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The company was established by Henry
Shapland (b. 1823), a cabinet maker by trade. Henry Petter was an accountant who
entered into partnership with Mr Shapland. In 1864 they bought the Raleigh
Factory in Barnstaple, Devon. In 1888 the building burnt down but was
immediately replaced by a bigger factory which included many modern inventions.
The two Henrys died within two years
of each other - Petter in 1907 and Shapland in 1909. In 1924 Shapland and Petter
merged with the Barnstaple Cabinet Company, producing North Devon's biggest
industry. During the First World War Shapland's skilled craftsmen turned their
hands to wooden propellers for the aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps. After the
war, public tastes changed, and hand carved furniture was too expensive for
many. Shapland's output now included elegant veneered pieces with smooth Art
Deco lines. The company fitted out Pullman carriages and ocean liners and made
hand-carved church furniture. The famous England Rugby Captain W. W. Wakefield
was appointed Company Director in 1927. Throughout the depression of the late
1920's and early 1930's the company still managed to produce high quality work.
Furniture manufacturing continued
until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. After the war came radio
cabinets and laboratory and contract furniture, until eventually large
quantities of doors were being produced for hospitals, hotels, schools, offices
and other buildings.
Shapland and Petter were renowned
for excellent design and workmanship. Much of the work involved intricate
leaded glass panels, or inlaid fruitwood designs, like the white bedroom suite
shown in the exhibition here. This type of work is typical of Art Nouveau 1895
to 1910, inspired by the fluid shapes of plants and flowers. Many pieces were
made from standard designs. There were hundreds to choose from, and a selection
could be seen in local and London showrooms and in catalogues. Although
mass-produced, this furniture was well-made by skilled technicians and modern
machinery.
43" (109cm) Inlaid Oak Writing Desk by Shapland &
Petter c1900
SOLD by Antiquedesks.net
48" (122cm) Mahogany Writing Desk by Shapland & Petter
c1900
SOLD by Antiquedesks.net
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