Table

Various types and forms of auxiliary tables have become established in European furniture making since the 18th century. The presented breakfast table bears the mark of the English brand Leuchars & Son. Founded in 1794 by goldsmith James Leuchars on Piccadilly Street in London, the company initially became famous for its travel dressing tables in the form of trunks. Over time, the product range was extended to include various types of travel accessories and small home furnishings. From 1822 on, the company was managed by Lucy Leuchars, widow of the late James. In 1841, when her son William joined the company, the name was changed to “Lucy Leuchars & Son”. After his mother’s death in 1847, William managed the company independently and later together with his son. The manufacture’s notable customers included Queen Victoria. The Leuchars & Son brand was awarded several prizes at world exhibitions: in 1851 and 1862 in London, and in 1867 and 1878 in Paris. The success and demand for its products encouraged the William the father and William the son to set up a shop in Paris in 1870 under the name Leuchars & Son at 2 Rue de la Paix. After the death of his father in 1871, William Junior managed the company on his own. In 1884, he moved the manufacture from Gerrard Street in Soho to Sherwood Street in Golden Square, London. However, in 1888, the new London shop and factory in Sherwood Street were sold to Asprey. William continued trading at the original premises at 38 and 39 Piccadilly Street until 1902. The Parisian shop on the elegant Rue de la Paix, running from Place Vendom towards the Opera House, was still operating under the banner of the successor “Leuchars & Son Geffroy Succ.R” in 1921. The English rectangular breakfast table shown, with the lower shelf wider than the top, was made in the late 19th or early 20th century. This piece of furniture made of light walnut, with a folding top that can be rotated horizontally by 90 degrees, came from the Potocki family’s Parisian purchases. The original company plaque with the inscription “LEUCHARS & SON / GEFFROY SR / PARIS. / IMPORTÉ D'ANGLETERRE” has been preserved on the apron under the top. Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967