Page 7 - VE Magazine- Issue 51 - Free Digital Edition

Above left: A rare copper Field Kettle Kit with coffee pot, teapot, flask, canisters, and burner; all packing into the kettle. Early 19th century. Above: A folding tripod stool with a clever mechanism to allow the legs to fold to half their length, c.1900. Left: An Anglo Indian three piece campaign suite of two armchairs and one two seater, c.1900. purchased and so many officers were from wealthy backgrounds. To give an indication of the money involved, the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Foot Guards cost £9,000 in 1857; at this date a lady’s maid would hope to earn just £20 a year. Having been used to the best, these wealthy soldiers saw no reason why they shouldn’t be able to sit comfortably at a fashionable dining table on the eve of a battle in the middle of nowhere! Although portable furniture was also used to a far lesser degree by other nationalities, it is perhaps for this reason that what was considered necessary then, far exceeded what today we would consider practical for an army to transport. A number of well-known designers, in- cluding Chippendale and Sheraton con- sidered designing portable furniture, and the end of the 18th century saw the rise of specialist makers with the names of Thomas Butler and Morgan & Sanders perhaps being the most recognised. The number of such specialists increased in the 19th century and this was fuelled not only by military needs but also by the increase of people moving to the colonies. For some who started as luggage makers, such as J.W. Allen, John Pound and Hill & Millard, it was a natural addition to their trunk making businesses and they developed a strong line in demountable furniture. The variety of items made was extensive and some pieces, such as the military chest, are quickly recognisable from their two-part construction and protective brass corners, www.vintagexplorer.co.uk ve / April-May 2020 / 7