2022-06-30-accounts - Furniture History Society

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THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY

Annual Report of the Trustees and Financial Statements for the Year ended 30 June 2022, together with Notice of the Fifty-eighth Annual General Meeting, to be held at the East India Club, 16 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4LH on Saturday, 26 November 2022 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

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY

AGENDA

for the 58th Annual General Meeting of The Furniture History Society to be held at The East India Club, 16 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4LH on Saturday, 26 November 2022 at 11.00 am

Apologies for absence
Minutes of the Fifty-seventh Annual General Meeting
Adoption of the Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2022
Adoption of the Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2022
Re-election of the Honorary Officers
The President Council proposes Simon Swynfen Jervis
The Chairman

Council proposes Christopher Neville Rowell

The Honorary Secretary Council proposes Dr Megan Wheeler
The Honorary Treasurer Council proposes Martin Blue Macintosh Williams
The Honorary Editorial Secretary Council proposes Dr Megan Brewster Aldrich
Re-election of four members of Council Council proposes Dr Alexandra Gerstein, Stephen Jackson, Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth and Jürgen Huber
Election of two new members of Council

Council proposes Dr Jane (Jenny) Laura Saunt and Philip John Peacock

Re-appointment of the Independent Examiner Council proposes Christopher Pexton of Messrs Begbies
Any Other Business
Votes of Thanks

PROGRAMME FOR THE DAY

We plan to hold the Society’s Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) corporeally and 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. The log-in details for the streaming and the recording will be communicated by e-mail to those members for whom the Society has e-mail addresses.

Admission to the Annual General Meeting 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.

Coffee will be served from 10.30 am and the meeting will commence at 11.00 am. As is customary, the formal business will be followed by a series of short talks. Speakers will be Matthew Hirst (Curator at Woburn Abbey and Gardens), who will give an update on works in progress and some of the conservation projects that have been undertaken at Woburn Abbey, and Hugo Burge (a director of Marchmont Makers Foundation) who will talk about how Marchmont House in the Borders has become a home to makers and creators, celebrating creativity across the arts, crafts, business and social enterprise. Jessica Eddie (Curator, Gilbert Collection, V&A Museum) will report on a Roman tabernacle in the museum's collections, which has recently been analysed and taken apart to reveal some of its secrets. Norman Hudson (Chairman, Historic Houses Foundation) will describe the work of the charity and how it helps to fill an important funding gap in the restoration of country houses, associated buildings and their contents.

At the conclusion of the presentations, a buffet lunch will be served. Tickets for a sandwich lunch, to include a glass of wine, costing £2 2 per head, should be booked at least seven days in advance through the Events Secretary at events@furniturehistorysociety.org

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY

MINUTES

of the Fifty-seventh Annual General Meeting of the Furniture History Society held on 20 November 2021 at 11.00 am

Notice

The notice convening the meeting was read.

Apologies

There were no apologies for absence.

Sir Nicholas Goodison (1934-2021)

Members observed a short silence in memory of Sir Nicholas Goodison, President of the Society for more than 30 years.

Minutes of the 2020 Annual General Meeting

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 28 November 2020 were taken as read and the Chairman was authorised to sign them as a correct record.

Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 2021

The Chairman summarised Council’s report and thanked everyone involved in its production. He regretted that, because of a mistake by the printers, an early and incorrect version of the Financial Report had been reproduced. The headline figures were accurate and the correct version had been circulated to those present and would be sent to all members.

He drew attention to the photograph of Sir Nicholas Goodison reproduced in the report and said that members would remember him with gratitude, respect and affection.

He noted that, once again, the year under review had been affected by the pandemic, but that technology had enabled the Society to reach its members around the world. Some had reported that they now felt more connected with it than ever before. Where possible, events such as the Annual Lecture had been live-streamed. The delayed Annual Symposium on the theme of Design 1900-Now had worked well on-line.

Turning to future plans, he said that British & Irish Furniture Makers On-line (“ BIFMO”) had gone from strength-to-strength, with its website and database receiving over 100,000 hits in the last 12 months. The site’s popularity would prove very helpful in raising funds to continue and expand the project, as would the recent appointment of a Digital Editor.

The Chairman noted that Dr Adam Bowett had resigned as Editor and he recorded the Society’s gratitude for all he had done to lay the foundations of the enterprise and his enhancement of the quality of the database entries. The Editorial committee would continue to provide specialist art historical advice. In future, BIFMO and the associated Dictionary of British and Irish Furniture Makers (“DBIFM”) database would be even more closely aligned with the Society

and its scholarly activities by means of better branding on its website.

The Society’s increased social media presence had helped to attract new members and he encouraged the existing membership to promote it to friends and colleagues. Younger scholars had been supported by the rich programme of events devised and hosted by the Early Career Development programme (“ECD”) and he commended the forthcoming ECD Symposium to members.

Members’ attention was drawn to the new style cover of Furniture History 2021 (Volume LXVII)—one result of the Society’s decision to switch to Lavenham Press for the production and distribution of both the Journal and Newsletter. He thanked Megan Aldrich, the Society’s Hon. Editorial Secretary, for negotiating the move with Lavenham and for establishing the new arrangements.

He invited questions. There being none, he commended the Annual Report for the year ending 30 June 2021 to the meeting. It was adopted nemine contradicente .

Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2021

The Hon. Treasurer then presented the Financial Statements of the charity. He began by thanking his colleagues, and in particular Keith Nicholls, the Finance and Membership Officer, for their conscientious work.

He drew members’ attention to the Statement of Financial Activities and the Balance Sheet. The income from all sources for the year ended 30 June 2021 had totalled £138,597, a significant fall from the previous year’s figure which had included income from a much fuller Events programme. This fall was counterbalanced by a decline in the Society’s expenditure to £131,322, and the Society had generated an overall surplus of £7,275 on its activities. This figure was made up of a surplus of £19,125 in the General Fund, but a budgeted deficit of £11,721 on BIFMO . The net deficit compared well with the 2019-20 figure (£45,496 deficit).

Fortunately, there had been gains (both realised and unrealised) of £49,425 on the Society’s investments resulting in a net increase in total funds of £56,700 which, at the year-end, had amounted to £811,722.

Turning to BIFMO , the deficit on its operations had amounted to £14,155 following generous grants from the Marc Fitch Foundation and others of £29,357. He reminded members that future BIFMO activities would have to be funded by fund-raising, plans for which had been set in train already by Adriana Turpin, Deputy Chair of the BIFMO Committee.

