Description

A vintage teak sideboard designed by Tom Robertson and manufactured by A.H. McIntosh of Kirkcaldy. This is a very rarely found piece of mid century Scottish furniture and features extensive storage. The sideboard has two shelved cupboards that sit either side of a bank of three drawers, the top drawer with cutlery dividers and lined in red felt. An elegant and very stylish retro sideboard, this one has a few stand-out design features. The legs are, untypically, positioned at the four corners of this piece and there are some long, gentle, sweeping curves along both the top and bottom of its front which are reflected in those attractive drawer pulls. Take a good look at this sideboard as there are quite a few design elements that really catch the eye.

Scottish furniture manufacturer McIntosh is best known on the vintage market for their mid-century style furniture, particularly for teak cabinetry and sideboards. Founded in 1869 by Alexander Henry (A.H) McIntosh (1835-1919) in Kirkcaldy, Fife. The business quickly grew in size, requiring new, larger premises just a decade later. In 1879, McIntosh bought a new factory and opened Victoria Cabinet Works a year later.

Though little information regarding McIntosh’s early designs is available, it is known that the factory—like many British enterprises—joined the war effort during the First World War. With most workers (including the founder’s grandson, Henry) called up to enlist, the McIntosh factory began manufacturing airplane wings and other parts for the duration of the war. During this time, Alexander Henry’s son Thomas Wishart McIntosh (1861–1933), headed the family business from London, where McIntosh had established an office.

Despite an aesthetic that could be mistaken as Danish modern, the company marketed itself, both at home and abroad, as a proud Scottish firm that utilized traditional processes and that employed local, highly-skilled cabinetmakers. The McIntosh label, which survives on many 1950s and 1960s pieces, shows the Scottish thistle and crown, a long-time symbol of Scotland. From 1948 until 1983, Tom Robertson worked as head designer for the firm; creating his most notable design, the teak Dunvegan sideboard (1960s) known for its sculpted handles.

L175 D:46 H:82cm