

The drawers are very spacious, provide loads of storage, and have their original brass handles. The chest measures: Height 120 x Width 63 x Depth 46 (centimetres) or in inches, if you prefer: Height 3 feet, 11 inches x Width 2 feet, 1 inch x Depth 1 foot, 6 inches. Offered for sale at £3750 – see more images here.

The Wellington chest is one of the most famous pieces of campaign furniture and was named after the 1st Duke of Wellington. Campaign furniture was made for travel and had to be very compact and easily transportable. They were, therefore, easy to dismantle and fold.

Wellington chests were first seen in the 1820’s and are characterised by their tall narrow shape, usually having a locking flap on one side, which when closed, prevents any of the drawers from opening. They continued to be made in the Victorian period in mahogany, walnut and rosewood.

Next from the Shoolbred stable, we have this Edwardian flame mahogany three door inlaid bookcase, circa 1900:

Antique Edwardian Mahogany bookcase by James Shoolbred dating from around 1900.

This is an antique Edwardian flame mahogany three door inlaid bookcase bearing the brass plaque of the renowned maker and retailer James Shoolbred. It bookcase features a rich and striking grain, being manufactured from flame mahogany, a highly desirable wood.

The bookcase has elegant reeded canted corners, a beautiful moulded canted cornice and it stands on lovely bracket feet. There are three glazed top doors, each having beautiful thirteen pane astragals with satinwood crossbanding and ebony and boxwood outline stringing.

The interior of the bookcase has adjustable shelves, also inlaid. Turning to the base, it has three panelled doors with satinwood crossbanding, ebony and boxwood outline stringing and fabulous marquetry floral decoration with urns and ribbons. all shelves, locks, glazing, and the solid mahogany paneled back are included.

Offered for £8250 this bookcase can be viewed at our showroom or online. We ship worldwide so please contact us for a quote. UK shipping is free of charge.

Finally, may we show you this antique Edwardian pedestal desk, circa 1890 in date.

Antique Edwardian Inlaid Desk by James Shoolbred, Dating From Around 1890

The desk bears the impressed stamp of the renowned cabinet maker James Shoolbred & Co and has its original leather writing surface with hand tooled gold leaf decoration. The desk is made of solid mahogany, crossbanded with boxwood and ebony line inlay. There are seven drawers and the drawer linings are solid mahogany with hand cut dovetails.

The desk stands on its original brass cap castors and has its original handles and working locks and keys.

Measuring  76cm high x 122cm wide x 63.5cm deep, (Height 2 feet, 6 inches x Width 4 feet, 0 inches x Depth 2 feet, 1 inch), this desk is offered for £2900 and has been fully restored.

If you are looking for fine antique desks, this is a great example by a great maker. Please visit our website regularly to see the latest items coming into stock.

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