The Hon. Treasurer was pleased to report that the Society’s investments had recovered well over the course of the 12 months under review. He drew members’ attention to the fact that approximately 70% of the Society’s total funds represented dedicated funds earmarked for specific purposes.

He thanked the members of the Operations Group: Keith Nicholls (Finance & Membership Officer), Megan Wheeler (Hon. Secretary & Website Officer), Jill Bace (Grants Committee Secretary & Publications Officer), Beatrice Goddard (Events Secretary) and Ann Davies ( BIFMO Outreach Programmes Co-ordinator) – for their hard work.

Turning to the Membership Report, he said that numbers had recovered well after the effects of the pandemic perhaps because the programme of on-line lectures had made it much easier for members overseas to involve themselves.

Subscriptions

The Hon. Treasurer then addressed the matter of subscription rates. He said that the Society had last increased them for UK members in 2017 and, at the time, Council had suggested that they were reviewed every five years. Any change made at the meeting would not come into effect until July 2022.

At the current rates, the Society’s income from subscriptions, sales of publications and any surplus on the events & visits programme would exceed the costs of servicing the membership, the events & visits programme, and publishing costs by about £5,000, leaving little margin for inflationary cost increases. He noted that the Retail Prices Index had increased by about 5.5% between July 2019 and July 2021 and a further increase of 4% had recently been forecast by the Bank of England. For these reasons, Council was proposing an increase of just over 8% on the standard subscription rate for individual UK Members, and a parallel increase in rates for other classes of membership. Increases for overseas members would be slightly larger, as the costs of distribution had risen very sharply in recent years. The increase for members under the age of thirty-five had been shaded to less than 6%.

Looking to the future, he said that Council was considering introducing a ‘paperless subscription’ for those members who preferred to receive the Society’s publications digitally, rather than in print.

He concluded by commending the Financial Statements, and the proposed increase in subscription rates, for adoption by the meeting. Both were approved nemine contradicente .

Elections

a) The following officers were proposed for re-election:

PRESIDENT Simon Swynfen Jervis CHAIRMAN OF COUNCIL Christopher Neville Rowell HONORARY SECRETARY Dr Megan Laura Wheeler HONORARY TREASURER Martin Blue Macintosh Williams HONORARY EDITORIAL SECRETARY Dr Megan Brewster Aldrich

b) The following existing members of Council were proposed for re-election: Dr Esmé Whittaker, Dr Mark Westgarth, Dr Alexandra (Sacha) Gerstein and Stephen Jackson.
c) The following new members of Council were proposed for election: Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth and Jürgen Huber.

The motions were put to the meeting and each agreed unanimously .

The President recorded his thanks to the retiring members of Council, viz ., Dr Christophe de Quénetain and Adrian Hume-Sayer, for their service to the Society.

Re-appointment of independent examiner

The President thanked Christopher Pexton of Messrs Begbies and proposed that he be re-appointed for a further year. Approved.

Any other business

There being no further business, the meeting was closed by the President who thanked all of the Society’s officers and particularly those who had set up the meeting including Beatrice Goddard, David Oakey, Anne-Marie Bannister, and Ann Davies as well as Emma Rock (The Museum of the Home). He also thanked the speakers whose talks would follow the formal business.

Talks

Helen Dorey (Deputy Director and Inspectress of Sir John Soane’s Museum) spoke about the project to restore the architect’s drawing office, which was thought to be the earliest architect’s office to survive intact.

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

Hannah Phillip (Programme Director for the Grinling Gibbons National Centenary 2021) described the programme of events to mark the anniversary of Gibbons's death in 1721 as well as the exhibition Centuries in the Making at Bonhams, London in August 2021 and at Compton Verney, Warwickshire from autumn 2021 until January 2022.

Emma Rock (Commercial and Fund-raising Events Co-ordinator, The Museum of the Home) then gave a brief introduction to the recently completed major project to expand and re-display the museum.

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY

ANNUAL REPORT OF COUNCIL 2021-22

The Council of the Furniture History Society has pleasure in presenting its fifty-eighth Annual Report together with Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2022.

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 FSA
	meganbrewsteraldrich@gmail.com
Other offcers and committee chairpersons
Finance &	Keith Nicholls
Membership Offcer:	fnance@furniturehistorysociety.org
	membership@furniturehistorysociety.org
Publications Offcer &	Jill Bace
Grants Secretary:	publications@furniturehistorysociety.org
	grants@furniturehistorysociety.org
Joint Chairs,	Kate Hay
Events Committee:	katehay86@gmail.com
	David Oakey
	david.oakey@gmail.com
Events Secretary:	Beatrice Goddard
	events@furniturehistorysociety.org
Chair, Grants Committee:	Adriana Turpin
	grantschair@furniturehistorysociety.org

Newsletter Editor: Sharon Goodman sctgoodman@yahoo.co.uk Kate Hay (from July 2022) katehay86@gmail.com Social Media Manager Natalie Voorheis natalievoorheis@gmail.com Chair, Digital Strategy Kate Hay committee: katehay86@gmail.com BIFMO: Adriana Turpin (Deputy Chair, Management Committee) Dr Laurie Lindey (Managerial Editor) research.bifmo@furniturehistorysociety.org Ann Davies ( BIFMO Outreach Programmes Co-ordinator) bifmo@furniturehistorysociety.org

Professional Advisers and Bankers

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 COIF Charity Funds, London EC4V 4ET

Accountants:

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 in the form of an on-line searchable database.
Makes grants towards the preparation and publication of books and articles of a non-commercial 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.
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 2021-22 were:

Simon Swynfen Jervis (President) Christopher Rowell (Chairman) Dr Megan Wheeler (Hon. Secretary) Martin Williams (Hon. Treasurer) Dr Megan Aldrich (Hon. Editorial Secretary)

Adrian Hume-Sayer retired 20 November 2021

Dr Christophe de Quénetain retired 20 November 2021

Dr Esmé Whittaker Dr Mark Westgarth Dr Alexandra (Sacha) Gerstein Stephen Jackson Dr Caroline McCaffrey-Howarth elected 20 November 2021 Jürgen Huber elected 20 November 2021

The Council is made up of: The President; the four Honorary Officers and six elected members all of whom are appointed annually by the members of the Society at the Annual General Meeting. The 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 four committees: Events; Grants; Editorial; BIFMO Management as well as the Digital Strategy group. The members of the committees are appointed by Council and the Honorary Officers are ex-officio members of all committees. Actions, including the decisions of any committee, must be 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); Ann Davies ( BIFMO Outreach Co-ordinator), Beatrice Goddard (Events Secretary); Sharon Goodman (Newsletter Editor), Dr Megan Aldrich (Editor, Journal), Dr Megan Wheeler (Website Officer), and Natalie Voorheis (Social Media Manager). Council is deeply appreciative of the commitment and hard work of these individuals as well as that of the honorary officers and all those who serve on the Society’s committees.

