Page 8 - VE Magazine- Issue 51 - Free Digital Edition

CAMPAIGN FURNITURE A rare miniature, mahogany campaign dining table with its box from the mid 19th century. This was used by a salesman as an easily portable sample of a full-sized table on a scale of 5 to 1. The box contains six legs, six frieze sections, nine leaves for the top and a brass winding handle A Georgian mahogany campaign, combined writing and dressing chest with removable legs. The top fitted with an adjustable mirror, various compartments and secret drawers, c.1820 With thanks to Christopher Clarke Antiques campaignfurniture.com many pieces were made to conform to the fashion of the day and their breakdown is not so obvious. There seemed no limit to the number of items an officer would take with him if he could afford to, and how well your tent was kitted out was perhaps an indica- tion of your social standing. Sir Colin Camp- bell, the commander of the Army in India, is recorded as having 18 miles of personal baggage as he left Lucknow after relieving the city from siege during the Indian Mutiny! The numerous items specifically made for travel include a variety of beds, large dining tables, dining chairs, easy chairs, sofas and couches, chests of drawers, book cabinets, washstands, wardrobes, shelves, desks, mir- rors, lanterns and candlesticks, canteens of silver, cooking equipment, toiletry equip- ment, thunderboxes, etc. By the mid-19th century the demand for campaign furniture encouraged many makers to be inventive in their design, creating many unusual and interesting pieces that offer a surprise in the ease in which they dismantle or the compactness of their storage. Tables were cleverly hinged to fold down into a box the size of a briefcase, chess board boxes would contain tripod legs and a telescopic column to convert into a table; chairs that would break down to a minimal size and could also be altered to become a sedan. The need to quickly be able to pack a piece of furniture to make it portable with minimal use of bolts and fixings became the mother of invention. The Victorians and Edwardians were par- ticularly concerned with improving design to its utmost practicality. With campaign furni- ture by its nature needing to be both sturdy and efficient in its breakdown (effectively flat- pack!), this gave rise to good design that was so very far ahead of its time.ve 8 / April-May 2020 / ve www.vintagexplorer.co.uk