## THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY 

_Annual Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements_ 

_for the Year ended 30 June 2021,_ 

_together with Notice of the Fifty-seventh Annual General Meeting, to be held at The Museum of the Home (formerly The Geffrye Museum),_ 

_136 Kingsland Road, Hoxton, London E2 8EA on Saturday, 20 November 2021 commencing at 11.00 am._ 

c/o The Department of Furniture, Textiles and Fashion, Victoria & Albert Museum, London SW7 2RL 

www.furniturehistorysociety.org Registered Charity No. 251683 



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THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY 

## AGENDA 

for the 57th Annual General Meeting to be held at 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA on Saturday, 20 November 2021 at 11.00 am. 

1. Apologies for absence 

2. Minutes of the Fifty-sixth Annual General Meeting 

3. Adoption of the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2021 

4. Adoption of the Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2021 

5. Re-election of The President _Council proposes Simon Swynfen Jervis_ 

6. Proposal regarding a change in subscription rates _Council proposes the increases set out on pp. 22-23 of the Annual Report_ 

7. Re-election of the Honorary Officers 

   - The Chairman 

      - _Council proposes Christopher Neville Rowell_ 

   - The Honorary Secretary _Council proposes Dr Megan Laura Wheeler_ 

   - The Honorary Treasurer _Council proposes Martin Blue Macintosh Williams_ 

   - The Honorary Editorial Secretary _Council proposes Dr Megan Brewster Aldrich_ 

8. Re-election of four members of Council _Council proposes Dr Esmé Whittaker, Dr Mark Westgarth, Dr Alexandra Gerstein and Stephen Jackson_ 

9. Election of two new members of Council _Council proposes Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth and Jürgen Huber_ 

10.  Re-appointment of the Independent Examiner _Council proposes Christopher Pexton of Messrs Begbies_ 

10. Any Other Business 

11. Votes of Thanks 

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## PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY 

We plan to hold the Society’s Annual General Meeting corporeally. In addition, we hope to live-stream the proceedings for those members who cannot attend in person. The meeting will also be recorded and the recording placed on the Society’s website after the meeting. The login details for the streaming will be communicated by e-mail to all the members for whom we have e-mail addresses. 

Admission to the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) is free and open to all members, but those wishing to attend in person are asked to notify the Events Secretary, Beatrice Goddard, at events@furniturehistorysociety.org, at least seven days in advance so that appropriate arrangements can be made. 

The meeting will take place in the Studio at the Museum of the Home. Coffee will be served from 10.30 am and the meeting will commence at 11.00 am. The room seats 80 people but if the social distancing regulations then in force require us to restrict numbers further, we shall endeavour to let members know by e-mail in a timely way. 

As is customary, the formal business will be followed by talks on areas of current interest from: 

- Helen Dorey (Deputy Director, Sir John Soane’s Museum) will describe the project to restore the architect’s drawing office, thought to be the earliest architect’s office to survive intact. 

- William Palin (Chief Executive Officer, Barts Heritage Trust) will discuss the planned restoration of the North Wing of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in anticipation of the 900th anniversary of the hospital in 2023. 

- Hannah Phillip (Programme Director for the Grinling Gibbons National Centenary 2021) will speak about the programme of events to celebrate Gibbons and the exhibition _Centuries in the Making_ at Bonhams, London in August 2021 and at the Compton Verney Art Gallery, Warwickshire from 24 September 2021 until 4 January 2022. 

As is customary, presentations will be made to officers of the Society who have demitted office during the period as well as to others who have made a major contribution to the Society’s work. 

At the conclusion of the presentations, a buffet lunch will be served. Tickets for the lunch, to include a glass of wine and costing £22 per head, should be booked at least seven days in advance through Beatrice Goddard, Events Secretary, at events@furniturehistorysociety.org 

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THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY 

## MINUTES 

of the Fifty-sixth Annual General Meeting held on 28 November 2020 

## Notice 

The notice convening the meeting was read. 

## Mrs Della Howard 

Members observed a short silence in memory of Della Howard, a long-standing member, an enthusiastic supporter and a generous benefactress of the Society, who had died on 13 November 2020. The Chairman noted that she had been made an honorary Life Member in 2019 in thanks for her support of the Society since its inception and, in recent years, its young members’ activities. 

## Meeting Choreography 

The Chairman explained that, as there was nothing in the Society’s constitution to prevent either proxy or postal voting, and having sought advice from the Charity Commission, three on-line polls would be conducted during the meeting to deal with specific items of business. 

Members noted that the Agenda and the Annual Report and Financial Statements (which made specific reference to the matter) had been sent out by post as well as being published on the Society’s website. 

The first poll was on Council’s decision to hold a virtual meeting, and read: ‘In the opinion of the Society’s legal adviser, it is lawful for the Society to hold its fifty-sixth AGM via Zoom and Council has approved the plan. Members present are invited to endorse the holding of the meeting in this way.’ Agreed _nem. con_ . 

## Apologies 

The Chairman noted that apologies had been received from a number of members including the President, Sir Nicholas Goodison; Christopher Hartley and Stephen Jackson. He added that Christopher Hartley, Chairman, National Trust Scotland, had added: ‘How very delighted I am that Simon Swynfen Jervis has been proposed for the post of President. His scholarship, urbanity and sense of humour will be a terrific boon. Nicholas Goodison has been a tower of strength over many years and we all owe him a sincere thank you. He will be a very hard act to follow but I know that Simon will more than meet the challenge. We are lucky to have such outstanding leaders.’ 

## Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held in 2019 

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 23 November 2019 were taken as read and the Chairman was authorised to sign them as a correct record. 

## Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2020 

The Chairman summarised Council’s report. He began by saying that 2020 had been a year 

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like no other, with the pandemic and its attendant lock-downs and restrictions, curtailing the Society’s usual activities. However, some events, such as the Autumn Study Weekend to Devon, expertly led by Lisa White and Christopher Overton, and a tour of the Netherlands, under the aegis of the Dutch Royal Collection, had gone forward in 2019 before the pandemic had broken out. In addition, some members had visited the exhibition, _Treasures from Osterley: Rise of a Banking Family,_ at Osterley Park—ably guided by one of its curators, Megan Wheeler, the Society’s Hon. Secretary. 

The Chairman added that the fewer than usual number of events had reduced the Society’s income, however the series of Zoom lectures inaugurated by the Events committee had been a great success—an initiative that was greatly to the credit of all concerned and which had significantly raised the Society’s international profile. He drew particular attention to the Annual Symposium on George IV and the Annual Lecture entitled _Pelagio Palagi, Decorateur des Palais Royaux de Turin et du Piemont_ which had been delivered from Rome by Dr Bertrand de Royère. Both these high-profile events had been complemented by the series of on-line lectures given as part of the _BIFMO_ programme. 

The Chairman recorded the Society’s appreciation of all those who had given so generously of their time to make the lectures and the associated events such a success. He thanked the Society’s sister organisations, such as the French Porcelain Society, for their mutual help in marketing the societies’ programmes. 

Turning to publications, the Chairman commended the Hon. Editorial Secretary and the Newsletter Editor for producing both _Furniture History_ and the Newsletter in a timely way despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic. 

He announced with regret that Simon Swynfen Jervis would be relinquishing the role of editing the book reviews for the Newsletter, a post he had filled with distinction since 2013. He was delighted to announce that Dr Wolf Burchard had been persuaded to succeed him, commencing with the May 2021 issue. 

The Chairman described Dr Burchard as ‘an energetic and productive multi-lingual scholar’ who brought to the task a wide-ranging knowledge of the decorative arts reinforced by spells working for the Royal Collection Trust and the National Trust. He was now the Associate Curator of European Sculpture & Decorative Arts at the Metropolitan Museum where he was leading on the re-modelling of the museum’s British galleries. He had recently completed a very active term of office as a member of Council, and was thus ideally qualified for the new rôle. Suggestions for reviews should be sent to wolf.burchard@metmuseum.org 

He congratulated the Hon. Editorial Secretary, Dr Megan Aldrich, on the 2020 volume (LXVI) of _Furniture History_ which had been produced with the advice and help of the Editorial Committee and Dr Judith Goodison. A _festschrift_ for the Society’s outgoing President, Sir Nicholas Goodison, it was an exceptional volume in every way. Earlier that week, Sir Nicholas had been presented with a copy in a specially commissioned solander of burr elm and graphitecoloured resin by Jonathan Vaiksaar. 

The Chairman then read the following message from Sir Nicholas: 

“I am sorry that, at the last fence, I have let the Society down and will not be present at the AGM. I have received Volume LXVI in its beautifully crafted box of burr elm, and am 

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grateful to all the writers who have contributed. The tribute implied by the dedication of this Volume to me is something special and I shall always treasure it. Meanwhile I give my warm thanks to Megan [Aldrich] and to those of you who helped her organise and produce this volume, and more broadly to the Society, with which Judith and I have been deeply associated for most of our lives, and where we have found some of our greatest enjoyment and closest friends. Long may it flourish in stimulating scholarship, friendship and fun.” 