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 Esmé Whittaker and Dr Mark Westgarth) retire. Council is very grateful for their work for the Society during their terms of office and proposes the election of Dr Jane (Jenny) Laura Saunt and Philip Peacock to succeed them.

Dr Jane (Jenny) Laura Saunt

Dr Saunt is the Oliver Ford Curatorial Research Fellow at the Victoria & Albert Museum where she works in the Furniture & Woodwork section of the Performance, Furniture, Textiles and Fashion Department. She specializes in furniture and interiors of the long 18th century.

Jenny is an active member of the Furniture History Society and convenes the annual New Insights Conference at the Society of Antiquaries of London, which focuses on the architecture and interiors of the early modern period in Great Britain.

Before arriving at the V&A, Jenny worked as a curator for the Bryan Collections, a private collection of English furniture and decorative arts, during which time she collaborated with other private collections and museums on numerous research projects, exhibitions, publications, and online collections projects. Her PhD at the Courtauld focused on the design and production of decorative lime plasterwork in early modern England. Jenny came originally from a design and practice background, working first as a theatre designer, then in research and conservation of historic interiors. She has published and lectured widely, and taught at the Courtauld Institute, the V&A and on the Royal College of Art courses.

Philip John Peacock

Philip Peacock has been a member of the Furniture History Society for a number of years and has provided professional or pro bono legal advice to its trustees at various times during this period. He was formerly a solicitor in private practice in London at Lovell, White & King (now Hogan Lovells) and Radcliffes. He has been involved in management at both firms in addition to his specialisation in business and corporate work, including partnerships, charities and NGOs. He is now retired from regular practice but continues to offer informal advice largely of a practical nature as a member of particular charitable organisations. These include two boat clubs and the Canada-UK Council which is a bilateral public policy group of which he was Chair for fourteen years and remains a Board member.

He has had a long-standing interest in antique furniture and architecture as well as in antiquarian books, paintings and the decorative arts. He is actively involved in furniture making,

furniture restoration, book binding and book conservation. He is married to Helena, a fellow (retired) solicitor who is currently involved in the magistracy, higher education governance and pensions. They live in North London, with connections to Devon (notably Exeter Chiefs).

Whilst delighted to put his name forward for election to Council, Philip wishes to emphasise that he cannot match the knowledge and expertise of other members in those fields most closely connected with the Society’s core objectives.

Membership

During the year membership fell by a net figure of two to 1,087 at 30 June 2022. 132 (2021: 166) individuals and institutions joined the Society and 70 resigned or died (2021: 72). In addition, 64 members were struck off (2021: 13). The increase in the Society’s social media activity, particularly on Instagram, swelled the number of new members. The reason for the higher number of membership resignations and non-payment of subscriptions was due in part to the easing of the pandemic restrictions, and the consequent fall in the demand for on-line lectures.

Deaths

During the year the Society was told of the deaths of the following members: James Adams, Philip Astley-Jones, Joseph Gordon, Phillip Hewat-Jaboor, Anthea Laing, Phillip Wellesley-Davies and Graham Wells.

Publications

Furniture History

The year 2022 was a demanding one in terms of the Hon. Editorial Secretary’s time. In addition to editing Furniture Histor y, the role has expanded to include regular attendance at BIFMO management meetings, where interesting developments are taking place including the eventual departure of the DBIFM database from the University of London so strengthening its place as the Society’s major digital resource, as well as managing the editorial considerations thrown up by the continuation and expansion of the remit of this important project, and its relationship to the Society’s printed publications.

The Hon. Editorial Secretary has also become more closely involved in planning and producing the Newsletter and the May 2022 issue was co-edited by her, which gave her a useful insight into how the publication is put together.

Furniture History continues to be the focus of the Hon. Editorial Secretary’s work for the Society, assisted by the Editorial Committee. This year’s issue features eight articles by nine authors, some articles being slightly longer than usual, and some with substantial appendices or documents reproduced. The periods covered range from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, with aspects of British, French, German and Chinese furniture and design considered. Three of the articles focus on women patrons and designers. One draft article has been received for consideration for 2023, and the Hon. Editorial Secretary has invited proposals from three authors, but there is still space for further articles. Subjects with a focus on Continental Europe, or further afield, are most welcome.

The Hon. Editorial Secretary continues to enjoy working with Lavenham Press with their specialist expertise in academic copy editing and layout. It is hoped that, once the production of the Newsletter is running smoothly under its new joint editors, the Hon. Editorial Secretary

will be able to devote more time to the 2023 and 2024 issues. The latter is planned as a tribute to the late Philip Hewat-Jaboor, and to his wide-ranging interests, including classicism, hardstones, the Middle East, collecting, William Beckford, and Thomas Hope as well as the Masterpiece Fair.

The Newsletter has continued to receive contributions from an international range of writers and the Editor thanks all who have submitted either articles or reports. The four leading articles were written by Marc-Henri Jordan (Art Historian based in Berne); Abraham Thomas (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York); Peter Lindfield (lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University); and Michael Shrive (Assistant Curator, Waddesdon Manor).

The Discoveries and Research section, begun during lockdown when there were no visits and events to report on, and people perhaps had more time to write, continues to attract a range of informative shorter articles. The Book Review Editor, Dr Wolf Burchard, has commissioned a reliable stream of high-quality reviews, keeping the membership up to date with new publications. Notices of, and reports on, future visits and events were resumed in May.

Other recent innovations have been the inclusion of research news from BIFMO; information about BIFMO courses, and reports on the activities of the Early Career Development Group (“ECD”). One consequence of this new material has been an expansion in the size of the publication which now runs to more than 50 pages and consideration is being given to the introduction of word-count limits. Another concern has been some unexpected costs of production by Lavenham Press, and the incoming editors will be looking at ways to minimise these costs.

Anyone considering writing a contribution that they think will be of interest to members, be it about a discovery, fresh research, news, a forthcoming exhibition or a conference relevant to furniture history, is encouraged to get in touch with the editors.

