Mallett Antiques
Encyclopedia
Mallett Antiques is an antique dealers with galleries in London and New York
and regularly exhibit at the International Fine Art & Antique fairs.
Mallett & Son Antiques is one of England's oldest antique dealers of fine antique furniture and decorative arts. They specialise in English & continental antiques.
, Bath, Somerset, England. His son, Walter Mallett, who had joined his father's business in the 1870s or early '80s, quickly assumed complete control, and today he is acknowledged by Mallett as the real founder of the firm. It was he who expanded the stock to include old silver and furniture and who arranged for the purchase of the lease of the Octagon Chapel
. This building had originally, in 1767, been designed as a church by the architect Thomas Lightholder, whose specific brief was to produce a structure which would be warm, comfortable and well lit. The Octagon fulfilled all of these requirements, and it became quite the most fashionable church in Bath. Eminent and distinguished visitors made a point of engaging a pew for as long as they stayed in the city, hiring it at the same time as they hired their lodgings. The most expensive of these were like small rooms, each with its own fireplace and easy chairs. Between service and sermon, an interval was allowed during which footmen poked the fires and saw that their master and mistress were comfortable. The vault of this building were let out to a wine merchant, which gave rise to the verses by Christopher Anstey
:
Since the building was leasehold, it was never consecrated, so when it fell into disuse in the 1890s Mallett's take it over. New Showrooms were built on each side of the church, with workshops and storage in the basement. A gas engine
was installed to drive the polishing lathe
s, work the lift, make the electric light and, by means of a fan, circulate air through every part of the building. With the improvement in communications, express trains serviced the West Country
to and from London and facilitated attendance at the spa, bringing much added interest and business to Mallett's at the Octagon.
In 1908 the Franco-British Exhibition (1908)
was held at Earls Court
in London, and the firm took a stand there. This was such a successful venture that Walter Mallett decided to open a permanent shop in London, and he took a lease of premises at 40 New Bond Street, which contained showrooms on two floors displaying stock of furniture including mirrors, pictures and objects, each room arranged to re-create the atmosphere of a private house.
On his death in 1930, the business passed to a consortium of six of his employees, who in 1937 decided to close the Octagon premises and move the whole business to London. Francis Mallett became chairman. On his death he left a large part of his collection to the Ashmolean museum
at Oxford. After the Second World War, under the new chairmanship of Francis Egerton, Mallett's began to assume its present form.
Mallett's have an association with museums and private collections all over the world including the Victoria and Albert Museum
.
In 1983 Francis Egerton retired and in 1987, under the new management, Mallett became a public company. Lanto Synge assumed the role of Chief Executive until 2009 when he retired. Lanto Synge has had a number of books published on antiques and on antique needlework, a particular specialty of his, including 'Art of Embroidery — A history of Style and Technique', produced in conjunction with the Royal School of Needlework
. In 1999 he published 'Mallett Millennium', which is illustrated throughout with photographs from the extensive Mallett archives.
In 1991, the Bond Street business moved to new enlarged premises at 141 New Bond Street with twelve showrooms.
, until 1953 the London House of the late 2nd Duke of Westminster
. Built for William Burdon Esq in the years 1723-25, during the reign of George I
, the house stood amidst fields and market gardens between the then emerging Berkeley
and Hanover Squares
. Mallett sold Bourdon House in 2007.
,
Matthew Boulton
,
George Bullock,
Sir William Chambers,
John Cheere
,
Thomas Chippendale
,
John Cobb
,
Gerard Dagly,
Gillows of Lancaster,
Christopher Furlohg,
Benjamin Goodison
,
John Gumley,
Giles Grendy,
William Hallett,
Gawen Hamilton
,
George Hepplewhite
,
Henry Holland
,
Thomas Hope
,
Ince and Mayhew
,
Georges Jacob
,
Jackson and Graham,
Thomas Johnson
,
Owen Jones
,
William Kent
,
Paul de Lamerie
,
Pierre Langlois,
John Linnell
,
Matthias Lock
,
John Makepeace
,
John McLean
,
Daniel Marot
,
Meissen
,
Bernard Molitor,
James Moore
,
William Morris
,
F & C Osler,
Robert Osmond,
Daniel Quare
,
John Ravenscroft,
Jean Henri Riesener
,
David Roentgen,
John Singer Sargent
,
George Seddon
,
Sèvres
,
Thomas Sheraton
,
George Smith,
Sir John Soane,
Paul Storr
,
James 'Athenian' Stuart,
Thomas Tompion
,
John Vardy
,
William Vile
,
Josiah Wedgewood,
Thomas Weeks.