The Chairman said he had contributed an appreciation of the President, which he would not repeat, except to say that the Society was indebted to both him and Judith in so very many ways. He praised Sir Nicholas as a remarkable and reliable figurehead, who had worked tirelessly in the Society’s interest and who had been totally imbued with its traditions and values. The Society would miss him greatly. 

The Chairman drew members’ attention to the Annual Report, where the impressive credentials of the incoming President, Simon Swynfen Jervis, were laid out. He added that Simon was the natural choice for President after a serving a distinguished term as both Hon. Editorial Secretary and subsequently Chairman, as well as serving as the chairman of the very successful Anniversary Appeal. He had also been a prolific contributor to _Furniture History_ over the years and, like Nicholas, saw it as the foundation of the Society’s activities. 

He then said that Simon had asked him to say that he was ‘extremely flattered and not a little daunted to have been asked to succeed Sir Nicholas, and is fully aware that, if the Society makes any progress during his tenancy of this office, it will be a quintessential example of a pygmy on the shoulders of a giant - a giant who has made an incomparable contribution to the Society’s financial security and forward momentum over its entire existence.’ 

The Chairman encouraged members to read the informative and interesting accounts of the Society’s activities in the Annual Report, and particularly those on _British and Irish Furniture Makers On-line (“BIFMO”)_ and grants, which outlined the pressing need to fundraise for the former to ensure that it maintained its position as perhaps the most comprehensive interactive resource for research into the history of furniture and its makers. He expressed his gratitude to all concerned with the expansion of the database, the collaboration with the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London (the “IHR”), and the progress that had been made during the year. 

He commended the Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 2020 to the meeting. It was adopted _nem. con._ 

Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2020 

The Hon. Treasurer then presented the Financial Statements of the charity for the year. Prompted by the news of the death that day of Diego Maradona, he began by saying that the year was, like the beautiful game, one of two halves: pre- and post-pandemic. The lockdowns and social-distancing restrictions had swiftly eroded the Society’s planned programme of events which had had a very significant impact on the financial out-turn. It would continue to have an impact on the current year’s results. He thanked the Events committee for so swiftly and successfully putting in place a highly successful programme of on-line lectures. 

Mr Williams drew attention to the ‘Statement of Financial Activities’ where he was pleased to 

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be able to report that the outcome on the Society’s general fund was a surplus of £5,476. There had been a net realised loss on the Society’s investment assets of £8,603, leaving a net outflow of funds of £3,127. Taking into account BIFMO, where there was a budgeted deficit of just under £50,000, the surplus on the General fund had turned into a planned deficit of £45,496. 

Looking at the figures in more detail, he said that the income from subscriptions had increased to £70,002, from £56,950 in 2018-2019, reflecting the increase in membership fees agreed at the AGM of 2018. In addition, he drew members’ attention to the income from Donations, Grants and Legacies, which had grown from £11,832 to £36,425, mostly as a result of the grants made for _BIFMO_ . 

There was a fall in the income from Charitable Activities – largely in the Events & Visits programme – resulting from the pandemic. Investment income, however, had remained much the same, with a total income for the year of £152,744 and total expenditure of £198,240. 

He explained that the expenditure encompassed a reduction in the cost of the Events programme of £13,000, and a fall of £9,000 in expenditure on _BIFMO_ , together with a saving in the cost of _Furniture History_ as it had been a slightly smaller issue and, thus, cheaper to post. 

Savings had also been achieved in other areas, including one of around £2,000 following the Society’s decision to switch from a full audit of its accounts to a simpler independent examination. He thanked Christopher Pexton of Begbies for his assistance and co-operation in this connection. 

The Hon. Treasurer said that, as requested at last year’s meeting, the figures for BIFMO had been separately set out in the Accounts. He asked members to note that there would be no further draw-down from the general fund for _BIFMO_ from 1 January 2021, and that fundraising would be necessary if _BIFMO’s_ development was to continue. He explained that the Society’s agreement with the IHR would come to an end on 31 December 2020. Fortunately, the Society’s relationship with the IHR continued to be a good one and, if it was the Society’s wish, the IHR would host the _BIFMO_ website and the associated database until the end of 2025 at no charge. 

Total funds at the end of the year totalled £755,022, a fall of £84,970 on the previous year, due largely to the BIFMO drawdown and the fall in the value of the investments as a result of the pandemic. 

All in all, the Hon. Treasurer said the Society had weathered 2019-20 in reasonable shape. In part, he said, this was thanks to the regular meetings of the Operations Group. If the Society were able to reinstate the Visits & Events programme in 2021, he hoped for a significantly better financial outcome in 2021-22. He praised Kate Hay, David Oakey and Adriana Turpin for devising a successful programme of online Lectures and explained that the Society would be moving to charge non-members for them from 1 January 2021, enabling the Society to offset the costs of hosting on-line lectures. 

He explained that Council hoped to undertake a simple skills audit in 2021 and hoped to develop a formal Risk Register to comply with good governance practice. 

The Membership Officer reported that membership stood at 1050 members at 30 June, having risen by 50 since the end of the previous year - some compensation for the loss of the Events & Visits programme. He believed that the online lecture programme had encouraged the increase 

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in membership, which had been moderated only by the fact that 90 members had still to pay their annual subscriptions for 2020-21. He concluded by saying that the Society had reached its target for new members for the year, and he looked forward to welcoming more members in 2021. 

The Hon. Treasurer closed by thanking Keith Nicholls, Beatrice Goddard, Jill Bace and Megan Wheeler and proposed the financial statements for adoption by the meeting. 

The second poll was then taken. It read: 

- ‘•    I approve the Minutes of the Fifth-fifth Annual General Meeting (Agenda Item 2) 

- I approve the adoption of the Annual Report (Agenda Item 3) 

- I approve the adoption of the Financial Statements for the year (Agenda Item 4)’ 

It was approved _nem. con._ 

## Elections 

Noted that the elections to Council followed and that they were the subject of the third poll which read: 

- ‘a)   For the election of the President, Council proposes the appointment of Simon Swynfen Jervis 

- b)   For the election of Officers. Council proposes the re-appointment of the following: 

CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL Christopher Rowell HONORARY SECRETARY Dr Megan Laura Wheeler HONORARY TREASURER Martin Blue Macintosh Williams HONORARY EDITORIAL SECRETARY Dr Megan Brewster Aldrich 

- c)   For the re-appointment of four existing members. Council proposes the following members: Dr Christophe de Quénetain, Adrian Hume-Sayer, Dr Esmé Whittaker and Dr Mark Westgarth. 

- d)   For the appointment of two new members. Council proposes the appointment of Dr Alexandra (Sacha) Gerstein and Stephen Jackson.’ 

The motions were put to the meeting and each agreed _nem. con._ 

The President recorded his thanks to the retiring members of Council, _viz_ ., Dr Wolf Burchard and Dr Barbara Lasic, for all that they had done to promote the aims of the Society and for their wise advice. 

## Re-appointment of independent examiner 

The President thanked Christopher Pexton of Messrs Begbies and proposed that he be reappointed for a further year. Agreed. 

## Any other business 

There being no further business, the meeting was closed by the President, who thanked the Events Secretary, Beatrice Goddard, for making the arrangements and electronically hosting the meeting, as well as the three speakers whose talks would follow the formal business. 

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## Vote of Thanks 

Sarah Medlam, who had retired in 2019 as chairman of the Events committee, thanked members for the gifts she had received to mark her service, _viz._ , a drawing of a carving from the Norfolk House Music Room by the carver Wilfe Gorlin, a student at the City & Guilds of London Art School, and a copy of Annabel Westman’s magisterial _Fringe, Frog & Tassel._ 

She went on to say that she had been receiving the gift of knowledge from the Society for many years and had found it deeply rewarding to head up the committee dedicated to creating a lively programme of Events for members, at which knowledge was passed on and shared. 

She added that she was particularly proud that the Events Committee was so well led and thanked David Oakey, Kate Hay & Beatrice Goddard for adapting the Society’s cancelled Events & Visits programme so brilliantly in such a difficult year. 

## Talks 

Helen Jacobsen (Senior Curator, The Wallace Collection) spoke about the outcomes of the Riesener project, a collaboration between the Wallace Collection and colleagues at Waddesdon Manor and the Royal Collection Trust, to study and survey pieces by Jean-Henri Riesener (1734-1806) in all three collections. 

The project had culminated in the publication of a book, _Jean-Henri Riesener: Cabinet-Maker to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette,_ and in innovative and interactive assemblage of digital modelling, reconstructions and displays, including the digital trail hosted on the Royal Collection website and the Wallace Collection’s Jean-Henri Riesener microsite. Unfortunately, the proposed Riesener loan exhibition had had to be cancelled as a result of the pandemic, but the Wallace Collection had taken the opportunity to re-display its holdings of Riesener furniture. 