In August 2022, Sharon Goodman stepped down as editor after five years of sterling service, and Council is very appreciative that she has confirmed that she will be available to the new editors for advice and opinions. She will be succeeded by Kate Hay working on issues alternately with a new assistant editor—Iain Stephens, Senior Conservator-Restorer of Upholstery in the Royal Household.

Publication sales

During 2021-2022, sales of publications remained stagnant, with most requests confined to recent volumes of Furniture History. This lack of orders may reflect the revision of prices that came into effect in 2019-2020, as well as the fact that no new publications have been added to the inventory since 2017.

Back issues of Furniture History are priced at £30 (UK), £35 (Continental Europe) and £48 for the rest of the world, including shipping and packing charges. Members interested in purchasing books should consult the website at www.furniturehistorysociety.org for the complete list of publications on offer along with an up-to-date price list.

British and Irish Furniture Makers On-line

BIFMO is managed by the Society through a Management Committee that meets quarterly. It

is chaired by Christopher Rowell and includes the Hon. Secretary, the Hon. Treasurer. the Hon. Editorial Secretary as well as the Project Manager and Deputy Chairman, Adriana Turpin. The Society's Finance Officer, Dr Laurie Lindey (Managerial Editor), Clarissa Ward (19th Century Editor) and Jonathan Blaney (Digital Editor) report to the Committee.

BIFMO ’s outreach programme is advised by a group consisting of Christopher Claxton-Stephens, Joanna Norman, Tessa Wild, and Adriana Turpin. Ann Davies, as BIFMO administrator, attends meetings of both the Management Committee and the Outreach group.

Editorial work

Dr Laurie Lindey (Managing Editor) and Clarissa Ward (19th Century Editor) are continuing to update and improve the existing biographies by transforming the layout into a more suitable digital format, illustrating accounts with trade cards, advertisements, and images of provenanced furniture, and establishing digital links between makers’ biographies and museums, private collections, and other sources.

BIFMO currently attracts approximately 4,000 readers per month and the database contains c. 86,370 entries. The most considerable content development over the past twelve months has been drawn from the period from 1840-1914, amounting to 9,926 tradespeople of whom 5,217 have been documented through a comprehensive review of the Victorian illustrated trade journal, The Furniture Gazette , published weekly from 1873-1892. The database also holds 27,130 London Joiners’ Company apprenticeship bindings and freedom registers representing the vast majority of this Company’s indenture archive.

In September 2021, the Bernard and Geraldine Cotton archive was welcomed into the database, being 7,522 accounts of regional English chair makers. The Society is most grateful to the Cottons for this very generous contribution which represents a lifetime’s work.

Outreach and Education

BIFMO has continued to support research from emerging scholars. In September 2021, three pairs of students completed blogs about the Drawing Room at Raby Castle; the Long Gallery at Castle Howard; and Chippendale’s desk at Temple Newsam, and an associated on-line discussion with the students and curators was held on 8 February.

In May 2022, three new projects were begun, continuing the collaboration between Eleanor Brooke-Peake at Castle Howard and Julie Biddlecombe-Brown at Raby Castle and adding the Rex Whistler drawing room at Mottisfont Abbey, led by George Roberts. We thank them all for their continuing support. Small discussion sessions were offered on (research) tools and methodologies.

Six University of Edinburgh students are working in pairs to map Edinburgh furniture makers, 1750-1850, under the guidance of Aaron Allen, supported by Professor Richard Rodgers. These projects are funded by a Foyle Foundation grant.

In November 2021, an on-line BIFMO course was hosted under the direction of the Deputy Chair. At five weekly sessions, scholars world-wide discussed the history of British furniture making, 1660-1914, with a broad audience of members and a number of new participants.

This course was followed by a second in June 2022 entitled ‘Furniture Makers and the Country House’, expertly introduced by Dr Megan Aldrich and incorporating two case studies. To

reinforce the research element, there was also a tutorial session outlining research tools and methodologies.

These are the first on-line courses of this kind that the Society has presented. All those involved were thrilled by the enthusiastic response and the surplus generated will enable BIFMO to continue its editorial activities in 2021-22 and make an exciting new addition to the Society’s outreach programmes.

Grants

The members of the Grants Committee during the year were Adriana Turpin (Chair), Helen Jacobsen, Lucy Wood, Guy Apter, Peter Holmes, Joanna Norman, Olivia Fryman, Katherine Hardwick (ECD Event Co-chair) and Elliot Sterling (ECD Event Co-chair) supported by the indefatigable Jill Bace (Grants Officer).

The number of grants rose for the first time for three years following the easing of pandemic restrictions, and the following grants were authorised during the period (the table includes grants authorised at the June 2022 meeting which for operational reasons was deferred until early July).

Name:	Amount:	Purpose:
Tom Ingram Fund
Philip Ross-Burrows	£203.33 & £376.00	FHS Study trip to Middle Temple, and travel to and from Guernsey related to continuing researchproject at Middle Temple
Alienor Cross	£100.00	FHS visit to the Royal Pavilion, Brighton
Rachel Hunt	£380.00	FHS North Wales tour
Jessica Insley	£270.00	FHS Cardiff Studyweekend
Camille Mestdagh	£670.00	Travel costs related to research at Waddesdon Manor and RabyCastle
Bruce Peter	£774.00	Travel costs to Denmark in connection with his forthcomingbook “Denmark in Britain”
Stephen Jackson	£1,660.00	Photography costs connected with projected publication on Scottish furniture
Hannah Cusworth	£767.00	Research and photography in connection with study of the mahogany trade between Jamaica and Britain
Oliver Ford Fund
	£1000.00	Creating and editing podcasts for on-line ECD Symposium
Della Howard Fund
	£87.95	Expenses incurred in connection with ECD event with Holkham Hall

The Society facilitated grants from Brock Jobe to Amy Lim and Philip Burrows in connection with their attendance at a conference in Winterthur. An award of £1,500 was made by Council from the Anniversary Fund to Clive Edwards to support the publication of his comprehensive study of 19th century makers, Collinson & Lock. Members were offered a discount of 20% on its purchase.

Early Career Development (‘ECD’)

The Society’s ECD programme is organised under the auspices of the Grants Committee and led by the two Co-chairs, Katherine Hardwick and Elliot Sterling, who set about creating an exciting programme of on-line and in-person events. In the US, Catherine Doucette has taken over the planning of events for the US branch of the ECD from Kelly Konrad. We thank Kelly for her enthusiastic creation of an innovative programme of events for the New York membership.