Since 2006, Mallett has quickly expanded and established three new and distinct companies, James Harvey British Art, Meta and Hatfields Restoration.
, SW10. The gallery is dedicated to promoting British Artists from the 17th century to the present day. With an emphasis on the less established names of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the gallery will also promote traditional figurative contemporary art.
, Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, Tord Boontje
, Matali Crasset and Wales & Wales to create contemporary objects and furniture.
High Street. Scholars House is late 18th century building from which the company is developing range of restoration services that will offer clients a complete one stop shop for all their restoration needs. Hatfields has a history which dates back to 1834 when the original Hatfield family established the firm. Initially founded to produce miniature frames, the company expanded to included furniture workshops, restoring and conserving furniture and works of art for Royalty, private and museum collections throughout the world. In the 1930s the company noted on its letterhead that it had warrants from Queen Victoria, The Prince of Wales & King Edward VII.
The Art Newspaper
Telling Tales Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum 2009
James Harvey British Art — Telegraph Property
James Harvey British Art — Country Life
V & A Magazine Magic Wardrobes and Scary Chairs, Gareth Williams, Summer 2009
Full archive of Meta Press
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and regularly exhibit at the International Fine Art & Antique fairs.
Mallett & Son Antiques is one of England's oldest antique dealers of fine antique furniture and decorative arts. They specialise in English & continental antiques.
History
The company was founded in 1865 by John Mallett (a jeweller and Silversmith) at 36 Milsom StreetMilsom Street, Bath
Milsom Street in Bath, Somerset, England was built in 1762 by Thomas Lightholder. The buildings were originally grand town houses, but most are now used as shops, offices and banks. They have 3 storeys with mansard roofs and Corinthian columns....
, Bath, Somerset, England. His son, Walter Mallett, who had joined his father's business in the 1870s or early '80s, quickly assumed complete control, and today he is acknowledged by Mallett as the real founder of the firm. It was he who expanded the stock to include old silver and furniture and who arranged for the purchase of the lease of the Octagon Chapel
Octagon Chapel, Bath
The Octagon Chapel in Milsom Street, Bath, Somerset, England was built in 1767 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.- History :...
. This building had originally, in 1767, been designed as a church by the architect Thomas Lightholder, whose specific brief was to produce a structure which would be warm, comfortable and well lit. The Octagon fulfilled all of these requirements, and it became quite the most fashionable church in Bath. Eminent and distinguished visitors made a point of engaging a pew for as long as they stayed in the city, hiring it at the same time as they hired their lodgings. The most expensive of these were like small rooms, each with its own fireplace and easy chairs. Between service and sermon, an interval was allowed during which footmen poked the fires and saw that their master and mistress were comfortable. The vault of this building were let out to a wine merchant, which gave rise to the verses by Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey
Christopher Anstey was an English writer and poet.Anstey was the son of Dr. Anstey, a wealthy clergyman, the rector of Brinkley where he was born. He was educated at Eton College and King's College, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself for his Latin verses. He became a fellow of his college...
:
Spirits above and spirits below,
Spirits of Bliss and spirits of woe,
The spirits above are spirits Divine,
The spirits below are spirirts of wine.
Since the building was leasehold, it was never consecrated, so when it fell into disuse in the 1890s Mallett's take it over. New Showrooms were built on each side of the church, with workshops and storage in the basement. A gas engine
Gas engine
A gas engine means an engine running on a gas, such as coal gas, producer gas biogas, landfill gas, or natural gas. In the UK, the term is unambiguous...
was installed to drive the polishing lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
s, work the lift, make the electric light and, by means of a fan, circulate air through every part of the building. With the improvement in communications, express trains serviced the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
to and from London and facilitated attendance at the spa, bringing much added interest and business to Mallett's at the Octagon.
In 1908 the Franco-British Exhibition (1908)
Franco-British Exhibition (1908)
The Franco-British Exhibition was a large public fair held in London in the early years of the 20th Century. The exhibition attracted 8 million visitors and celebrated the Entente Cordiale signed in 1904 by the United Kingdom and France....
was held at Earls Court
Earls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
in London, and the firm took a stand there. This was such a successful venture that Walter Mallett decided to open a permanent shop in London, and he took a lease of premises at 40 New Bond Street, which contained showrooms on two floors displaying stock of furniture including mirrors, pictures and objects, each room arranged to re-create the atmosphere of a private house.
