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Reference	2233
Covering dates	1807-1986
Held by	City of Westminster Archives Centre
Extent	100 Files

Source of acquisition	Records were donated by Guy Baxter, Archive of Art and Design, 23 Blythe Road, London, W14 0QF, originally forming part of Allied Maples Group archive transferred from the Judges' Lodgings Museum, Lancaster, via Lancashire Record Office. Please note that Acc 2233/21-23, 59-63 were received with Accession 2221 in March 2000 and Acc 2233/5-19 were originally purchased along with Accession 344 in December 1966.
Creators	Waring and Gillow Ltd, furniture maker and decorators; Gillows of Lancaster, furniture maker
Related information	This deposit supplements existing material relating to Gillow of Lancaster, Accession 1344, Accession 735 and Accession 2221. These records also contain Waring and Gillow, financial records (1898-1932), 344/49, 62, 64; Estimate Sketch Books (1898-1905), 344/132, 134, 135, 136, 140; salaries books (1911-1931), 344/81-82; Lancaster order book (1900-1902), 344/88.

Administrative history:

The firm of Gillows of Lancaster can be traced back to Robert Gillow (1704-72) in 1730, having served an apprenticeship as a joiner. During the 1730's he began to exploit the lucrative West Indies trade exporting mahogany furniture and importing rum and sugar. Following his death in 1772, the business was continued by his two sons, Richard (1734-1811) and Robert (1745-93). In 1764 a London branch of Gillows was established at 176 Oxford Road, now Oxford Street, by Thomas Gillow and William Taylor. The firm rapidly established a reputation for supplying high quality furniture to the richest families in the country.
During the final years of the 19th century the company ran into financial difficulty and from 1897 began a loose financial arrangement with Waring of Liverpool, an arrangement legally ratified by the establishment of Waring and Gillow in 1903. Warings of Liverpool were founded by John Waring, who arrived in the city from Belfast in 1835 and established a wholesale cabinet making business. He was succeeded by his son Samuel James Waring who rapidly expanded the business during the 1880's, furnishing hotels and public buildings throughout Europe. He also founded Waring-White Building Company which built the Liverpool Corn Exchange, Selfridge's department store and the Ritz Hotel.
Gillows had established a reputation for the outfitting of luxury yachts and liners, including the Royal Yacht "Victoria and Albert", liners "Lusitania", "Heliopolis" and "Cairo", RMS "Queen Mary" (1934) and "Queen Elizabeth" (1946) for Cunard. During the First World War the Lancaster factory was turned over to war production, making ammunition chests for the Navy and propellers for De Havilland DH9 aircraft and during World War Two produced parts for gliders and the Mosquito aircraft, while kit-bags, tents and camouflage nets were made by the upholstery department. However, the business of the firm began to decline and the Lancaster workshops closed on 31 March 1962. In 1980 Waring and Gillow joined with the cabinet making firm Maple & Co, to become Maple, Waring and Gillow, subsequently part of Allied Maples Group Ltd, which includes Allied Carpets.

Contents:

Company records including accounting and sales records, staff records, company histories and property records

CORPORATE RECORDS [no ref. or date]

Copy of a report on the organisation and administration of Waring & Gillow Limited and its subsidiaries by Cooper Brothers and Co, Chartered Accountants, 14 George Street, Mansion House, London 2233/1 30 June 1953

ACCOUNTING RECORDS [no ref. or date]

Waring & Gillow (Holdings) Limited annual report, balance sheet and profit and loss accounts 2233/2 31 Mar 1974 and 31 Mar 1975

SALES RECORDS [no ref. or date]

Catalogues [no ref. or date]

Photocopy of page from catalogue of marble bathroom 2233/3 1920's

Two pages from catalogue featuring Millinery Department; "From the Model Hat Salon" and Lingerie Department; "Beautiful Lace-trimmed Lingerie" 2233/4 1932

Scrapbooks and photograph albums [no ref. or date]

Black and white photographs of chairs, settees and stools (old reference scrapbook 1) 2233/5 [1910-1935]

Photograph album stamped Trollope and Colls Ltd, Interior Decorators (it seems that Waring & Gillow provided interiors for the buildings they constructed) 2233/6 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 2)

Photograph album inscribed Waring and Gillow No5, London, Liverpool, Manchester, Paris, containing black and white photographs of sketches and wash drawings for a ship's interior and decorative paintings for wall panels 2233/7 [1928-1931]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 3)

Photograph album containing black and white photographs of hotel restaurants and interiors, including some art deco interiors possibly for a liner 2233/8 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 4)

Photograph album stamped Waring and Gillow Ltd, Manchester containing black and white photographs all identified, including theatres, cafes, shops, banks, mainly in the north of England but also Piccadilly Hotel, Ritz Hotel, Savoy Hotel, Waldorf Hotel and the German Emperor's yacht 2233/9 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 5)

Photograph album inscribed "photographs of interior decoration, panelling and furnishing carried out completely by Messrs Waring and Gillow Ltd, Brussels for Messrs Sofina Ltd, Brussels 2233/10 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 6)

Photograph album with Bedford Lemere sticker, featuring photographs of 76 Sloane Street, 8 Palace Gate, 72 Chester Square, 73 Brook Street, 17 Upper Grosvenor Street, [Grosvenor House], Kidbrooke Park and East Grinstead, Surrey 2233/11 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 7)

Photograph album with Bedford Lemere photographs of Crathorne Hall, Yorkshire (built 1903-1905), Ardenrun, Surrey (built 1903-1906), Coomb [Camarthan], and 76 Sloane Street 2233/12 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference scrapbook 8)

Photograph album of seventeen photographs; Including ten plans and designs for an unidentified house called Montalbanol 2233/13 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 9)