The sixth ECD Research Symposium for emerging scholars, which took place on 27 November 2021, dedicated to the late Sir Nicholas Goodison and generously supported by the Oliver Ford Trust, explored the materiality of furniture and the use of materials, experimentation and new recipes or techniques. Seven speakers from the UK, Europe and North America, and all at the early stages of their careers, presented a selection of short papers on their current research to an enthusiastic audience drawn from across the globe. The speakers were also invited to contribute a podcast interview and these, together with recordings of the talks, have been made available to members through the Society’s website.

2021 featured a visit to the innovative exhibition at the New Craftsman of contemporary designers; a lecture by Dr Juliet Carey, Senior Curator at Waddesdon Mano; and a festive visit to the sumptuous late eighteenth century house of furniture and interior designer, Tim Gosling. 2022 began with a visit to the exceptional private collection of ‘Au Bord du Lac’ at Christie’s with curator Casey Rogers; an on-line Conservation Workshop with Peter Holmes, Yannick Chastang and Alex Hammond; and a talk by Christopher Wilk (Curator, Victoria & Albert Museum) on plywood and its use in furniture making. The year concluded with two wellattended visits to the Masterpiece Fair in the company of Adriana Turpin and Yannick Chastang.

Two members of the ECD Group were awarded scholarships to attend ‘The Wonder of Wood: Decorative Inlay and Marquetry in Europe 1600-1900’—an international conference held at the Winterthur Museum and the Philadelphia Art Museum.

Events & Visits

The members of the Events Committee are: Kate Hay and David Oakey (Joint Chairs), AnneMarie Bannister, Melanie Doderer-Winkler, Kate Dyson, Jessica Eddie, Sara Heaton, Lucy Howgego, William Lorimer (from April 2021), Dr Tessa Murdoch, and Michael Shrive who are expertly marshalled by the Events Secretary, Beatrice Goddard.

Events and lectures

Martin Levy delivered the Society’s Annual Lecture on 19 October 2019 at The Art Workers’ Guild and by live-stream. Entitled From John Coleman Isaac to H. Blairman & Sons: Two Centuries of Commerce and Friendship , it gave a fascinating insight into the foundation and development of one of the country’s pre-eminent dealers in furniture and objets d’art .

The Annual General Meeting was held at The Museum of the Home on 20 November 2021: a fuller report may be found elsewhere in this document.

The 45th Annual Symposium, Design 1900 – Now took place on 30 October 2021 on-line. Inspired by the content of the eponymous new gallery in the Victoria & Albert Museum which investigates how designed objects reflect society. It was expertly fronted by the exhibition’s lead curators, Corinna Gardner and Johanna Agerman Ross.

Tours and Visits – United Kingdom

In the UK, the postponed Study weekend to North Wales finally took place in May 2022 led by Sara Heaton and Dr Tessa Murdoch. Other previously deferred visits included Preston Manor and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton; Middle Temple; Wrest Park and the English Heritage Store; Ampthill Park House (enthusiastically shown to the party by Sir Timothy & Lady Clifford) and Goodwood House.

There were also visits to Southside House in Wimbledon, a Study Day in Rochester and a visit to ‘Inspiring Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts’ at The Wallace Collection with its co-curator, Dr Helen Jacobsen. Yannick Chastang led a visit focusing on the Boulle furniture at Boughton House, and there was a tour of the intriguing Jencks/Keswick Cosmic House in Holland Park, London W8.

On-line events

The Committee organised five on-line lectures on a wide range of topics: ‘British Cabinetmakers in the Early American South’ by Daniel Ackermann; ‘A Tercentenary Lecture on Grinling Gibbons’ by Ada de Wit; ‘Goldsmiths’ Hall’ by Michael Shrive; ‘André-Charles Boulle as a Maker, Designer and Publisher of Prints’ by Mia Jackson; and ‘Furniture in malachite: a century of Russian taste at the European market’ by Ludmila Budrina. We also held two seminars on regional collections: ‘The Antique Dealer Archive’ with the Brotherton Library, Leeds with Mark Westgarth, Jerome Phillips, Martin Levy, Joanne Fitton and Karen Sayers and ‘New Perspectives: Furniture on Display at the Burrell Collection’ in Glasgow with Laura Bauld and Ed Johnson.

Thanks

Such a rich programme as that detailed above is only possible because of the generosity of the speakers and collaborators to whom the Society is extremely grateful. All devoted considerable time and effort in preparing for these events to ensure that the programme continued to fulfil one of the Society’s principal charitable aims—the study of the history of furniture.

Website and IT

The website attracted 14,543 users in the year 2021-2022, a significant increase on the previous year (11,030 users). The average duration of sessions remained about the same, and once again the Events, Membership and Journal pages were the most popular. The lectures facility for members, which features a playlist of some 48 lectures and talks, continued to increase in popularity. Thanks to the efforts of the Social Media Manager the number of referrals to the website from social media platforms has also increased.

Functionality was improved with a link to a list of FAQs and the number of future events visible to members has been increased. By the year-end, plans to create a discrete membership area on the website were well advanced. In addition, Council is exploring the introduction of a digital newsletter, and increased use of Cloud storage by the Society’s trustees and officers will improve security and facilitate information sharing.

If members have any suggestions as to the content of the website, please contact Megan Wheeler at website@furniturehistorysociety.org.

Social Media & Digital Strategy

The Social Media Manager, Natalie Voorheis, has continued to strengthen the Society’s digital presence with regular activity on Facebook and Instagram with her selection of striking images proving particularly attractive. The Society’s area of interest is naturally photogenic and lends itself to social media’s visually-led content.

The aim is to raise the profile of the Society by posting furniture news and images of appropriate events. Instagram is a key means of widening knowledge about our activities, building an on-line community of people interested in furniture history and encouraging new members to join the Society.

The Manager posts most weeks with photographs, ‘stories’ or ‘reels’, with video content becoming increasingly popular. Recognising the value of social media, a Digital Strategy Group was set up in April 2021 to support the manager and to keep the Society’s on-line activities under review. The Group’s aims and proposals were approved by Council in July 2021 and has become a useful forum for sharing ideas for content, and trouble-shooting new issues such as privacy or the use of software to help schedule posts. The Manager reports to the Group’s quarterly meetings and to Council.

The Instagram account now has over 4,500 followers (so reaching much more widely than the membership (around 1,100)), with the number increasing steadily. On-line or live-streamed events open to non-members such as the Annual Symposium and BIFMO study courses particularly benefit from social media coverage.