Philip Hewat-Jaboor (Chairman, Masterpiece Fairs) discussed the art market’s response to the pandemic and the way in which the London Masterpiece fair had remodelled itself following the cancellation of the physical fair. He described the creation of a virtual event in partnership with micro-site Artsy, which had featured over 1,000 uploaded images by 135 exhibitors. The platform had been accompanied by educational talks and lectures by both curators and dealers, panel discussions, tours and private and press previews. He said that the success of the online programme, its ‘viewing rooms’ and selling forum had been so successful in engaging a new audience that it would be continued in subsequent years, although he very much hoped that the physical fair would take place as usual in June 2021. 

Claire Davies (Deputy Director, Handel & Hendrix) described the display, interpretation and collections management considerations of the _Hallelujah_ project, which aimed to restore and re-present George Frideric Handel’s house at 25 Brook Street, London W1. The project would open the ground floor and the basement for the first time, redress the entire house to present an authentic historical experience, and provide a research and performance space for musicians following its re-opening in 2022. 

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## **SIR NICHOLAS GOODISON FBA FSA (1936-2021)** 


_Dame Fiona Woolf, The Rt. Hon. the Lord Mayor of London, with Sir Nicholas Goodison (far right), Simon Swynfen Jervis (far left) and Christopher Rowell at the society’s 50th Anniversary Reception at the Mansion House in 2014_ 

## A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 

At last year’s AGM, I paid tribute to Nicholas Goodison, so ably supported by his wife, Judith, on his retirement as President of the Society after an exceptional term of thirty years. This year it is my sad duty to report his death on 6 July 2021. The Society owes him a very considerable debt of gratitude. For further information about his life, career, and his distinguished contribution as President, I refer readers to the introductory ‘Appreciation and Dedication’ in Nicholas’s _festschrift, Furniture History_ , vol. LVI, 2020, pp. 1-4 and the obituary in the current Newsletter, which is enclosed with this Annual Report. Nicholas was delighted to receive his _festschrift_ volume, as minuted earlier in this Report. 


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THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY 

## ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNCIL 2020-21 

The Council of the Furniture History Society has pleasure in presenting its fifty-seventh Annual Report together with Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2021. 

LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS 

Principal address: c/o Department of Furniture, Textiles & Fashion, Victoria & Albert Museum, London SW7 2RL Website: (Society) https://furniturehistorysociety.org (BIFMO) https://bifmo.history.ac.uk/ 

## President and Honorary Officers 

President: Simon Swynfen Jervis FSA Chairman Christopher Neville Rowell FSA chairman@furniturehistorysociety.org Hon. Secretary: Dr Megan Laura Wheeler secretary@furniturehistorysociety.org Hon. Treasurer: Martin Blue Macintosh Williams FSA treasurer@furniturehistorysociety.org Hon. Editorial Secretary: Dr Megan Brewster Aldrich meganbrewsteraldrich@gmail.com 

## Other officers and committee chairpersons 

Finance & Keith Nicholls Membership Officer: finance@furniturehistorysociety.org membership@furniturehistorysociety.org Publications Officer & Jill Bace Grants Secretary: publications@furniturehistorysociety.org grants@furniturehistorysociety.org Events Secretary: Beatrice Goddard events@furniturehistorysociety.org Joint Chairpersons, Kate Hay Events Committee: katehay86@gmail.com David Oakey david.oakey@gmail.com Chair, Grants committee: Adriana Turpin grantschair@furniturehistorysociety.org Newsletter Editor: Sharon Goodman sctgoodman@yahoo.co.uk 

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BIFMO: Adriana Turpin (Deputy Chair, Management Committee) grantschair@furniturehistorysociety.org Dr Laurie Lindey (Managerial Editor) research.bifmo@furniturehistorysociety.org Ann Davies (Outreach Programmes Co-ordinator) bifmo@furniturehistorysociety.org Social Media: Natalie Voorheis natalievoorheis@gmail.com Professional Advisers Independent Examiner: Christopher Pexton FCA c/o Begbies, London EC2A 4DJ Accountants: Begbies, Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors, www.begbiesaccountants.co.uk Bankers: CAF Bank Limited, ME19 4JQ Barclays Bank Plc, Leicester LE87 2BB HSBC Bank Plc, East Grinstead RH16 4LU COIF Charity Funds, London EC4V 4ET 

## Constitution 

The Furniture History Society is an unincorporated membership body constituted by rules, and a registered charity numbered 251683. It was founded in 1964 to advance the study of furniture of all periods, places and kinds and to further public knowledge and appreciation of it. 

## Charitable Purposes and Public Benefit 

The charitable purpose of the Society is the advancement of the arts, culture and heritage, and education in relation thereto. It does this by promoting the study of furniture and interior design of all periods, places and kinds and by furthering public knowledge and appreciation. The Society also assists with the preservation of furniture and associated records. 

To these ends, it: 

- Publishes original research in its annual journal _Furniture History_ — much of which might otherwise remain unpublished. 

- Finances its seminal reference work, the _Dictionary of British Furniture Makers_ (as _British and Irish Furniture Makers On-line_ ), with a view to covering the whole of the British Isles and making the work available to all without charge to all in the form of an on-line searchable database. 

- Makes grants towards the preparation and publication of books and articles of a noncommercial nature. 

- Helps fund the collection of oral history on the furniture trades. 

- Arranges an annual international symposium, open to the public, on a topic of current interest and often related to an exhibition at a national institution. 

- Encourages study by young people by providing reduced subscription rates for membership and making funds available for overseas study tours as well as study visits and weekends in the United Kingdom. 

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- Lobbies to save important collections of furniture and archives relating to furniture, which are under threat. 

- Disseminates information and advice to the general public on matters relating to the history of furniture and interior design. 

- Maintains a comprehensive website. 

## Structure, Governance and Management 

The Society is managed by the Council, i.e., the trustee body of the charity. The trustees who served during the year 2020-21 were: 

Simon Swynfen Jervis (President) Christopher Rowell (Chairman) Dr Megan Wheeler (Hon. Secretary) Martin Williams (Hon. Treasurer) Dr Megan Aldrich (Hon. Editorial Secretary) Dr Wolf Burchard _retired 28 November 2020_ Dr Barbara Lasic _retired 28 November 2020_ Adrian Hume-Sayer Dr Christophe de Quénetain Dr Esmé Whittaker Dr Mark Westgarth Dr Alexandra Gerstein _elected 28 November 2020_ Stephen Jackson elected _28 November 2020_ 

The Council is made up of: The President; the four Honorary Officers and eight elected members – all of whom are appointed annually by the members of the Society at the Annual General Meeting. Elected members of Council serve a three-year term of office. 

Council ordinarily meets four times each year and is responsible for the management of the Society. Currently there are five committees: Events; Grants; Editorial; BIFMO Management and the Digital Strategy group. The members of the committees are appointed by Council and the Honorary Officers are ex-officio members of all committees. Any actions, including the decisions of any committee, are reported to and confirmed by Council as soon as is practicable. 

As trustees, Council members take decisions in the best interests of the Society as a whole, and they operate in accordance with a code of conduct that makes explicit reference to the need for objectivity. 

## Officers 

The Society’s day-to-day business is managed by the Honorary Officers together with a small group of remunerated staff namely Keith Nicholls (Finance & Membership Officer) and his colleagues: Jill Bace (Publications Officer and Grants Secretary); Beatrice Goddard (Events Secretary); Sharon Goodman (Newsletter Editor), Dr Megan Aldrich (Editor, Journal), Dr Megan Wheeler (Website Officer) and Ann Davies ( _BIFMO_ Outreach Programmes Co-ordinator). Council is deeply appreciative of the commitment and hard work of these individuals as well as by the honorary officers and all those who serve on the Society’s committees. 

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An Operations group consisting of the Hon. Treasurer (Chairman), the Hon. Secretary, the Finance Officer, the Events Secretary, the Publications Officer and the BIFMO Programmes Co-ordinator meets every 4-6 weeks to manage the Society’s routine business. 

## Council – Elected Members 

In accordance with the Society’s constitution, two members of Council (Dr Christophe de Quénetain and Dr Esmé Whittaker) retire. Council is very grateful for their work for the Society during their terms of office and proposes the election of Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth and Jürgen Huber to succeed them. 

## _Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth_ 

Dr McCaffrey-Howarth is an art historian specialising in European decorative arts, material culture and the histories of collecting. She was recently appointed the Curator of 17th and 18th Century Ceramics and Glass at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Since September 2018, she has been a lecturer on the History of Design Masters course at the V&A and the Royal College of Art, where she continues to teach courses on country houses and material culture. 

She gained her PhD at the University of Leeds, where she is now a Visiting Research Fellow in the School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies. She is a trustee of both the French Porcelain Society and the English Ceramics Circle, and was a founding member and is currently a trustee of the Society for the History of Collecting. She is an External Examiner for the University of Sunderland. 

