Thomas ChippendaleThomas Chippendale1718-17781718-1778

Thomas Thomas Chippendale was a Chippendale was a furniture designer furniture designer born in Otleyborn in Otley

He was famous He was famous because he was the because he was the first person to do a first person to do a catalogue of designscatalogue of designs

He used the most He used the most expensive materials expensive materials that were available that were available at the timeat the time

He was employed He was employed by the richest by the richest people of the time people of the time to make their to make their homes fashionable homes fashionable and stylishand stylish

Chippendale was Chippendale was trained as a joiner and trained as a joiner and as a cabinet makeras a cabinet maker

A joiner is someone A joiner is someone who joins pieces of who joins pieces of wood together to wood together to make furnituremake furniture

A cabinet maker A cabinet maker makes furniture more makes furniture more detailed with detailed with decoration and styledecoration and style

Chippendale often Chippendale often supplied all of the supplied all of the furnishings for a furnishings for a room including room including chairs, beds, wall chairs, beds, wall coverings and coverings and mirrors mirrors

He also made He also made unusual objects unusual objects such as bird cages such as bird cages and monkey standsand monkey stands

ChineseChinese

Modern or RococoModern or Rococo

GothicGothic

Neo ClassicalNeo Classical Chippendale was also Chippendale was also

inspired by the style of inspired by the style of the Greek and Roman the Greek and Roman timestimes

This piece of furniture This piece of furniture shows classical shows classical Goddesses called Goddesses called Diana and MinervaDiana and Minerva

Diana was the Diana was the Goddess of HuntingGoddess of Hunting

Minerva was the Minerva was the Goddess of KnowledgeGoddess of Knowledge

If you had just bought a If you had just bought a house in the time of house in the time of Chippendale you would Chippendale you would ask him to completely ask him to completely decorate the insidedecorate the inside

Chippendale would give Chippendale would give you his catalogue and you his catalogue and you could choose all of you could choose all of the bits of furniture and the bits of furniture and decoration that you decoration that you would likewould like

Chippendale would then Chippendale would then create a whole set of create a whole set of furniture just for you to furniture just for you to show off in your houseshow off in your house

Edwin Lascelles who owned Harewood Edwin Lascelles who owned Harewood House paid Chippendale £10,000 to House paid Chippendale £10,000 to furnish his housefurnish his house

At this time a Housemaid earned £6.00 per At this time a Housemaid earned £6.00 per yearyear

A Housemaid would have had to work for a A Housemaid would have had to work for a year to be able to pay for 1 chairyear to be able to pay for 1 chair

It would take a Housemaid 1,667 years to It would take a Housemaid 1,667 years to earn enough money to furnish Harewood earn enough money to furnish Harewood HouseHouse

After you have chosen After you have chosen your designs your designs Chippendale would Chippendale would draw up a bill and tell draw up a bill and tell you how much it you how much it would cost for each bitwould cost for each bit

If you didn’t have If you didn’t have enough money you enough money you might need to take might need to take things away from your things away from your orderorder

Inventor and EntrepreneurInventor and Entrepreneur

Chippendale invented a new way of Chippendale invented a new way of packing chairs so that they could be packing chairs so that they could be delivered to the great houses safely. delivered to the great houses safely.

Chairs were placed in special crates Chairs were placed in special crates and screwed to batons so that they and screwed to batons so that they would not move about in transitwould not move about in transit

One way of finding out if a chair is One way of finding out if a chair is made by Chippendale is to see if the made by Chippendale is to see if the holes from screws are still underneathholes from screws are still underneath

Money ProblemsMoney Problems

The people who ordered furniture from The people who ordered furniture from Chippendale often took a long time to pay Chippendale often took a long time to pay himhim

Chippendale often found it difficult to pay Chippendale often found it difficult to pay his workmen when he hadn’t been paid for his workmen when he hadn’t been paid for the furniture that he had already deliveredthe furniture that he had already delivered

Samuel Popplewell in a letter to Edwin Samuel Popplewell in a letter to Edwin Lascelles said ‘I do not wonder at Lascelles said ‘I do not wonder at Chippendale’s stopping work if he had so Chippendale’s stopping work if he had so much owing as he said he had.’much owing as he said he had.’