British Furniture 1820 to 1920: The Luxury Market, written by celebrated furniture historian Christopher Payne and including over 1,000 superb photographs, is a landmark publication and the first book to comprehensively assess British furniture design from the early origins of the so-called Victorian era through the myriad of influences in vogue up to the 1920s. It goes further than any book has attempted before, creating a continuum to underline the importance of the late Recency style favoured by George IV, moving through to the first two decades of the twentieth century, with a host of ever-changing styles and fashions. Payne studies the influence of the exhibition era, trade catalogues, retailers and subcontractors, and sheds light on the often-unidentified makers of reproduction furniture that later became an important part of the market. He also illustrates the importance of the revival styles, a fundamental part of the furniture trade that has often previously been ignored and shines the light on makers and suppliers of the popular Rococo Revival, ‘Queen Anne’ and ‘Chippendale’ styles. 

Some of the makers’ names are familiar to furniture collectors, such as Collinson & Lock, Edwards & Roberts, Gillow, Holland, Maples and Morris & Co., but many are less so and their work is explained and presented here for the first time.

"On this monumental scale, and combined with plentiful illustrations, bibliography and index, the aggregate effect is of a sumptuousness befitting the subject." - The Decorative Arts Society Newsletter

Christopher Payne is an independent furniture historian, author and broadcaster. Formerly a director of Sotheby’s and with regular appearances on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow, he has advised private clients around the world. In 2003 he published his ground-breaking study, François Linke, 1855–1946: The Belle Epoque of French Furniture, and remains curator of the extensive Linke archives. His books include works

on European and French nineteenth-century furniture which have been translated into several languages, including French, Spanish, Hungarian and Chinese. He is a visiting professor at the Shanghai Institute of Visual Art (SIVA). His most recent book, Paris Furniture: The Luxury Market of the 19th Century, was published in French and English in 2018.