## _Jürgen Huber_ 

Since 2004, Jürgen Huber has been Senior Furniture Conservator at the Wallace Collection, where he is responsible for preventive and interventive conservation of furniture and related works. Having completed a three-year apprenticeship in cabinet-making in 1987, he gained a ‘Meister im Tischlerhandwerk’ in 1992 and then gained a postgraduate diploma in conservation studies from City and Guilds of London Art School in 1998. He is an accredited member and assessor for ICON, and a member of both the Sculpture & Furnishings advisory committee for the Church of England Buildings Council and Exeter Cathedral Fabric Advisory Committee. 

Most recently, Jurgen initiated the Riesener Research Project, in conjunction with Waddesdon Manor and the Royal Collection, to explore the craftsmanship of the eminent French royal cabinet-maker Jean-Henri Riesener. To show how his exceptional pieces appeared originally, and to digitally recreate Riesener’s construction techniques, the project used cutting-edge 3D modelling technology which is available on-line via the websites of the Wallace Collection, Waddesdon Manor and the Royal Collection. The project culminated in the publication of _JeanHenri Riesener: Cabinetmaker to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette_ in 2020. 

## Membership 

During the year, the membership increased by a net 86 members to 1,089. 141 (2020: 86) individuals and institutions joined the Society and 42 resigned or died. 13 members were struck off for non-payment, the lowest figure for at least five years. The catalyst for the increase in membership has been the excellent programme of on-line lectures, which is a free benefit to members. It has been particularly popular in North America. 

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## _Deaths_ 

During the year the Society was informed of the death of the following members: Charles Aldred, Walter Brown, Susan Bourne, Robin Douglass, Stuart Evans, Della Howard, Geoffrey Jenkinson, Michael Lees, Stephen Levinson, Christopher Monkhouse, Richard (Dick) Reid and Joseph Spang III. 

## Publications 

## _Furniture History_ 

The 2021 edition of the Journal (Volume LXVII) will contain eleven articles with subject matter ranging from seventeenth-century patronage to nineteenth-century antiquarianism and collecting as well as museum installation policy in the twenty-first century. 

The past year has been an eventful one in terms of the development of _Furniture History_ and its sister publication, the Newsletter. Ongoing negotiations with Lavenham Press, which commenced in 2020, have resulted in a decision to move the production of the Society’s printed material to this well-respected firm. The intention in doing so was to streamline the production and mailing-out of publications, and to give the editor more support as regards the finer points of copy editing and production. 

The Hon. Editorial Secretary (the editor) has found this new arrangement to be very satisfactory as regards support with the more arcane editorial matters arising from the production of a scholarly publication with content that sometimes includes reproductions of archaic documents and scholarly references in many languages often in outdated formats. 

For the first time in the Society’s history, the Journal carries images printed in colour on its cover and, in this connection, the technical experience of the team at Lavenham Press has been most helpful. 

The editor has much enjoyed working with the Editorial committee, the officers, and Council in bringing forward this exciting development which should be considered as more of an overall ‘refresh’, rather than an entirely new look where the team at Lavenham Press have taken pains to ensure continuity with the Journal’s heritage. 

Other matters involving the Hon. Editorial Secretary has been her occasional attendance at the new Digital Strategy group, where it was felt that the new cover would be helpful in spreading the word about the publication in image-focused social media such as Instagram. In addition, she has been pleased to attend meetings of the BIFMO Management committee and welcomes the further co-ordinated development of editorial policy between the Society’s printed and online publications to be explored via the Editorial Committee. 

## _Newsletter_ 

The year seems to have flown by. For the Newsletter, three of the four lead articles were by members of the Early Career Development (“ECD”) group. In November 2020, Ellinor  Gray wrote on the Holland & Sons furnishings for the lodgings of HRH The Prince of Wales  (later HM King Edward VII) whilst an undergraduate at Cambridge; followed in February 2021, by an article on the eclectic decorative art collection of the Baron de Besenval by Paul Gallois. In August, Marc-Henri Jordan discussed frames by François-Charles Buteux for a pair of Gobelins portraits given to Prince Henry of Prussia; and in May 2021, Dr Amy Frost, Senior Curator, Bath 

16 



Preservation Trust, wrote on the recent acquisition of a drawing in William Beckford’s hand of a cabinet that throws new light on how Beckford went about commissioning furniture. 

The Discoveries & Research section continues to be well-populated with a variety of interesting articles on little-known furniture-makers, commissions, and notably, on the discovery of  ‘new’ drawings by Thomas Chippendale--the latter written up by Dr Adam Bowett. The FHS News section now includes a regular _BIFMO_ slot, and despite still being constrained by the global pandemic, the Events pages are full of on-line events accessible to a world-wide audience. In addition, at least three book reviews are published each quarter. The Editor would once again like to thank all the contributors to the Newsletter, and encourage anyone considering writing a paper to contact her directly. 

## Publication sales 

There have been few sales of FHS publications in 2020-21 with most requests being for recent volumes of _Furniture History_ . During 2019-2020, the prices of books and back numbers of Furniture History were revised to include new postage & packing charges particularly to Europe and North America. 

Back numbers of _Furniture History_ are now priced at £30 (UK), £35 (Continental Europe) and £48 for the rest of the world--all prices including postage and packing. Anyone interested in purchasing books should consult the website for the complete list of publications on offer along with an up-to-date price list. 

## British and Irish Furniture Makers Online 

In 2020-21, the goal of British & Irish Furniture Makers On-line (“ _BIFMO_ ”) has been to develop content from the 19th century by gathering data from printed or digital sources: primarily the London Post Office Directories for 1845 and 1871; and The Furniture Gazette (1873-1892). As a result, nearly 20,000 additional makers, most previously unknown, are now online in the associated Dictionary of British and Irish Furniture Makers (“DBIFM”) which at the time of writing contains more than 70,000 records: of these 1243 are over 200 words, and 109 more than 1,000 words. All the entries have been semantically tagged, thus enabling concise searches for types of furniture, styles, designs, ornamentation, and materials using more than 4,000 taxonomical keywords. Hyperlinks across entries are gradually being embedded, facilitating cross-referencing within entries as well as to external websites that provide contextual information about furniture collections and to individuals referenced in the dictionary. 

At the end of 2019, _BIFMO_ ’s four-year partnership with the Institute of Historical Research (“IHR”) drew to a close and it is now managed solely by the Society, although the University of London (“UoL”) will continue to host the website under the terms of a five-year agreement with the Society. 

During the year, and mindful of the importance of _BIFMO_ , Council agreed to set up a dedicated committee to manage the project. Chaired by Christopher Rowell, the Management committee consists of the four honorary officers of the Society, together with _BIFMO’s_ Project Manager, Adriana Turpin (also the committee’s Deputy Chair). The Society’s Finance Officer, the Managerial Editor (Laurie Lindey), and the Digital Editor (Jonathan Blaney) also attend its meetings. 

17 



Dr Adam Bowett resigned as editor of the DBIFM in February 2021. We record our thanks to him for all that he did to help with the management of this database which underpins _BIFMO_ . 

Dr Laurie Lindey was appointed Managerial Editor in June, responsible for the editing and management of content, including the writing, updating and adding of new entries. The team was strengthened in July when Jonathan Blaney, previously Head of Digital Projects and Editor of British History Online at the IHR, was appointed the Digital Editor, bringing to the project his wide expertise of digital editing and academic digital resources. Clarissa Ward continues in her role as 19th century editor, researching and writing biographies. She and Dr Lindey are working on the furniture makers in the north Soho (Fitzrovia) area of London where many important London firms were–and still are–located. 

Long-term funding of _BIFMO_ continues to be a concern now that the grant-funding from the Marc Fitch Fund has ceased, although finance to enable the consolidation and maintenance of the website in 2021-22 is in place. 

The year to April 2021 saw the numbers of users rise by 57% to 16,606 and the dwell time continues to increase. This is encouraging evidence of _BIFMO_ ’s success in reaching the broader public as well as specialists. The Instagram account has attracted over 1000 followers with its regular postings of news and images, while the site’s blog posts, many contributed by members of the Society’s Early Career Development (“ECD”) group, have continued to entertain and inform. 

The ECD members have been supported by a grant from the Foyle Foundation which has also financed Adriana Turpin to develop a digital research project to encourage interest in furniture studies by MA students, in partnership with four universities, two in the UK (Leeds and York) and two in the USA (Winterthur and the Bard Center). Working with curators from Temple Newsam, Raby Castle in County Durham and Castle Howard, six students have written three online posts, which can be used by the houses and are linked to the _BIFMO_ website. 

In addition, ECD members, thanks to a grant from the Ingram Fund, have extended the georeferencing project begun the previous year to include makers before 1840. The project now forms part of a dataset on the UoL’s “Layers of London” website, _Furniture Makers 1660 to 1871_ . 

We would like to thank all the speakers at our lectures and on our study courses, who contributed so generously of their knowledge and expertise as well as to the members of our advisory committee, the interns and others. 

