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  • BBC Two

The Story of English Furniture

  • 1978 – 1979
  • Returning Series
  • Documentary
  • 1 season
  • 8.0/10

Hugh Scully and Arthur Negus look back over six centuries of furniture-making.

Latest: Series 1 · 1978

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  1. E1. Medieval and Elizabethan

    Nov 1, 1978 · 24m

    Hugh Scully and Arthur Negus go back in time to the medieval and Elizabethan period to explore the emergence of a distinctive English style of furniture, in keeping with the bold buccaneering spirit of the age.

  2. E2. Jacobean and Restoration

    Nov 8, 1978 · 24m

    Hugh Scully and Arthur Negus take a closer look at furniture made in the Jacobean and Restoration period. Designs of the era were severe until a Continental influence arrived with the Restoration of Charles II, bringing a more luxurious, elaborate look.

  3. E3. William and Mary

    Nov 15, 1978 · 24m

    When William and Mary ascended the throne, an influx of Dutch and German craftsmen meant the baroque style was in vogue. This period also saw the decline in popularity of marquetry.

  4. E4. Queen Anne and Early Georgian

    Nov 22, 1978 · 24m

    In the days of Queen Anne and the early Georgian period, over-ornamentation was out, while walnut and mahogany were the woods of choice. Hugh Scully talks about William Kent, the first architect to design furniture.

  5. E5. Thomas Chippendale

    Nov 29, 1978 · 24m

    The most famous name in English furniture, the 'high priest of mahogany', who saw the potential of the middle-class market and who started a revolution in design. Presented by Hugh Scully.

  6. E6. Robert Adam

    Dec 6, 1978 · 24m

    This edition focuses on the work and classical styles of 18th-century Scottish architect and furniture-maker Robert Adam.

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