Metamorphic, Patent, and Adaptable British Furniture: 1720-1920

A fully illustrated book on the types, production, and use of adjustable, dual-purpose, patent and metamorphic furniture made and used in Britain c.1720 to c. 1920. Whilst moveable and adjustable metamorphic furniture was intended to enable portability, enhance comfort, provide relief, and offer space-saving options, it was also seen as being exemplary of progress. The themes of adjustability, flexibility, dual-purpose, transformation and convertibility will explore the enormous range of furniture made with these ideas in mind. The book is divided into chapters based on human activities. These include Seating, Eating, Working, Library use, Amusement, Health, and Sleeping and Personal care. Therefore, whether it is a table converting to chair, a desk that has rising compartments, a reclining easy chair with reading attachment, or a bed that folds into a cupboard, the history of these items and many others, is a fascinating exploration of the changing needs, attitudes and fashions related to this furniture type. Drawing on the author's extensive knowledge of furniture history, Metamorphic, Patent, and Adaptable British Furniture: 1720-1920 meets a need for a fully researched and illustrated reference work on this topic. If you have an interest in the history of furniture and interior design, if you are involved with furniture professionally, or if you simply have an interest in the decorative arts and culture of the period, this book should be on your shelves.

Clive Edwards is Emeritus Professor of Design History at Loughborough University. He has published widely in the field of furniture and interiors, including Victorian Furniture: Technology and Design (1993), Furniture Materials, Trades and Techniques (2001) Turning Houses into Homes (2005), and Collinson and Lock (2022), His latest publications are two four-volume editions of edited primary source materials on Nineteenth Century Design and Nineteenth Century Interiors (2021 and 2023).