## Grants 

The members of the Grants Committee during the year were Adriana Turpin (Chair), Helen Jacobsen, Lucy Wood, Guy Apter, Peter Holmes, Joanna Norman, Charlotte Johnson, Olivia Fryman entertainingly shepherded by Jill Bace (Grants Officer/Secretary)[1] . 

## _Early Career Development (“ECD”) group_ 

The year opened with the continuation of the successful programme of on-line research forums, offering members of the ECD group the opportunity to present and share their 

> 1    The Honorary Officers, _viz_ ., the Chairman, the Hon. Secretary, the Hon. Treasurer and the Hon. Editorial Secretary are _ex officio_ members of all committees. 

18 



research interests. The well-attended study sessions covered the study of furniture from across the globe, including the Caribbean, Colonial America and France. 

With social-distancing restrictions still in place, the ECD events programme for Spring 2021 continued on-line with an innovative series of round-table discussions. Titled ‘Industry Insights’, the focus of four sessions examined the opportunities and challenges faced today by those working in different sectors of the art world, from auction houses and dealers to museums, historic houses and cultural institutions. A distinguished panel of experts offered the international audience a unique perspective on their individual careers, as well as discussion of recent developments in their respective professions. 

The Grants committee is especially grateful to the Oliver Ford Trust, which has continued to support the Society and generously donated £1,000 towards the costs of the ECD’s on-line workshops, lectures, research seminars and other events. 

With the curtailed programme in mind, Council agreed that unspent funds in the Tom Ingram fund could be carried forward and included in the 2020-21 budget. Some of these monies were  used to pay interns from the ECD group, to work on BIFMO. Over several months, they researched the addresses of approximately 16,700 makers which were then added to the “Layers of London” website. 

Few grant applications were received, but an award was made to a trio of ECD members (Petra Seitz, Gregor Wittrick and Nia Thandapani) to study the design and production of Pierre Jeanneret’s mid-20th century furniture especially designed and made for the city of Chandigarh, India. 

A ‘Call for Papers’ for the sixth ECD Research Symposium was posted on Instagram and sent to the ECD group along with contacts in museums, universities and cultural institutions. 

## Events & Visits 

Membership of the Events Committee comprises: Kate Hay and David Oakey (Joint Chairs), Anne-Marie Bannister, Melanie Doderer-Winkler, Kate Dyson, Jessica Eddie, Simon Green (retired April 2021), Sara Heaton, Lucy Howgego, Tessa Murdoch, Michael Shrive and David Wurtzel (retired October 2020). We welcomed a new member, William Lorimer, formerly a senior director with Christie, Manson & Woods. The group is indefatigably marshalled by the Events Secretary, Beatrice Goddard. 

## _Annual Lecture_ 

On 22 October 2020, Bertrand de Royère delivered the Annual Lecture on-line from Rome. Entitled _Pelagio Palagi, Decorator of the royal palaces of Turin and Piedmont_ , it included a conversation with Pierre Arizzoli-Clémentel, Honorary Director General of Versailles. 

## _Annual General Meeting_ 

This was held on-line and included talks from Helen Jacobsen (Senior Curator, The Wallace Collection) on the Riesener project; Philip Hewat-Jaboor (Chairman, Masterpiece Fairs) on the art market’s response to the Covid pandemic; Claire Davies (Deputy Director, Handel & Hendrix in London) on the display, interpretation and collection management considerations of the museum’s “Hallelujah” project. 

19 



## _Annual Symposium_ 

The Annual Symposium, _Design 1900 – Now_ was deferred until October 2021. 

## _On-line Events_ 

In response to the pandemic, the Events committee continued its very successful programme of on-line lectures for both members and non-members. Free to members, a small charge was made to non-members from January 2021. There were 18 lectures in the year 2020-21 on a wide range of topics. Speakers included curators and academics from the UK and abroad including the Netherlands, France and America. We collaborated with The Attingham Trust, French Porcelain Society and Wallace Collection and co-ordinated a clash diary with the Decorative Arts Society and Regional Furniture Society. All the on-line events are listed in the reports section of the Society’s Newsletter and many are available to watch again on the website. 

A number of on-line seminar-style events were organised including _Into the Workshop: Furniture restoration / conservation_ , chaired by Dr Tessa Murdoch and Yannick Chastang; and _Pattern books, early trade catalogues and many other rarities: John Evan Bedford Library of Furniture History_ , with the Brotherton Library, Leeds. Other events included _Arts and Crafts in the Digital Age_ featuring Luke Hughes in conversation with Aidan Walker, author of _Furniture in Architecture- The Work of Luke Hughes;_ and a film of a lecture delivered to the Royal Dublin Society by the author Claudia Kinmonth on her book _Irish Country Furniture and Furnishings 1700 – 2000: Revising and revisiting_ . 

## _Thanks_ 

A rich and varied programme, such as that detailed above, is only possible because of the generosity of the speakers to whom we are extremely grateful. They devoted considerable time and thought in preparing for these events to ensure that we continued to fulfil the Society’s charitable aims—the promotion of the study of the history of furniture and historic interiors. 

## Website 

The pandemic and the social-distancing restrictions attendant upon it underlined the importance of the website and the associated digital media as a channel for keeping the Society in touch with its membership. Throughout the year, the Website Officer has worked closely with the Events committee and its secretary, and the BIFMO administrator, to publicise the Society’s highly successful programme of online events in e-mails to the membership. 

The website was further enhanced in January 2021 to incorporate videos of the on-line events programme. The videos are hosted on the Society’s new YouTube channel and embedded in the FHS website at https://www.furniturehistorysociety.org/events/onlinelectures/. Access is currently password-protected and available to members only. In due course, and with the speakers’ permission, they will be made available to the public. There are plans to use the YouTube channel to publicise events and visits with clips on the Society’s social media accounts. 

In the year, traffic to the website increased by 37% over the preceding period, although the dwell time remains relatively static. The website’s most popular areas are the Events, Membership and Journal pages. If members have any suggestions as to the content they would like to see on the website, please contact Megan Wheeler at website@furniturehistorysociety.org. 

20 



## Social Media 

Members worldwide have appreciated the Society’s increasing digital presence and our presence in these areas has been strengthened by the activity of member, Natalie Voorheis. 

## Finance and legacies 

The cancellation of the physical visits events & visits programme continued to have a significant impact on the Society’s finances. The year under review saw a surplus on the ordinary activities of just over £19,000 which was partially offset by a deficit on _BIFMO_ activities of £14,000. This outflow of funds was lower than budgeted due primarily to lower expenditure on the outreach programme because of the social-distancing restrictions. The latter meant that the outflow of funds continued after December 2020. 

## _Statement of Financial Activities_ 

In the year to 30 June 2021, the Society’s income from all sources fell by £14,147 to £138,597 and expenditure totalled £131,322 (2020 £198,240) resulting in an overall surplus of £7,275. The surplus was better than budgeted thanks to lower than anticipated expenditure on _BIFMO_ and savings on administration costs. 

There was a net gain of £53,109 on the revaluation of the Society’s investment portfolio at the year-end (2020: £39,474, loss). This was offset by a net realised loss of £3,684 on the sale of investments to finance BIFMO expenditure. The increase in the value of the portfolio was thanks to the general recovery in the stock markets during the year. 

## _General Fund_ 

There was surplus on the ordinary activities of the Society of £19,125 (2020: £5,476). Total income of the General fund fell by £9,620 to £95,000 thanks to the decrease in Events income. Membership income increased by £3,086 to £73,667. This was offset by a fall of £20,074 in the income from charitable activities to £7,506. There was no income from visits in 2021-22 (2020: £26,598), but this was offset by an increase in the income from lectures and similar events of £6,574 to £7,506. Grants towards the costs of the on-line lecture programme were received from the Paul Mellon Centre (£1,500) and the Oliver Ford Trust (£1,000) Expenditure in the General fund totalled £78,004 (2020: £102,728) with the decrease primarily due to the fall in income, namely from no events and visits in 2020-21. 

## _BIFMO_ 

_BIFMO_ ’s income totalled £32,424 (2020: £34,312). A further grant of £29,237 was received from the Mark Fitch Fund as a contribution towards salary costs. Expenditure amounted to £46,579 (2020: £90,130) broken down as follows: Project management £23,371; Editorial and Intern costs £10,806, Research £3,068, Education & Outreach £6,964; Administration costs £1,800; and Sundries £571. Most expenditure has been covered by grants, received either in the current year or in preceding years. Any additional expenditure has been met from the Anniversary fund but the total amount available from this source was capped in 2018. Any future activities will have to be funded by third parties through via grants and donations. 

## _Balance Sheet_ 

At the year end the charity’s funds totalled £811,722 (2020: £755,022) of which £672,831 (2020: 

21 



£650,839) was attributable to restricted funds. Fixed assets, which include investments, totalled £682,857 (2020: £670,905) and net Current Assets £128,865 (2020: £85,157). The increase in the net assets figure reflects the surplus on the Society’s operations for the year. 

