Ercol is most famous for its modern interpretation of the classic English Windsor chair. This traditional design has its origins in the seventeenth century, but in the 50s it looked fresh and new. The Ercol Windsor chair appealed to both modern and traditional tastes, and was a runaway commercial success. It inspired a complete range for Ercol furniture in English elm.
Lucien Ercolani designed the Windsor chair in response to a Wartime enquiry to supply cheap chairs. However, it was first shown to the public in the 'Britain Can Make it Exhibition' at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 1946. Although based on a traditional design, the Ercol Windsor chair became a modern classic. Ercolani also displayed the Windsor chair at the Festival of Britain in 1951.
The choice of English elm as a wood sounds traditional, but it was a radical decision. Wartime and post-war restrictions meant a search for alternative timbers was imperative. Elm was not a good timber for furniture manufacture, because it was hard to dry out sufficiently. Ercolani himself found this out the hard way when he bought a large quantity of elm that had been stored under cover for five years; only the top layers were dry.
In spite of this setback, Ercolani discovered a process of kiln drying the elm with the help of the Forest Products Research Laboratory. As a result, elm became the wood used for the majority of Ercol's production in the post-war years. Although English elm has a wonderful traditional ring to it, it was a modern material, very suitable for the Ercol Windsor chair, which was a perfect fusion of modern and traditional ideas.
The Ercol Windsor chair inspired a whole range of furniture which included sideboards, coffee tables, sofas, day beds and the classic Ercol refectory table. Ercol's use of elm could not survive Dutch elm disease in the 70s. Fortunately, Ercol was one of the first English firms experiment with the favourite furniture fashion of the 70s, pine. The Ercol Welsh dresser was yet another classic piece of English furniture.
Today Ercol is a much loved range of furniture with a huge following, both for new and classic pieces. It is of good quality and is well made furniture built to last several generations. For more about Ercol read my main feature Ercol on Retrowow
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