On his death in 1930, the business passed to a consortium of six of his employees, who in 1937 decided to close the Octagon premises and move the whole business to London. Francis Mallett became chairman. On his death he left a large part of his collection to the Ashmolean museum
Ashmolean Museum
The Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street, Oxford, England, is the world's first university museum...
at Oxford. After the Second World War, under the new chairmanship of Francis Egerton, Mallett's began to assume its present form.
Mallett's have an association with museums and private collections all over the world including the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
.
In 1983 Francis Egerton retired and in 1987, under the new management, Mallett became a public company. Lanto Synge assumed the role of Chief Executive until 2009 when he retired. Lanto Synge has had a number of books published on antiques and on antique needlework, a particular specialty of his, including 'Art of Embroidery — A history of Style and Technique', produced in conjunction with the Royal School of Needlework
Royal School of Needlework
The Royal School of Needlework is a hand embroidery school in the United Kingdom, founded in 1872.It has an archive of over 30,000 images covering every period of British history...
. In 1999 he published 'Mallett Millennium', which is illustrated throughout with photographs from the extensive Mallett archives.
In 1991, the Bond Street business moved to new enlarged premises at 141 New Bond Street with twelve showrooms.
Mallett at Bourdon House 1962 - 2007
Mallett's second business was established in 1962 at Bourdon House, in MayfairMayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, until 1953 the London House of the late 2nd Duke of Westminster
Duke of Westminster
The title Duke of Westminster was created by Queen Victoria in 1874 and bestowed upon Hugh Grosvenor, 3rd Marquess of Westminster. The current holder of the title is Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster....
. Built for William Burdon Esq in the years 1723-25, during the reign of George I
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 until his death, and ruler of the Duchy and Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire from 1698....
, the house stood amidst fields and market gardens between the then emerging Berkeley
Berkeley Square
Berkeley Square is a town square in the West End of London, England, in the City of Westminster. It was originally laid out in the mid 18th century by architect William Kent...
and Hanover Squares
Hanover Square, London
Hanover Square, London, is a square in Mayfair, London W1, England, situated to the south west of Oxford Circus, the major junction where Oxford Street meets Regent Street....
. Mallett sold Bourdon House in 2007.
Mallett Inc, New York
Since 2003 Mallett has also been operating from a New York Gallery at 929 Madison Avenue and 74th Street. Mallett completely renovated the New York Brownstone building and now offers stock from the London showrooms.Furniture makers exhibited at Mallett
Robert AdamRobert Adam
Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...
,
Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton
Matthew Boulton, FRS was an English manufacturer and business partner of Scottish engineer James Watt. In the final quarter of the 18th century the partnership installed hundreds of Boulton & Watt steam engines, which were a great advance on the state of the art, making possible the...
,
George Bullock,
Sir William Chambers,
John Cheere
John Cheere
John Cheere was an English sculptor, born in London. Brother of the sculptor Sir Henry Cheere, he was originally apprenticed as a haberdasher from 1725 to 1732.-Life:...
,
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale
Thomas Chippendale was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. In 1754 he published a book of his designs, titled The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director...
,
John Cobb
John Cobb (cabinetmaker)
-Biography:It is believed that John Cobb was apprenticed in 1729 to Timothy Money , a Norwich upholsterer. In 1755 he married Sukey, a daughter of the cabinetmaker Giles Grendey, and is said to have acquired a ‘singularly haughty character’, strutting ‘in full dress of the most superb and costly...
,
Gerard Dagly,
Gillows of Lancaster,
Christopher Furlohg,
Benjamin Goodison
Benjamin Goodison
Benjamin Goodison , of London, was a royal cabinetmaker to George II of Great Britain, supplying furnishings to the royal palaces from 1727 to the time of his death. He served his apprenticeship with James Moore, who died accidentally in October 1726; Moore was the pre-eminent London cabinetmaker...
,
John Gumley,
Giles Grendy,
William Hallett,
Gawen Hamilton
Gawen Hamilton
Gawen Hamilton , easily confused with the later, more prominent Gavin Hamilton, was a Scottish painter working in London, a member of the Rose and Crown Club, who is known for some 'conversation pieces' depicting clubs of artists...
,
George Hepplewhite
George Hepplewhite
George Hepplewhite was a cabinetmaker. He is regarded as having been one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century, along with Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Chippendale...
,
Henry Holland
Henry Holland (architect)
Henry Holland was an architect to the English nobility. Born in Fulham, London, his father also Henry ran a building firm and he built several of Capability Brown's buildings, although Henry would have learnt a lot from his father about the practicalities of construction it was under Brown that he...
,
Thomas Hope
Thomas Hope (architect)
Thomas Hope was an English-born American architect and house joiner, active primarily in Knoxville, Tennessee, during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Trained in London, Hope moved to Knoxville in 1795, where he designed and built several of the city's earliest houses...
,
Ince and Mayhew
Ince and Mayhew
Ince and Mayhew were a partnership of furniture designers, upholsterers and cabinetmakers, founded and run by William Ince and John Mayhew in London, England, from 1759 to 1803; Mayhew continued alone in business until 1809. Their premises were listed in London directories in Broad Street, Soho,...
,
Georges Jacob
Georges Jacob
Georges Jacob was one of the two most prominent Parisian master menuisiers, producing carved, painted and gilded beds and seat furniture and upholstery work for the French royal châteaux, in the early Neoclassical style that is usually associated with Louis Seize.Jacob arrived in Paris in 1754 and...
,
Jackson and Graham,
Thomas Johnson
Thomas Johnson (designer)
Thomas Johnson was an English wood carver and furniture maker.- Work :He worked in London and is particularly known for bold or extreme use and mixture of rococo, Chinese, and rustic motifs. He was said to be one of the most successful exponents of the rococo style, giving it a vitality not seen...
,
Owen Jones
Owen Jones (architect)
Owen Jones was a London-born architect and designer of Welsh descent. He was a versatile architect and designer, and one of the most influential design theorists of the nineteenth century...
,
William Kent
William Kent
William Kent , born in Bridlington, Yorkshire, was an eminent English architect, landscape architect and furniture designer of the early 18th century.He was baptised as William Cant.-Education:...
,
Paul de Lamerie
Paul de Lamerie
Paul de Lamerie was an English silversmith. The Victoria and Albert Museum describes him as the "greatest silversmith working in England in the 18th century". Though his mark raises the market value of silver, his output was large and not all his pieces are outstanding...
,
Pierre Langlois,
John Linnell
John Linnell
John Sidney Linnell is an American musician, is known primarily as one half of Brooklyn, New York alternative rock duo They Might Be Giants...
,
Matthias Lock
Matthias Lock
Matthias Lock was an English 18th century furniture designer and cabinet-maker. The dates of his birth and death are unknown; but he was a disciple of Thomas Chippendale, and subsequently of the Adams, and was possibly in partnership with Henry Copeland....
,
John Makepeace
John Makepeace
John Makepeace OBE, , is a British furniture designer and maker. He bought Parnham House, Dorset in 1976 and founded the Parnham Trust and the School for Craftsmen in Wood to provide integrated courses in design, making and management for aspiring furniture-makers, alongside but...
,
John McLean
John McLean (furniture maker)
John McLean was an English furniture maker and designer. He was recognized as one of the best of that era, representing the best in English cabinetmaking...
,
Daniel Marot
Daniel Marot
Daniel Marot was a French Protestant, an architect, furniture designer and engraver at the forefront of the classicizing Late Baroque "Louis XIV" style....
,
Meissen
Meissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
,
Bernard Molitor,
James Moore
James Moore (furniture designer)
James Moore was an 18th-century cabinet maker in London who worked for George I. He was in partnership with John Gumley from 1714...
,
William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
,
F & C Osler,
Robert Osmond,
Daniel Quare
Daniel Quare
Daniel Quare was an English clockmaker and instrument maker who Invented a repeating watch movement in 1680 and a portable barometer in 1695.-Biography:...
,
John Ravenscroft,
Jean Henri Riesener
Jean Henri Riesener
Jean-Henri Riesener was the French royal ébéniste, working in Paris, whose work exemplified the early neoclassical Louis XVI style"....
,
David Roentgen,
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent
John Singer Sargent was an American artist, considered the "leading portrait painter of his generation" for his evocations of Edwardian era luxury. During his career, he created roughly 900 oil paintings and more than 2,000 watercolors, as well as countless sketches and charcoal drawings...