Photograph album of a number of sketches of unidentified 1920's interiors, designs and photographs of two Italian Palaces Moti Bagh and Shish Mahal and train interior 2233/14 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 10)

Photograph album stamped Waring and Gillow, Manchester, featuring photographs of unidentified house interiors and furniture 2233/15 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 11)

Photograph album stamped Waring and Gillow, Deansgate, Manchester, "furnishers and decorators to the King" featuring photographs of unidentified house interiors and furniture 2233/16 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 12)

Photograph album stamped Waring and Gillow, Manchester, featuring photographs of unidentified house interiors and furniture 2233/17 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 13)

Photograph album stamped Waring and Gillow, Manchester, featuring photographs of unidentified house interiors and furniture 2233/18 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 14)

Photograph album of Bedford Lemere prints of unidentified offices and grand domestic interiors 2233/19 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 15)

Scrapbook containing some photographs of architectural details, assorted postcards of Ludlow and an unidentified "Germanisches Museum", magazine articles relating to the firm 2233/20 [1910-1935]

Contents:

(Old reference 16)

Photograph album of uncredited room interiors and (design sketches stamped Waring and Gillow Ltd, London 2233/21 [1910-1930]

Photograph album of unidentified house interiors 2233/22 [1910-1930]

Photograph album of a furniture and costume exhibition at Waring & Gillow, Oxford Street 2233/23 [n.d.]

Contents:

Featuring tableaux of Jacobean Room, The Mahogany Age, The Walnut Age, Modern Room, The Queen Anne Period, The Early and Late Georgian Period, The George V Period, An 18th Century Craftsman and a 20th Century Craftsman with three pages of newspaper reviews of the exhibition Aug 1929
Three black and white photographs of a visit by a [European Royal couple to the exhibition], 1929
Nineteen black and white photographs of uncredited house interiors, [1910-1930]
Two exterior photgraphs of Oxford Street premises, [1920's] a black and white photograph of a blanket sale, [1930's]

Photographs [no ref. or date]

Four photographs of a hotel or restaurant dining room 2233/24 [1920's]

Four black and white photographs of chairs and settees 2233/25 [1910-1930]

Nine black and white photographs of tables and sideboards, including two of a centrifugal table) 2233/26 [1910-1930]

Four black and white photographs of wardrobes 2233/27 [1910-1930]

A black and white photograph of a Hepplewhite wine cabinet 2233/28 [1950's]

Ten black and white photographs of Scunthorpe Police Station furnished by Waring & Gillow, by Elsam, Mann and Company Ltd, No 6, The Temple, Dale Street, Liverpool 2233/29 1954

Colour photograph of a "Strachan Place, Yew, Dining Group" made by George Strachan and Son Ltd 2233/30 [1970's]

Four large colour display prints of Waring & Gillow bed headboard, chairs, sideboard and china cabinet 2233/31 [1970's]

Newspaper and magazine articles [no ref. or date]

Photocopy of an article An Exhibition of Nelson Furniture At Waring And Gillows Oxford Street Galleries, from "The Sphere" 2233/32 1905

Scrapbook of newspaper articles relating to the firm 2233/33 11 May 1907 - 20 Mar 1909, 2, 23 May 1919

Advert for Waring & Gillow carpets from "The Daily Mail" 2233/34 [1910]

Photocopy of an advert for the Waring & Gillow Winter Sale from "The Times" 2233/35 3 Jan 1917

Copy of "Daily Telegraph Morning Post Supplement" The New Mauretania Makes Maritime History featuring and advert for Waring & Gillow 2233/36 25 July 1938

Scrapbook of newspaper and magazine articles relating to the firm 2233/37 July 1961 - May 1962

Newspaper and magazine articles relating to Waring and Gillow 2233/38 Mar - July 1962

Advertising brochure promoting The Waring & Gillow International Furniture Centre, 188-196 Regent Street, London 2233/39 [1970's]

Article on Waring & Gillow, 278 Years Later The Furnishing Showpiece of Europe from "The Sunday Times Magazine" 2233/40 9 Sept 1973

Small colour poster featuring motor racing car sponsored by Waring & Gillow Furniture Group 2233/41 [1970's]

Photocopy of an article from "Country Life", The Great Hotel Afloat, Cunard's Maritime Masterpieces, by Alistair Forsyth 2233/42 26 Dec 1985

Customer accounts [no ref. or date]

Photocopies of order by James Woodhouse Esq, from Geo and K Gillow & Co 2233/43 April 1807

Approvals book 2233/44 11 July 1909 - 18 Apr 1974

Contents:

Giving details of date, name and address of customer, description of articles, cost, to whom sent, order book folio, date returned, returned slip no (indexed)

Customer bad debts register 2233/45 31 Jan 1941 - 6 Oct 1979

Contents:

Giving name and address of customer and amount owed (indexed)

Photocopies of records held at the Public Record Office (listing Waring & Gillow furniture in the Palace of Westminster 2233/46 1986

List of Waring & Gillow furniture in the Judge's Lodge Museum, Lancaster 2233/47 1986

Warehouse records [no ref. or date]

Warehouse register, No 7 2233/48 6 Mar 1916 - 27 Oct 1930

Contents:

Giving warehouse particulars, name and address of client, quantity of material, floor and bay numbers, inventory sent and where material delivered

Warehouse register, No A2 2233/49 19 Dec 1922 - 12 Nov 1924

Contents:

Giving warehouse particulars, name and address of client, quantity of material, floor and bay numbers, inventory sent and where material delivered

Warehouse ledger, No 6 2233/50 14 Feb 1912 - 31 Dec 1913

Contents: