RARE IRISH CAMPAIGN DESK WITH MAKER'S MARK CIRCA 1840

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Please take the time to read the article below if you are at all interested in this important piece of antique furniture and its purpose and origins... The article was written by Sean Clarke and Nicholas Brawer and first appeared in the magazine " Irelands Antiques and Period Properties " Vol 1 No: 3, Summer/Autumn 2004... This campaign desk would have arrived in Australia circa 1840 and was almost certainly the property of The British Government for use by one of their administrators, or a member of the Army or Navy... The locks have been stamped V.R. ( Victoria Regina ) to show that at the time, the piece was the property of The British Government.. The legs on the desk are removable so that it can quickly and easily be re-located.. The desk also retains the original brass manufacturer's label and is totally original with the original hardware including locks still in place... The tooled leather insert is almost certainly a replacement but is obviously a replacement which was made many years ago... The desk is in superb condition for its age and is an important antique that has a direct connection to our Australian Colonial History as well as being an important piece of Irish history.. Good pieces of antique campaign furniture are always much sought after but pieces such as this are rare and desirable and extremely difficult to find and will only grow in value over the years to come..

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                                                              ROSS & CO.

                                                          MANUFACTURERS

                                                     9,10, & 11 ELLIS'S QUAY

                                                               DUBLIN

                                 THE VICTORIAN ARMY'S CABINET MAKER OF CHOICE

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Ross and Co. of Dublin were the most important makers of campaign furniture in the Victorian era and today their furniture is eagerly sought after by antique collectors world wide.... With the rapid growth of The British Empire in the 19th century, came the increased movement of administrators, colonists, and of course the British Army and Navy...

James Ross Murphy and Patrick Murphy capitalised on the demand for portable furniture that accompanied this increased movement of people with the formation of their company E. Ross on Ellis's Quay.. The vast majority of their furniture was designed to quickly fold or pack down for ease of travel..

The first record of their company is in 1821 when they were listed in the directories as being located at 6 Ellis's Quay however they most likely had commenced business much earlier.. They remained on the Quay throughout their history although their address is listed in the Dublin directories as being at various numbers between 5 and 11 and they are known to have also had a factory at 35 Tighe Street which is now named Benburb Street... These two locations were of course ideally located for the many officers stationed at Collins Barracks which was of great benefit to the business; a fact also picked up on by John Ireland, their neighbour and Army Clothier who was located at 11 Ellis's Quay in 1850...

Ross & Co. campaign furniture stood out from the many other campaign furniture manufacturers of the period for a number of reasons but perhaps the most important was their originality in design.. The other main London manufacturers ( Hill & Millard,  J. W. Allen, and Day & Son ) were all making almost similar campaign pieces. There would be the odd piece that was specific to a particular maker but generally by around 1850 there were standard pieces that officers would require and which they could easily find from these makers.. However with Ross & Co. nearly all their items differed greatly to those of other manufacturers... Much of their work can be considered typical of the William IV and Victorian periods in their use of the fashionable design features of the day... This would of course have given their cabinet making greater appeal than that which was purely utalitarian ; an important factor to their customers who were mostly well heeled gentlemen officers with an eye for the stylish.. Their concessions to embellishment with carvings and turnings gave their customers a reminder of the Europe that they had left behind and a feeling of a little luxury in a much harsher environment...

Ross & Co. prospered throughout the 19th century and by 1864 their reputation was sealed when the received the Royal Seal of Approval by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The Army began recommending them and this was rarely done by the Army... The Report on the Kabul Committee on Equipment ( Calcutta ) stated .... " The committee now consider it to be necessary for the comfort of an officer, that he should have a bed, and they find that the pattern made by Ross of Dublin is the most suitable.... It weighs under 20lbs..... However Ross & Co. had other factors working in their favour to create a strong customer base... Not only were a large percentage of the British Army's officers Irish but they were clever enough to position themselves close to one of the largest barracks in Europe.. The barracks were garrisoned by an army that had spread itself across the World and whose mostly landed officers could afford the best, wished to travel in style and to have all the comforts of home when they arrived at their destination..

Their demise was sure to come late into the 19th century and to put it simply " they were right for their time and their time was over. "  The world and the way war was fought changed significantly and the British Army was soon to be taught a lesson by the Boers... Arnold-Forster, the Secretary of State for War recognised that things must change when he said ... " The British Army is a social institution prepared for every emergency except that of war ".... Well before the end of the 19th century the company ceased to exist however they have left a passion amongst collectors for their camp equipage, much of which travelled the globe when it was first made and is still doing so as it is eagerly sought...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------               The timbers used to make this resilient piece of campaign furniture is high quality english oak. 

The Patina is rated at  8  (please read the "About Us" section for an explanation of this number)...

The dimensions of this piece at its widest, deepest and highest points are as follows :-

Width 118cms              Depth 65cms             Height 73cms     Apron clearance 57cms

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