The Eighteenth–Century London Upholder

This book examines London’s eighteenth–century upholding trade. Primarily providing household furniture and upholstery goods and services at the beginning of the century, by mid-century upholders provided stylish and fashionable residential interior furnishings, funeral undertaking, and a secondary market for used household goods. Upholders were at the forefront of the development of Britain’s material culture, and were important contributors to London’s economic and social fabric. Providing context to the social and business lives of upholders, the author surveys key themes including apprenticeship, livery companies, empire, material culture, consumerism, taste and fashion, advertising, and credit. The book also explores how upholders came to dominate the funeral undertaking business, and integrated brokering, appraising, and auctioneering into their businesses.

Adapting to the economic changes and interior furnishing trends that took place in the first half of the eighteenth century, many upholders expanded their business lines. While consumer demand increased for household goods, so too did the widespread use of personal credit, which ultimately led to an increase in upholder bankruptcies after 1760. Through two case studies of financially successful upholders, the book sheds light on diverse topics such as the East India Company, banking, royal household tradesmen, and military contracting, to create an intricate understanding of their experiences. Offering new insights into the business, social, and personal lives of London’s upholders, this book demonstrates how they were instrumental in creating a new domestic commerce in eighteenth-century Britain.