,
George Seddon
George Seddon
George Seddon was an Australian academic who held university chairs in a range of subjects. He wrote popular books on the Australian landscape embracing diverse points of view...
,
Sèvres
Sèvres
Sèvres is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.The town is known for its porcelain manufacture, the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, making the famous Sèvres porcelain, as well as being the location of the International Bureau of Weights...
,
Thomas Sheraton
Thomas Sheraton
Thomas Sheraton was a furniture designer, one of the "big three" English furniture makers of the 18th century, along with Thomas Chippendale and George Hepplewhite.-Biography:...
,
George Smith,
Sir John Soane,
Paul Storr
Paul Storr
Paul Storr was an English silversmith, sculptor, and designer working in the Neoclassical style during the late eighteenth and early nineteentch centuries...
,
James 'Athenian' Stuart,
Thomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion
Thomas Tompion was an English clock maker, watchmaker and mechanician who is still regarded to this day as the Father of English Clockmaking. Tompion's work includes some of the most historic and important clocks and watches in the world and can command very high prices whenever outstanding...
,
John Vardy
John Vardy
John Vardy was an English architect attached to the Royal Office of Works from 1736. He was a close follower of the neo-Palladian architect William Kent....
,
William Vile
William Vile
-Biography:Vile was one of the best English cabinetmakers of his time during the Georgian Age of the Designer and overshadowed by Thomas Chippendale who was clearly the most famous.Georgian Cabinet Makers – Edwards & Jourdain 1945 Vile was amongst a handful of London based cabinetmakers such as...
,
Josiah Wedgewood,
Thomas Weeks.
Since 2006, Mallett has quickly expanded and established three new and distinct companies, James Harvey British Art, Meta and Hatfields Restoration.
James Harvey British Art
Now operates from 15 Langton Street, ChelseaChelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
, SW10. The gallery is dedicated to promoting British Artists from the 17th century to the present day. With an emphasis on the less established names of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the gallery will also promote traditional figurative contemporary art.
Meta
Meta has commissioned designers, including AsymptoteAsymptote
In analytic geometry, an asymptote of a curve is a line such that the distance between the curve and the line approaches zero as they tend to infinity. Some sources include the requirement that the curve may not cross the line infinitely often, but this is unusual for modern authors...
, Edward Barber & Jay Osgerby, Tord Boontje
Tord Boontje
Tord Boontje is an industrial product designer. He graduated from the Design Academy Eindhoven in 1991 and earned a Masters degree from the Royal College of Art in London in 1994. In 2006 he created a special holiday collection for Target Department stores...
, Matali Crasset and Wales & Wales to create contemporary objects and furniture.
Hatfields Restoration
In 2007 Mallett merged with Hatfields took over premises in London on ClaphamClapham
Clapham is a district in south London, England, within the London Borough of Lambeth.Clapham covers the postcodes of SW4 and parts of SW9, SW8 and SW12. Clapham Common is shared with the London Borough of Wandsworth, although Lambeth has responsibility for running the common as a whole. According...
High Street. Scholars House is late 18th century building from which the company is developing range of restoration services that will offer clients a complete one stop shop for all their restoration needs. Hatfields has a history which dates back to 1834 when the original Hatfield family established the firm. Initially founded to produce miniature frames, the company expanded to included furniture workshops, restoring and conserving furniture and works of art for Royalty, private and museum collections throughout the world. In the 1930s the company noted on its letterhead that it had warrants from Queen Victoria, The Prince of Wales & King Edward VII.
Reference and press
Meta at Design Miami- http://www.iconeye.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3582:meta-at-design-miami
The Art Newspaper
- http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Mallett%20to%20offer%20contemporary%20design/8615
Telling Tales Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum 2009
- http://www.vam.ac.uk/microsites/telling-tales/
James Harvey British Art — Telegraph Property
- http://www.jhba.co.uk/pr/Telegraph%20property.pdf
James Harvey British Art — Country Life
- http://www.jhba.co.uk/pr/Country%20Life.pdf
V & A Magazine Magic Wardrobes and Scary Chairs, Gareth Williams, Summer 2009
- http://www.madebymeta.com/media/item/973/84/Meta-V-A-Magazine-Summer-09.pdf
Full archive of Meta Press
- http://www.madebymeta.com/press