18th century furniture designs

A Collection of Ornamental Designs applicable to Furniture, Frames & the Decoration of Rooms in the style of Louis 14th on 24 Plates chiefly after Thos Chippendale. These reprints of 18th century furniture designs were published by John Weale about 1834. John Weale (1791-1862) was a London publisher of diverse interests, ranging from chemistry to natural philosophy to music, lime mortar and brickwork, but his main focus was on books of architecture and design. In 1834 he bought the architectural publishing business of Josiah Taylor at 59 High Holborn, among whose stock were the plates published in this volume. The plates were re-engraved from the eighteenth-century originals. Despite the title, none of the plates is by Chippendale; eighteen are by Matthias Lock (c.1710-1765) and six by Francois Vivares (1709-1780) and Anthony Walker (1726-1765). However, the prominent use of Chippendale's name on the title page indicates that half a century after his death the name Chippendale was becoming a generic term, a shorthand label for the eighteenth-century English rococo style. It was Weale's book, rather than Chippendale's original, which was often used as the source for ‘Chippendale' style furniture designs by 19th century manufacturers.

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