Finance and legacies

Of necessity, the two most recent reports on the Society’s finances have been rather downbeat, and it is good to be able to be able to report more optimistically on the out-turn for the 12 months ended 30 June 2022, although the bleak political and economic outlook for the UK with its threat of a return to high rates of inflation is worrying. The relaxing of the Covid-19 restrictions which enabled the Society to re-start its popular programme of visits and events had a beneficial effect on the finances in 2021-22. The increase in subscription rates with effect from 1 July 2022 will strengthen our income account in 2022-23 and subsequent years.

In summary, a surplus on the General fund of just over £3,000 was offset by a budgeted deficit of approximately £15,000 on the activities of British & Irish Furniture Makers On-line (“BIFMO”), and a surplus of £3,000 on the Restricted funds resulting in a net deficit of just under £9,000.

The decrease in the value of the Society’s investments since 1 July 2021 was more than offset by the increase in the value of the property asset underlying the Gadd fund—resulting in a net surplus on changes in the value of the Society’s investments of £65,000.

The overall out-turn was a net increase in the Society’s funds of £56,168 (2021: £56,700 increase).

Statement of Financial Activities

In the year to 30 June 2022, the Society’s income from all sources totalled £138,329—almost the same as the 2021 figure of £138,597. Total expenditure amounted to £147,180 (2021: £131,322).

The outcome was an overall deficit on the Society’s activities of £8,851 compared with a surplus of £7,275 in the preceding year. The deficit was less than budgeted due to lower than planned expenditure within BIFMO, and savings in administration costs in the General fund.

Accounting regulations require that the assets of charities be revalued on a regular basis, and for the resulting values to be incorporated into the financial statements. At 30 June 2022, there was a net unrealised loss in the value of the Society’s investment portfolio amounting to £19,481 (2021: £53,109 gain) thanks to the stagnation of the UK stock market coupled with a fall in the overall value of the FTSE 250 companies of about 20%. This loss was offset by an unrealised gain of £84,500 on the value of the Twickenham investment property: the outcome of the approximately quinquennial revaluation. There was a net gain overall of £65,019 (30 June 2021: £49,425 net gain).

General fund

There was a surplus on the ordinary activities of the Society of £3,080 (2021: £19,125). Total income of the General fund increased by £13,787 to £108,787 due to the increase in activities referred to above where income totalled £26,217 (2021: £7,506). Membership income fell by about 2½% to £71,794 as members who joined during lock-down for the on-line lecture programme fell away.

Expenditure in the General fund increased by £30,535 to £108,539 largely due to the costs associated with the visits and events programme and a small increase in publication costs.

BIFMO

BIFMO income totalled £18,722 (2021: £32,124). No grants were received but a significant amount of income was generated through two on-line study programmes. Expenditure amounted to £ 33,604 (2021: £29,371) as a result of increased editorial expenditure and the costs associated with the events—all offset by savings resulting from deferring until 2022-23 the move of the database from the University of London.

Following the ending of the partnership with the Institute of Historical Research, no project costs were incurred (2021: £23,371), but this expenditure (primarily Dr Lindey’s remuneration) is now accounted for elsewhere in the BIFMO accounts.

The bulk of future BIFMO expenditure will have to be funded by grants, donations and the surplus arising on the study programme, but it has been suggested that a limited amount of funding should continue to be drawn from the Anniversary fund. The Society has an agreement with the University of London that it will host (but not enhance or update) the database without charge until 2025.

Balance Sheet

At 30 June 2022, the Fixed assets, which include the listed investments, totalled £747,878 (2021: £682,837), and net Current assets amounted to £122,376 (2021:128,865). The decrease in net assets resulted from the loss incurred on the Society’s operations for the year. At the year end, the charity’s funds totalled £867,890 (2021: £811,722) of which £731,340 (2021: £672,831) was attributable to the restricted funds.

Legacies

No legacies were received or pledged during the year (2021: £1,250 received).

Future plans

The Chairman writes “The reports in this year’s AGM papers reveal the ever-increasing variety and range of the Society’s activities. Scholarship is at its heart. The annual volume of Furniture History continues to be the foremost publication of its kind on the history of furniture and its historic context. The quarterly Newsletter also publishes new research, in complementary, usually shorter, articles with an equally international flavour. It also informs members of visits, records the highlights of past itineraries and seeks to involve the membership both in the Society’s work and in the wider furniture world through book reviews and notices.

“Our outgoing Newsletter Editor, Sharon Goodman, late of Christie’s, has been the perfect holder of that demanding office. Single-handedly she has sought writers and obtained copy, as well as steering the Newsletter and its regular contributors through the complexities of going to print four times a year. She has been exceptionally efficient, imaginative and hard-working. The Society owes her a great debt of gratitude. Hers is a difficult act to follow but we are fortunate that the baton is being taken up by Kate Hay, Co-Chair of the Events Committee (a not undemanding post in itself) with the assistance of Dr Iain Stephens. We wish them well.

“The future of the Society depends upon the recruitment of new members, especially those who are youthful in body as well as mind. Happily, the Society has weathered the ending of lockdown and the inevitable falling-away of interest in on-line activities and I hope it will resume its upward trend in the current year.

“The ECD Group is flourishing and the encouragement of younger students of furniture is a mainstay of the Society’s continuing purpose. This year’s ECD symposium, dedicated to our late President, Sir Nicholas Goodison, exemplified the vigour of this international enterprise which is partly funded by external grants such as those so generously offered for many years by the Oliver Ford Trust.

“BIFMO is primarily a developing database which is already the largest in its field, but it is also closely involved in learning initiatives. Online courses have not only been commended by their participants but have made a healthy profit which has been ploughed back into BIFMO, enabling its fundamental work to continue. However, BIFMO requires further fundraising to secure its future. This will depend upon finding a new host before the expiry in 2025 of the Society’s partnership with the University of London. This should happen sooner rather than later because the University has had to reduce its expenditure on the project, thus limiting the functionality of the database. It is vital that we secure the future of BIFMO.“

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 to do so; and
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 a 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.

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 6 October 2022.

Christopher Rowell Martin Williams Chairman of Trustees Trustee and Hon. Treasurer AR 21-22 v3

LEGACIES

The Society depends for its core income entirely on its members and supporters. Please consider leaving a legacy to it. 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.

