This is a near pair of tallboys, manufactured under the post war utility furniture scheme. There is a slight difference in the top edge finish. in oak and ply to designs from the 1943 catalogue as overseen by Gordon Russell.
English | 1940's
Width 47 cm / 18.5“
Depth 84cm / 33”
Height 123 cm / 48.5”
Price is for Pair.
Utility furniture was produced in the UK during and directly after World War II. The furniture was produced under a government scheme which was designed to cope with raw material shortages and rationing of their usage. Introduced at the end of 1942, the Utility Furniture Scheme continued into post-war austerity and lasted until its abolition in March 1949. The furniture was rationed and was restricted to newlyweds and people who had been bombed.
The Utility Furniture Advisory Committee was set up in 1942[ in order to assure that the available resources were used efficiently. It drew on expertise from Gordon Russell, who later became the chairman of the reformed Utility Design Panel in 1943.
The committee produced approved designs that were published in the Utility Furniture Catalogue of 1943. The aim was to ensure the production of strong, well-designed furniture which made efficient use of timber. The Art and Crafts movement influenced the designs, which were considered to be simplistic due to their lack of decoration (which was contrary to the popular taste of the immediate pre-war period). Furniture based on these designs was constructed by a number of firms around the country.
