Master upholsterers achieved special status in 18th-century England. They often provided full decorating services, hiring other craftsmen such as cabinet makers, chair carvers and drapers. An overview of the period and several examples are presented.
By the early eighteenth century the upholsterer had become an accomplished interior decorator, responsible for the complete furnishing of a house. He was at a higher social level than the cabinetmaker and had become what the knowledgeable ...