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2022

		Unrestricted	Designated	Restricted	Total	Total
	Notes	Fund	Fund	Funds	2022	2021
		£	£	£	£	£
Income From:-
Membership Subscriptions	2	71 794	—	—	71,794	73,667
Donations, Grants and Legacies	3	2,631	—	610	3,241	35,885
Charitable Activities	4	26,217	—	18,282	44,499	7,506
Trading Activities	5	3,987	—	—	3,987	6,708
Investment Income	6	4,158	—	10,650	14,808	14,831
Total		108,787	—	29,542	138,329	138,597
Expenditure On:-
Charitable Activities	7	108,539	—	38,641	147,180	131,322
Total		108,539	—	38,641	147,180	131,322
Transfers between funds		2,832	(832)	(2,000)	—	—
Net (Defcit)/Income		3,080	(832)	(11,099)	(8,851)	7,275
Other Recognised Gains/(Losses)
Gains on Investment Assets		(4,589)	—	69,608	65,019	49,425
Net Movement in Funds		(1,509)	(832)	58,509	56,168	56,700
Reconciliation of Funds
Total Funds Brought Forward		127,524	11,367	672,831	811,722	755,022
Total Funds Carried Forward		126,015	10,535	731,340	867,890	811,722

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2022

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2022	THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2022	THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2022
Notes 2022 2021 £ £ £ £ Fixed Assets Investments - Listed Investments 11(a) 371,878 391,357 - Property 11(b) 376,000 291,500 Total Fixed Assets 747,878 682,857 Current Assets Debtors 12 1,203 1,746 Interest-Earning Deposits 34,339 48,594 Balances at Bank 129,027 135,920 Total Current Assets 164,569 186,260 Current Liabilities Amounts falling due within one year 13 (43,193) (57,395) Net Current Assets 121,376 128,865 Total Assets less Current Liabilities 869,254 811,722 Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year Deferred Income - Membership (1,364) — Total Net Assets £867,890 £811,722 The Funds of the Charity: Unrestricted General Fund 14 126,015 127,524 Designated Fund Howard Fund 14 10,535 11,367 Restricted Funds Ingram Fund 14 218,556 223,275 Anniversary Fund 14 134,216 153,488 Hilda Gadd Fund 14 376,000 291,500 Alison Kelly Fund 14 1,855 3,855 Card Makers Donation 14 713 713 731,340 672,831 Total CharityFunds £867,890 £811,722 Approved on behalf of the Council on 6 October 2022 christopherrowell:Chairman_MartinwilliaMs:_Hon Treasurer
Fixed Assets Investments - Listed Investments 11(a) - Property 11(b) Total Fixed Assets Current Assets Debtors 12 1,203 Interest-Earning Deposits 34,339 Balances at Bank 129,027 Total Current Assets 164,569 Current Liabilities Amounts falling due within one year 13 (43,193) Net Current Assets Total Assets less Current Liabilities Creditors: Amounts falling due after more than one year Deferred Income - Membership Total Net Assets The Funds of the Charity: Unrestricted General Fund 14 Designated Fund Howard Fund 14 Restricted Funds Ingram Fund 14 218,556 Anniversary Fund 14 134,216 Hilda Gadd Fund 14 376,000 Alison Kelly Fund 14 1,855 Card Makers Donation 14 713		371,878 376,000 747,878 1,746 48,594 135,920 186,260 (57,395) 121,376 869,254 (1,364) £867,890 126,015 10,535 223,275 153,488 291,500 3,855 713 731,340
Total CharityFunds		£867,890
Approved on behalf of the Council on 6 October 2022 christopherrowell:Chairman

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS AS AT 30 JUNE 2022

1. Accounting Policies

( a ) Basis of preparation

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention. 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 ) Life Membership Subscriptions

An annual transfer is made to the credit of subscriptions equal to the amount which each life member would have paid on an annual basis. The balance is carried forward as deferred income.

( f ) 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.

( g ) Allocation of Costs

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

( h ) Resources Expended

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

( i ) 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.

( j ) 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.

( k ) 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 members of the Society and others to pursue studies into furniture and its history giving, where appropriate, preference to young members. (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 using a grant from the aforesaid Company to subsidise the subscriptions to the Society of young people over a period of three years.

2. 3.	Subscriptions - General Fund 2022 £ 2021 £
	Subscriptions under Gift Aid 29,461 29,680 Income Tax Recovered 7,358 7,413 Subscriptions not under Gift Aid 34,975 36,574
	71,794 73,667
	Donations, Grants and Legacies 2022 £ 2022 £
	Gifts 3,241 2,898 Grants — 31,737 Legacies — 1,250
	3,241 35,885

4.
5.
6.
7.

Income From Charitable Activities
2022
£
2021
£
Visits and Tours
17,996
—
Lectures and Symposia
26,503
7,506
44,499
7,506
Income From Trading Activities
2022
£
2021
£
Publications and Royalties
3,987
6,708
Investment Income
2022
£
2021
£
Income from Listed Investments
14,768
14,824
Interest Receivable on Cash Deposits
40
7
14,808
14,831
Expenditure
Unrestricted
Fund
£
Restricted
Funds
£
Total
2022
£
Total
2021
£
Charitable Activities
Visits and Tours
13,133
—
13,133
—
Lectures and Symposia
11,507
7,976
19,483
1,154
Donations and Grants
—
3,139
3,139
4,825
BIFMO
—
—
—
23,371
Journals
10,493
—
10,493
11,850
Newsletters
10,927
—
10,927
6,952
46,060
11,115
57,175
48,152
Support Costs
Secretarial and Administration
35,170
26,922
62,092
54,926
Travel
775
—
775
(639)
Mailing, Postage and Telephones
13,767
—
13,767
17,111
Printing and Stationery
1,379
—
1,379
1,644
Warehousing
1,582
—
1,582
1,160
Sundry expenses
3,188
229
3,417
3,098
Website costs
2,236
—
2,236
2,023
58,097
27,151
85,248
79,323

7. Expenditure continued

7.	Expenditure_continued_
		Unrestricted	Restricted	Total	Total
		Fund	Funds	2022	2021
		£	£	£	£
	Governance Costs
	Examiner's remuneration	2,000	—	2,000	1,500
	Insurance	1,540	—	1,540	1,476
	Trustees’ costs	842	375	1,217	871
		4,382	375	4,757	3,847
	Total	108,539	38,641	147,180	131,322
8.	Visits and Tours			2022	2021
				£	£
	Income			17,996	—
	Less: Expenditure			(13,133)	—
	Surplus for Year			4,863	—
9.	Lectures and Symposia			2022	2021
				£	£
	Income			26,503	7,506
	Less: Expenditure			(19,483)	(1,154)
	Surplus for Year			7,020	6,352
10. Net Incoming Resources				2022	2021
				£	£
	This is stated after charging:
	Accountants’ remuneration			2,000	1,500
11. Investments				2022	2021
				£	£
	a) Stock Market Investments:
	Market Value at 1 July 2021			391,357	379,405
	Disposals/Proceeds During the	year		—	(37,473)
	Realised (loss) on Disposals			—	(3,684)
	Net(Loss)/ Gain on Revaluation			(19,479)	53,109
	Market Value at 30 June 2022			371,878	391,357
	Historical Cost at 30 June 2022			264,698	264,698

