Lot 27
CHARLES BEVAN (1815-1891) FOR MARSH, JONES & CRIBB
REFORMED GOTHIC ADJUSTABLE ARMCHAIR, CIRCA 1870
Auction: Day One | Lots 1 to 229 | Wed 15th April 2026 from 10am
Description
oak, with buttoned leather upholstery
Dimensions
70cm wide, 104cm high, 67cm deep
Footnote
Literature: Cooper J. Victorian and Edwardian Furniture and Interiors, Thames & Hudson, 1987, fig. 267 where a related chair designed by Charles Bevan, and manufactured on licence by Marsh & Jones is illustrated.
H. Blairman & Son, Gothic-Revival Furniture by Charles Bevan, 2006
Bevan's work was significantly influenced by John Pollard Seddon, and his furniture frequently exhibited clear signs of Seddon’s stylistic impact. A notable dispute arose concerning the design of reclining chairs, such as the example discussed here. In August 1865, The Building News published an article titled "Bevan's New Registered Reclining Chair." The following month, Seddon publicly accused Bevan of plagiarism in a letter to the publication, asserting that the reclining chair design in question had originally been conceived by Richard Holmes. Seddon further claimed that a similar chair had already been patented by him (V&A, D.1628-1896), with production being undertaken by his brother’s firm, J. Seddon & Co., located at 50 South Molton Street.
Despite these accusations, Bevan had already established his own professional reputation. He was operating out of 66 Margaret Street, the London showrooms of Marsh & Jones of Leeds. During this period, Marsh & Jones were the exclusive manufacturers of Bevan’s "Registered" reclining chair, a fact corroborated by an advertisement in The Building News from August 1865. This controversy highlights the complexities of the 19th-century design industry, where the boundaries between influence, originality, and intellectual property were frequently contested, especially among leading designers of the time.