## _Legacies_ 

A legacy of £1,250 was received from the estate of the late Stuart Evans for which we are very grateful. 

## Subscriptions 

The Honorary Treasurer writes: ‘There is never a right time to propose an increase in subscription rates. When rates were last increased, members endorsed the plan to review subscription rates on a regular basis, ideally every three years. The Society’s financial year runs from 1 July and the next opportunity for a change is 1 July 2022. Any variation in the rates for sole and joint members must be agreed by the membership. The rates for other classes of members are set by Council. 

Put simply, we believe that in the current year, 2021-22, the Society’s income from subscriptions, the sales of publications, and the surplus on its visits & events programme will exceed the costs of servicing its members, managing the visits & events as well as publishing and distributing its publications (when our usual programme of activities resumes) by approximately £5,000. However, this figure is predicated on a resumption of something like 50% of the events & visits programme which may not happen, and it leaves little margin for inflationary cost increases in future years. 

The Retail Prices Index (“RPI”) has risen by approximately 5.5% in the period from July 2019July 2021, and a further increase of some 4% is forecast in the next 12 months. Thus, an increase of 8% or so will simply maintain the value of an individual’s subscription. 

It is very likely that the UK is in for an unpleasant bout of inflation and, if possible, we should endeavour not to deplete the Society’s reserves further. In addition, Council wants to have the freedom to enlarge the scale and range of the Society’s activities. 

With this in mind, Council is proposing an increase of just over 8.3% in the standard subscription for individual UK members and a similar figure for joint membership. Unfortunately rates for overseas members will have to rise by more than this figure as postage rates to continental Europe and the US have risen by far more than other costs over the last three years. In 202021, the real costs of servicing a member were approximately £59 in the UK and £80 overseas. 

An analysis of the subscription rates of other learned societies, such as the French Porcelain Society; the Silver Society; The Georgian Group; and the Regional Furniture Society showed that while the Society’s rates were higher than some other organisations, but the conclusion was that, given our “offer”, our subscription will still be good value for money. 

The ordinary subscription for an individual in the UK is £60 per annum. An increase of £5 per annum is proposed with commensurate increases in the amounts paid by joint and institutional members (see below). The increases for UK members under the age of 35 have been shaded and will rise by only £2 to £37 (or 5.7%). NB All subscriptions are discounted by £5 if paid by a direct debit instruction on a UK bank. 

22 



The Society will no longer quote membership rates in foreign currencies.’ 

|Membership category|Current rate|Proposed rate<br>from 1 July 2022|
|---|---|---|
|UK Sole (Individual) members|£60<br>(£55 if paid by direct debit)|£65<br>(£60 if paid by direct debit)|
|UK Joint members<br>(i.e., two people receiving<br>one mailing)|£70<br>(£65 if by direct debit)|£76<br>(£71 if by direct debit)|
|UK Young Sole members<br>(aged under 35)|£35<br>(£30 if by direct debit)|£37<br>(£32 if by direct debit)|
|UK Institutional members|£80|£87|
|Oversea Sole members|£75|£85|
|Oversea Joint members|£85|£95|
|Oversea Young Sole members<br>(aged under 35)|£45|£48|
|Oversea Institutional members|£100|£108|



## Future plans 

The Society’s resilience during the pandemic was particularly evident in the swift embrace of technology so that via Zoom the Society’s activities could continue, albeit without the usual visits to houses, museums and collections. Things are now ameliorating, and study visits have already begun. Despite a gradual return to normal, a poll of our members reveals that 95% wish virtual events to continue. The great advantage of Zoom is its international reach. Some members abroad have said that they have never felt more connected to the Society. We intend to build on the advantages of technology as well as returning to a full programme of traditional events. Kate Hay, David Oakey and their Committee, supported by Beatrice Goddard, are to be congratulated on their pragmatism and adaptability under very difficult circumstances. 

The BIFMO website is receiving substantial usage which has risen to 96,000 hits per annum. Its popularity – and breaking the 100,000 hits barrier – will help to safeguard its future. As already recorded here, the database has been considerably expanded, and this work will continue, subject to successful fundraising. 

Due to our increased online and social media presence the membership of the Society has stabilised and has begun to rise. The new membership target was reached this year and this upward trend needs to continue. The income from new members is vital to the Society’s future. 

23 



During the discussion of subscription rates, it was suggested that the Society should offer a discounted on-line or “paperless” subscription with associated savings on mailing costs. This would have a significant impact on the Society’s current financial model and present a number of technical challenges, but we shall be looking carefully at the idea in the next six months. The membership will be consulted before any change is made. 

The success of the Early Career Development Programme depended this year upon the transfer of its activities to an online platform. Congratulations are due to Adriana Turpin and her colleagues for surmounting the various difficulties and for encouraging increasingly various international links between the Society, museums, historic houses and academic institutions. Nicholas Goodison rightly felt that we should be ‘very much a next generation Society’ and we shall continue our encouragement of younger scholars and curators. 

## Volunteers 

Many members give their time freely to help the Society fulfil its objectives by attending meetings of Council and the committees, sitting on working groups or undertaking many other tasks or functions on behalf of the charity. Council is greatly indebted to these individuals for their generosity to the Society. 

## Responsibilities of Council 

The Charities Act 2011 requires the Officers and Council of the Society (i.e., the charity trustees) to prepare accounts for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Society and of the surplus or deficit of the Society for that period. In preparing these accounts the Council and Officers are required to: 

- Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently; 

- Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; 

- Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate. 

- Follow applicable accounting standards 

The Officers are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Society, and the Officers and Council are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Society and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities, by establishing and maintaining a satisfactory system of control over the Society’s accounting records, cash holdings and all its receipts and remittances. 

## Risk Review 

Council has conducted its own review of the major risks to which the Society is exposed and systems have been established to mitigate those risks. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures of authorisation of all transactions and projects and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the Society and these procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet its needs. 

24 



## Statement of Disclosure to the Independent Examiner 

So far as Council is aware, there is no relevant information concerning the independent examination of the Accounts of which the Society’s independent examiner is unaware. In addition, the members of Council have taken all the steps they ought to have taken as members of Council in order to make themselves aware of any relevant information and to establish that the Society’s independent examiner is aware of that information. 

## Independent Examiner 

At the Annual General Meeting, it will be proposed that Christopher Pexton FCA of Messrs Begbies, Chartered Accountants be re-appointed the independent examiner of the Society’s accounts for the ensuing year. 

Approved by Council and signed on their behalf on 7 October 2021. 

Christopher Rowell Chairman of Trustees Martin Williams Trustee and Hon. Treasurer 

## LEGACIES 

The Society depends for its core income entirely on its members and supporters. Please  consider leaving it a legacy in your will. The Society is a registered charity and in the United  Kingdom, legacies to registered charities are exempt from Inheritance Tax without limit. In  addition, a legacy to a UK charity may, in certain circumstances, reduce the overall rate of  Inheritance Tax suffered by your estate. 

Legacies can take the form of a lump sum or the residue or a fraction of your estate. They will not be spent on administrative costs but go towards developing the publication programme, helping to promote research projects and enabling the Society to campaign more vigorously  to protect the furniture heritage. 

The following is a suitable form of wording for your solicitor or financial adviser to include in your will or when adding a codicil to an existing one: ‘I bequeath to the Furniture History Society, c/o Department of Furniture, Textiles & Fashion, Victoria & Albert Museum, London SW7 2RL, a legacy of [insert amount] free of all taxes.’ The Hon. Treasurer and the Finance Officer are always happy to advise potential benefactors. 

25 



## THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY 

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2021 

||Notes|Unrestricted|Designated|Restricted|Total|Total|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|||Fund|Fund|Fund|2021|2020|
|||£|£|£|£|£|
|Income From:-|||||||
|Membership Subscriptions|2|73,667|—|—|73,667|70,002|
|Donations, Grants and Legacies|3|6,528||29,357|35,885|36,425|
|Charitable Activities|4|4,319|—|3,187|7,506|27,580|
|Trading Activities|5|6,708|—|—|6,708|747|
|Investment Income|6|3,778|—|11,053|14,831|17,990|
|Total||95,000|—|43,597|138,597|152,744|
|Expenditure On:-|||||||
|Charitable Activities|7|78,004|—|53,318|131,322|198,240|
|Total||78,004|—|53,318|131,322|198,240|
|Transfers between funds||2,129|(129)|(2,000)|—|—|
|Net (Defcit)/Income||19,125|(129)|(11,721)|7,275|(45,496)|
|Other Recognised Gains/(Losses)|||||||
|Gains on Investment Assets||15,712|—|33,713|49,425|(39,474)|
|Net Movement in Funds||34,837|(129)|21,992|56,700|(84,970)|
|Reconciliation of Funds|||||||
|Total Funds Brought Forward||92,687|11,496|650,839|755,022|839,992|
|Total Funds Carried Forward||127,524|11,367|672,831|811,722|755,022|