11. Investments continued

	General	Ingram	Anniversary	Total	Total
	Fund	Fund	Fund	2022	2021
	£	£	£	£	£
Listed Investments - UK
M&G ‘Charifund’ Income Shares	48,268	62,441	—	110,709	114,183
COIF Income Shares	55,686	13,922	—	69,608	73,452
Schroders Charity Multi Asset Fund	—	54,041	105,990	160,031	170,998
CAF Equity Fund B Shares	—	31,530	—	31,530	32,724
	103,954	161,934	105,990	371,878	391,357

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

Property	2022	2021
	£	£
At Valuation - 1 July 2021	291,500	291,500
Revaluation inyear	84,500	—
At Valuation	376,000	291,500

In 2015, a residential property in Twickenham 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 1 (l)). The property was revalued during the year on a desk-top basis by Dexters, Chartered Surveyors. The resulting figure of £470,000 has been discounted by 20% to reflect current market conditions.

12.	Debtors 2022 £ 2021 £ Prepayments 691 1,604 Value Added Tax 512 142 1,203 1,746

13.	Current Liabilities 2022 £ 2021 £
	Amounts Falling Due Within One Year Deferred Income 23,315 24,144 Accruals 19,878 33,251
	43,193 57,395

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

14(a) Movements in Funds

Movements in Funds
	Unrestricted Fund	Designated Fund			Restricted Funds
	General	Howard	Ingram	Anniversary	Hilda	Alison Kelly	Card Makers	Total
Current year	Fund	Fund	Fund	Fund	Gadd Fund	Fund	Donation	2022
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Income From:-
Membership Subscriptions	71,794	—	—	—	—	—	—	71,794
Donations, Grants and Legacies	2,631	—	—	610	—	—	—	3,241
Charitable Activities	26,217	—	—	18,282	—	—	—	44,499
Other Trading Activities	3,987	—	—	—	—	—	—	3,987
Investment Income and Interest	4,158	—	6,444	4,206	—	—	—	14,808
Total	108,787	—	6,444	23,098	—	—	—	138,329
Expenditure On:-
Charitable Expenditure	108,539	—	3,537	35,104	—	—	—	147,180
Total	108,539	—	3,537	35,104	—	—	—	147,180
Transfers between funds	2,832	(832)	—	—	—	(2,000)	—	—
Net (Defcit)/Income	3,080	(832)	2,907	(12,006)	—	(2,000)	—	(8,851)
Other Recognised Gains and
(Losses)
Gains on Investment Assets	(4,589)	—	(7,626)	(7,266)	84,500	—	—	65,019
Net Movements in Funds	(1,509)	(832)	(4,719)	(19,272)	84,500	(2,000)	—	56,168
Balance Brought Forward at 1 July 2021	127,524	11,367	223,275	153,488	291,500	3,855	713	811,722
Balance Carried Forward at 30 June 2022	126,015	10,535	218,556	134,216	376,000	1,855	713	867,890

14(b). Movements in Funds

	Unrestricted Fund	Designated Fund			Restricted Funds	Restricted Funds
	General	Howard	Ingram	Anniversary	Hilda	Alison Kelly	Card Makers	Total
Previous year	Fund £	Fund £	Fund £	Fund £	Gadd Fund £	Fund £	Donation £	2021 £
Income From:-
Membership Subscriptions	73,667	—	—	—	—	—	—	73,667
Donations, Grants and Legacies	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 Funds	34,837	(129)	24,520	(528)	—	(2,000)	—	56,700
Balance Brought Forward at 1 July2020	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

15(a). Movements in Funds

Current year	Balance 1 July 2021	Incoming Resources	Outgoing Resources	Transfer	Gains and Losses	Balance 30 June 2022
	£	£	£	£	£	£
Restricted Funds
Ingram Fund	223,275	6,444	(3,537)	—	(7,626)	218,556
Anniversary Fund	153,488	23,098	(35,104)	—	(7,266)	134,216
Hilda Gadd Fund	291,500	—	—	—	84,500	376,000
Alison Kelly Fund	3,855	—	—	(2,000)	—	1,855
Card Makers Donation	713	—	—	—	—	713
Designated Funds
Howard Fund	11,367	—	—	(832)	—	10,535
Unrestricted Funds
General Fund	127,524	108,787	(108,539)	2,832	(4,589)	126,015
	811,722	138,329	(147,180)	—	65,019	867,890

15(b).Movements in Funds

Previous year	Balance 1 July 2020	Incoming Resources	Outgoing Resources	Transfer	Gains and Losses	Balance 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

16(a). Analysis of Net Assets Between Funds

		Other
Current year	Investments	Assets	Total
	£	£	£
Unrestricted General Fund	103,954	22,061	126,015
Designated Fund
Howard Fund	—	10,535	10,535
Restricted Funds
Ingram Fund	161,934	56,622	218,556
Anniversary Fund	105,990	28,226	134,216
Hilda Gadd Fund	—	376,000	376,000
Alison Kelly Fund	—	1,855	1,855
Card Makers Donation	—	713	713
	371,878	496,012	867,890

16(b).Analysis of Net Assets Between Funds

		Other
Previous year	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

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 £1,968 (2021: £2,569) comprising £1,875 (2021: £2,569) for website administration services and other sundry costs £92 (2021: £nil).

Dr Megan Aldrich was paid a total of £5,375 (2021: £5,286) comprising £5,000 (2021: £5,000) for editing the annual journal and other sundry costs £375 (2021: £100).

Expenses paid to one trustee in the year totalled £750 (2021: £771), comprising reimbursed travel £500 (2021: £624) and sundry other costs £250 (2021: £147).

THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE FURNITURE HISTORY SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2022

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 2022.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity trustees you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts 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 2011 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:

Accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
The accounts do not accord with those records; or
The accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and 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: 20th October 2022