[Illustration:  Secretaire And Bookcase, In Carved Oak, in the style of German Gothic. (From Drawing by Professor Heideloff, Published in the “Art Union,” 1816.)]

York House was redecorated and furnished about this time, and as it is described as “Excelling any other dwelling of its own class in regal magnificence and vieing with the Royal Palaces of Europe,” we may take note of an account of its re-equipment, written in 1841 for the Art Journal.  This notice speaks little for the taste of the period, and less for the knowledge and grasp of the subject by the writer of an Art critique of the day:—­“The furniture generally is of no particular style, but, on the whole, there is to be found a mingling of everything, in the best manner of the best epochs of taste.”  Writing further on of the ottoman couches, “causeuses,” etc., the critic goes on to tell of an alteration in fashion which had evidently just taken place:—­“Some of them, in place of plain or carved rosewood or mahogany, are ornamented in white enamel, with classic subjects in bas-relief of perfect execution.”

Towards the close of the period embraced by the limits of this chapter, the eminent firm of Jackson and Graham were making headway, a French designer named Prignot being of considerable assistance in establishing their reputation for taste; and in the Exhibition which was soon to take place, this firm took a very prominent position.  Collinson and Lock, who have recently acquired this firm’s premises and business, were both brought up in the house as young men, and left some thirty odd years ago for Herrings, of Fleet Street, whom they succeeded about 1870.

Another well-known decorator who designed and manufactured furniture of good quality was Leonard William Collmann, first of Bouverie Street and later of George Street, Portman Square.  He was a pupil of Sydney Smirke, R.A. (who designed and built the Carlton and the Conservative Clubs), and was himself an excellent draughtsman, and carried out the decoration and furnishing of many public buildings, London clubs, and mansions of the nobility and gentry.  His son is at present Director of Decorations to Her Majesty at Windsor Castle.  Collmann’s designs were occasionally Gothic, but generally classic.

There is evidence of the want of interest in the subject of furniture in the auctioneers’ catalogues of the day.  By the courtesy of Messrs. Christie and Manson, the writer has had access to the records of this old firm, and two or three instances of sales of furniture may be given.  While the catalogues of the Picture sales of 1830-40 were printed on paper of quarto size, and the subjects described at length, those of “Furniture” are of the old-fashioned small octavo size, resembling the catalogue of a small country auctioneer of the present day, and the printed descriptions rarely exceed a single line.  The prices very rarely amount to more than L10; the whole proceeds of a day’s sale were often less than