26 



## THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2021 

|Notes|2021<br>£|£|2020<br>£|£|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|Fixed Assets<br>Investments<br>- Listed Investments<br>11(a)<br>- Property<br>11(b)<br>Total Fixed Assets<br>Current Assets<br>Debtors<br>12<br>Interest-Earning Deposits<br>Balances at Bank<br>Total Current Assets<br>Current Liabilities<br>Amounts Falling Due Within<br>One Year<br>13<br>Net Current Assets<br>Total Assets Less<br>Current Liabilities"<br>Creditors: Amounts Falling Due<br>After More Than One Year<br>Deferred Income -<br>Membership<br>Total Net Assets<br>The Funds of the Charity:<br>Unrestricted General Fund<br>14<br>Designated Fund<br>Howard Fund<br>14<br>Restricted Funds<br>Ingram Fund<br>14<br>Anniversary Fund<br>14<br>Hilda Gadd Fund<br>14<br>Alison Kelly Fund<br>14<br>Card Makers Donation<br>14|1,746<br>48,594<br>135,920<br>186,260<br> (57,395)<br>223,275<br>153,488<br>291,500<br>3,855<br>713|391,357<br>291,500|<br> <br> <br>18,566<br>71,996<br>96,541<br>187,103<br> (101,946)<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br>198,755<br>154,016<br>291,500<br>5,855<br>713<br>|379,405<br>291,500|
|||682,857<br>128,865||670,905<br>85,157|
|||811,722<br>—||756,062<br>(1,040)|
|||£811,722||£755,022|
|||127,524<br>11,367<br>672,831||92,687<br>11,496<br>650,839|
|Total Charity Funds||£811,722||£755,022|



Approved on behalf of the Council on 7 October 2021 

Christopher rowell, _Chairman_ Martin williaMs, _Hon. Treasurer_ 

27 



THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS AS AT 30 JUNE 2021 

## 1. Accounting Policies 

## _( a ) Basis of preparation_ 

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified to include investment valuation. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011. 

The trustees consider there are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue as a going concern. 

## _( b ) Public benefit entity_ 

The Charity meets the definition of a public benefit entity under FRS 102. 

- _( c ) Cash Flow_ 

The Society has taken advantage of the exemption in FRS 102 from the requirement to produce a cash flow statement on the grounds that it qualifies as a smaller charity. 

## _( d ) Incoming Resources_ 

Voluntary income and subscriptions are accounted for as received by the Society. No permanent endowments have been received in this period. 

## _( e ) Investments_ 

Investments are stated at market value.  Realised and unrealised gains and losses are dealt with in the Statement of Financial Activities. Investment income and interest are accounted for as received by the Society. 

- _( f ) Allocation of Costs_ 

Costs are allocated to General Fund unless specific to other funds. 

## _( g ) Resources Expended_ 

Resources expended are recognised in the period in which they are incurred. 

## _( h ) Governance Costs_ 

Governance costs comprise all costs involving the public accountability of the charity and its compliance with regulation and good practice.  The costs include those relating to external audit. 

28 



## _( i ) Foreign Currencies_ 

- Transactions denominated in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of the transaction. Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at rates of exchange ruling at the end of the financial year. All exchange differences are dealt with in the profit and loss account. 

## _( j ) Restricted Funds_ 

- Restricted Funds are funds which are used in accordance with specific restrictions imposed by the donor or trust deed. There are five restricted funds. (1) The Tom Ingram Fund (the “Ingram Fund”) is an endowment fund which is used to assist young members of the Society to pursue studies and research into furniture and its history. (2) The Fiftieth Anniversary Appeal Fund (the “Anniversary Fund”) is an expendable fund which has been set up to assist with education, research and publication on furniture and its history. (3) The Hilda Colquhoun Gadd Fund (the “Hilda Gadd Fund”) is an endowment fund, the asset of which was gifted to advance the study of the history of furniture or bibliographies of the same. (4) The Alison Kelly Journal Fund (the “Alison Kelly Fund”) is an expendable fund established using a legacy intended to defray part of the cost of producing the Society’s Journal. (5) The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards Donation (the “Card Makers Donation”) is an expendable fund established during the year using a grant from the aforesaid Company to subsidise the subscriptions to the Society of young people over a period of three years. 

|2.|Subscriptions - General Fund<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
|---|---|
||Subscriptions under Gift Aid<br>29,680<br>27,980<br>Income Tax Recovered<br>7,413<br>6,995<br>Subscriptions not under Gift Aid<br>36,574<br>35,027|
||73,667<br>70,002|



|3.|Donations, Grants  and Legacies<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
|---|---|
||Gifts<br>2,898<br>13,825<br>Grants<br>31,737<br>22,600<br>Legacies<br>1,250<br>—|
||35,885<br>36,425|



29 



|4.<br>5.<br>6.|Income From Charitable Activities<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
|---|---|
||Visits and Tours<br>—<br>26,598<br>Lectures and Symposium<br>7,506<br>982|
||7,506<br>27,580|
||Income From Trading Activities<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
||Publications and Royalties<br>6,708<br>747|
||Investment Income<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
||Income from Listed Investments<br>14,824<br>17,893<br>Interest Receivable on Cash Deposits<br>7<br>97|
||14,831<br>17,990|



7. Expenditure 

|Expenditure|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
||Fund|Fund|2021|2020|
||£|£|£|£|
|Charitable Activities|||||
|Visits and Tours|—|—|—|24,116|
|Lectures and Symposium|1,154|—|1,154|3,819|
|Donations and Grants|—|4,825|4,825|3,522|
|BIFMO|—|23,371|23,371|66,055|
|Journals|11,850|—|11,850|8,186|
|Newsletters|6,952|—|6,952|6,999|
||19,956|28,196|48,152|112,697|



30 



## 7. Expenditure _continued_ 

|Expenditure_continued_|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Unrestricted|Restricted|Total|Total|
||Fund|Fund|2021|2020|
||£|£|£|£|
|Support Costs|||||
|Secretarial Administration|30,069|24,857|54,926|57,158|
|Travel|(639)|—|(639)|2,122|
|Mailing, Postage and Telephone|17,111|—|17,111|11,830|
|Printing and Stationery|1,644|—|1,644|2,325|
|Warehousing|1,160|—|1,160|1,291|
|Sundry Expenses|2,933|165|3,098|3,979|
|Website Costs|2,023|—|2,023|1,235|
||54,301|25,022|79,323|79,940|
|Governance Costs|||||
|Examiner's Remuneration|1,500|—|1,500|2,600|
|Insurance|1,476|—|1,476|1,351|
|Trustees' Costs|771|100|871|1,652|
||3,747|100|3,847|5,603|
|Total|78,004|53,318|131,322|198,240|



## 8. Visits and Tours 

|||
|---|---|
|8.<br>9.|Visits and Tours<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
||Income<br>—<br>26,598<br>Less: Expenditure<br>—<br>(24,116)|
||Surplus for Year<br>—<br>2,482|
||Lectures and Symposium<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
||Income<br>7,506<br>982<br>Less: Expenditure<br>(1,154)<br>(3,819)|
||Surplus for Year<br>6,352<br>(2,837)|



31 



|11.<br>10.|Investments<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£<br>(a)  Stock Market Investments:<br>Market Value at 1 July 2020<br>379,405<br>418,879<br>Disposals/Proceeds During the year<br>(37,473)<br>—<br>Realised (loss) on Disposals<br>(3,684)<br>—<br>Net Gain /(Loss)on Revaluation<br>53,109<br> (39,474)<br>Market Value at 30June 2021<br>391,357<br>379,405<br>Historical Cost at 30 June 2021<br>264,698<br>311,583<br>Net Incoming Resources<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£<br>This is stated after charging:<br>Examiner’s Remuneration<br>1,500<br>2,600|
|---|---|



Listed Investments - UK 

|Listed Investments - UK||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||General|Ingram|Anniversary|Total|Total|
||Fund|Fund|Fund|2021|2020|
||£|£|£|£|£|
|M & G Charifund|49,782|64,401|<br>—|114,183|94,968|
|Income Shares||||||
|COIF Income Shares|58,762|14,690|<br>—|73,452|64,045|
|Schroders Charity|—|57,746|<br>113,252|170,998|152,888|
|Multi Asset Fund||||||
|CAF Equity Fund B Shares|—|32,724|<br>—|32,724|67,504|
||108,544|169,561|<br>113,252|391,357|379,405|



The investments are held primarily to provide an investment return for the Society. 

