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This is the first book on the history of the virtually unknown phenomenon of the importation of Continental church furniture into England since the early 19th century. Lavishly illustrated, well over one hundred pieces, from pulpits to choir stalls, are discussed in detail.
The taste for this furniture was fuelled by the Romantic medievalising enthusiasm of Augustus Welby Pugin and the Catholic Revival, as well as the eccentric whims of the Anglican Squiresons. It was clandestinely acquired mainly from France and the Low Countries by English antique dealers and other enterprising agents, including architects and the aristocracy, as a result of the catastrophic upheavals of the French Revolution. Surprisingly, much of the furniture is in the Baroque style.
The historical setting for this nostalgic explosion is described, as well as an account of some of the more unusual patronage, and the story is pursued into the 20th century. The second half of the book comprises a discussion of the most important specimens in the national collection, and their provenance, as well as a gazetteer of such material throughout England.
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