32 



## 11. Investments _continued_ 

|Investments_continued_|||
|---|---|---|
|(b)  Property|2021|2020|
||£|£|
|At Valuation|291,500|291,500|



In 2015, a residential property was donated to the Society subject to a tenancy for life at no rent in favour of the donors. It is Council’s intention that, when vacant possession is obtained, the freehold interest will be sold and the monies realised used to provide an income for the purposes of the fund. (see Note (j)). 

|12.|Debtors<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
|---|---|
||Prepayments<br>1,604<br>1,603<br>Grant<br>—<br>1,744<br>Donation<br>—<br>8,032<br>Gift Aid<br>—<br>6,995<br>Value Added Tax<br>142<br>192|
||1,746<br>18,566|



|13.|Current Liabilities<br>2021<br>2020<br>£<br>£|
|---|---|
||Amounts Falling Due Within One Year<br>Deferred Income<br>24,144<br>21,936<br>Accruals<br>33,251<br>80,010|
||57,395<br>101,946|



Deferred Income comprises income from subscriptions, tours, lectures and visits, received in advance and which will form part of incoming resources during the following financial year. 

33 



## 14(a). Movements in Funds 

|Current Year 2021|Unrestricted|Designated|||Restricted|Funds|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Fund|Fund|||||||
||||||Hilda|Alison|Card||
||General|General|Ingram|Anniversary|Gadd|Kelly|Makers|Total|
||Fund|Fund|Fund|Fund|Fund|Fund|Donation|2021|
||£|£|£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Income From:-|||||||||
|Membership Subscriptions|73,667|—|—|—|—|—|—|73,667|
|Donations, Grants and Legacies|<br>6,528|—|—|29,357|—|—|—|35,885|
|Charitable Activities|4,319|—|—|3,187|—|—|—|7,506|
|Other Trading Activities|6,708|—|—|—|—|—|—|6,708|
|Investment Income and Interest|3,778|—|5,855|5,198|—|—|—|14,831|
|Total|95,000|—|5,855|37,742|—|—|—|138,597|
|Expenditure On:-|||||||||
|Charitable Expenditure|78,004|—|6,738|46,580|—|—|—|131,322|
|Total|78,004|—|6,738|46,580|—|—|—|131,322|
|Transfers between funds|2,129|(129)|—|—|—|(2,000)|—|—|
|Net (Defcit)/Income|19,125|(129)|(883)|(8,838)|—|(2,000)|—|7,275|
|Other Recognised Gains|||||||||
|and( Losses)|||||||||
|Gains on Investment Assets|15,712|—|25,403|8,310|—|—|—|49,425|
|Net Movements in wFunds|34,837|(129)|24,520|(528)|—|(2,000)|—|56,700|
|Balance Brought Forward at|||||||||
|1 July 2020|92,687|11,496|198,755|154,016|291,500|5,855|713|755,022|
|Balance Carried Forward at|||||||||
|30 June 2021|127,524|11,367|223,275|153,488|291,500|3,855|713|811,722|



34 



## 14(b). Movements in Funds 

|Previous Year 2020|Unrestricted|Designated|||Restricted|Funds|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||Fund|Fund|||||||
||||||Hilda|Alison|Card||
||General|General|Ingram|Anniversary|Gadd|Kelly|Makers|Total|
||Fund|Fund|Fund|Fund|Fund|Fund|Donation|2020|
||£|£|£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Income From:-|||||||||
|Membership Subscriptions|70,002|—|—|—|—|—|—|70,002|
|Donations, Grants and Legacies|<br>2,398|—|—|34,027|—|—|—|36,425|
|Charitable Activities|27,175|—|—|405|—|—|—|27,580|
|Other Trading Activities|747|—|—|-|—|—|—|747|
|Investment Income and Interest|4,298|—|6,882|6,810|—|—|—|17,990|
|Total|104,620|—|6,882|41,242|—|—|—|152,744|
|Expenditure On:-|||||||||
|Charitable Expenditure|102,728|—|4,245|91,267|—|—|—|198,240|
|Total|102,728|—|4,245|91,267|—|—|—|198,240|
|Transfers between funds|3,584|(1,004)|—|—|—|(2,000)|(580)|—|
|Net (Defcit)/Income|5,476|(1,004)|2,637|(50,025)|—|(2,000)|(580)|(45,496)|
|Other Recognised Gains|||||||||
|and( Losses)|||||||||
|(Defcits) on Investment Assets|(8,603)|—|(18,331)|(12,540)|—|—|—|(39,474)|
|Net Movements in wFunds|(3,127)|(1,004)|(15,694)|(62,565)|—|(2,000)|(580)|(84,970)|
|Balance Brought Forward at|||||||||
|1 July 2019|95,814|12,500|214,449|216,581|291,500|7,855|1,293|839,992|
|Balance Carried Forward at|||||||||
|30 June 2020|92,687|11,496|198,755|154,016|291,500|5,855|713|755,022|



35 



## 15(a). Movements in Funds 

|). Movements in Funds|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Current Year 2021|Balance|Incoming|Outgoing||Gains|Balance|
||1 July 2020|Resources|Resources|Transfer|and Losses|30 June 2021|
||£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Restricted Funds|||||||
|Ingram Fund|198,755|5,855|(6,738)|—|25,403|223,275|
|Anniversary Fund|154,016|37,742|(46,580)|—|8,310|153,488|
|Hilda Gadd Fund|291,500|—|—|—|—|291,500|
|Alison Kelly Fund|5,855|—|—|(2,000)|—|3,855|
|Card Makers Donation|713|—|—|-|—|713|
|Designated Funds|||||||
|Howard Fund|11,496|—|—|(129)|—|11,367|
|Unrestricted Funds|||||||
|General Fund|92,687|95,000|(78,004)|2,129|15,712|127,524|
||755,022|138,597|(131,322)|—|49,425|811,722|



## 15(b). Movements in Funds 

|). Movements in Funds|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Previous Year 2020|Balance|Incoming|Outgoing||Gains|Balance|
||1 July 2019|Resources|Resources|Transfer|and Losses|30 June 2020|
||£|£|£|£|£|£|
|Restricted Funds|||||||
|Ingram Fund|214,449|6,882|(4,245)|—|(18,331)|198,755|
|Anniversary Fund|216,581|41,242|(91,267)|—|(12,540)|154,016|
|Hilda Gadd Fund|291,500|—|—|—|—|291,500|
|Alison Kelly Fund|7,855|—|—|(2,000)|—|5,855|
|Card Makers Donation|1,293|—|—|(580)|—|713|
|Designated Funds|||||||
|Howard Fund|12,500|—|—|(1,004)|—|11,496|
|Unrestricted Funds||||-|||
|General Fund|95,814|104,620|(102,728)|3,584|(8,603)|92,687|
||839,992|152,744|(198,240)|—|(39,474)|755,022|



36 



## 16(a). Analysis of net Assets between Funds 

|Current Year 2021||Other||
|---|---|---|---|
||Investments|Assets|Total|
||£|£|£|
|Unrestricted General Fund|108,544|18,980|127,524|
|Designated Fund||||
|Howard Fund|—|11,367|11,367|
|Restricted Funds||||
|Ingram Fund|169,561|53,714|223,275|
|Anniversary Fund|113,252|40,236|153,488|
|Hilda Gadd Fund|—|291,500|291,500|
|Alison Kelly Fund|—|3,855|3,855|
|Card Makers Donation|—|713|713|
||391,357|420,365|811,722|



16(b). Analysis of net Assets between Funds 

|Previous Year 2020||Other||
|---|---|---|---|
||Investments|Assets|Total|
||£|£|£|
|Unrestricted General Fund|92,833|(146)|92,687|
|Designated Fund||||
|Howard Fund|—|11,496|11,496|
|Restricted Funds||||
|Ingram Fund|144,157|54,598|198,755|
|Anniversary Fund|142,415|11,601|154,016|
|Hilda Gadd Fund|—|291,500|291,500|
|Alison Kelly Fund|—|5,855|5,855|
|Card Makers Donation|—|713|713|
||379,405|375,617|755,022|



37 



## 17.  Taxation 

As a registered charity the society is exempt from Corporation Tax since all income is applied for charitable purposes. 

## 18.  Trustees’ Expenses and Remuneration 

The Honorary Secretary, Megan Wheeler, was paid a total of £2,569 (2020: £1,800) for website administration services. 

The Hon. Editorial Secretary, Dr Megan Aldrich was paid a total of £5,286 (2020-£5,000) comprising £5,000 (2020 £5,000) for editorial services and other sundry costs £286 (2020 -Nil) 

Expenses paid to one trustee in the year totalled £771 (2020: £1,652),comprising reimbursed travel £624 (2020: £1,591) and sundry other costs £147 (2020: £61). 

38 



THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY 

## INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT 

## TO THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2021 

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of The Furniture History Society (the “Charity”) for the year ended 30 June 2021. 

## Responsibilities and basis of Report 

As the charity trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts of the Charity in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (the “Act”). 

I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts as carried out under section 145 of the Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. 

## Independent Examiner’s Statement 

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect: 

1. The accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or 

2. The accounts do not accord with those records; or 

3. The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts & Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination. 

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached. 

Christopher Pexton FCA Begbies Chartered Accountants 9 Bonhill Street, London EC2A 4DJ 

Date: November, 2021 

39 



40