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ercol computer cabinet in elm

Windsor Sideboard / Computer Cabinet in Elm by Ercol

£299.00

Ercol cabinet with a gorgeous Elm grain.

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  • Description

    A wonderful Ercol elm cabinet, this unit is in Ercol’s Light color has super grain patterns. A solid piece of furniture that looks stylish from all angles and has its original castors, making it easy to move around. Once the doors are opend, the cabinet has slide-out areas for keybourd and printer and a space to the right hand side for a tower PC to sit.

    In 1889, Italian-born Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976) immigrated with his parents to England, settling in East London. His father—who constructed picture frames for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and took up work as a carpenter for the Salvation Army in London—urged Ercolani to follow in his footsteps. Ercolani studied drawing and design at the Shoreditch Technical Institute, before sitting the City & Guild exams in the theory and construction of furniture. In 1907, he made his first piece of furniture, a musical cabinet. At school he met Ted Gomme, the man who would later co-found G-Plan, and with whom he developed a lifelong friendship which outlived their working relationship, which lasted until 1920.

    Like many British firms, Ercol supported the war effort, producing over 25,000 tent pegs a day, while both of Lucian’s sons, who worked in the family business, fought in the war. In 1944, Ercol was offered a huge contract to supply the Board of Trade with 100,000 low cost Windsor chairs. Ercol had uncovered a new way of utilizing elm, a natural resource in the High Wycombe forest that had been neglected as a timber due to its unruly and brittle nature. Using a special technique and new machinery, Ercol was able to manipulate the elm into a beautiful product. The process began with natural seasoning—drying the wood for one to two years outside—followed by kilning—steaming the wood in a large, enclosed room. In 1947, the first pieces from their Windsor Collection were available for purchase—which Ercol exhibited the year previously at the Britain Can Make It exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Ercol's collection of mass-produced furniture found a ready-made market in post-war Britain, which demanded smaller pieces with simpler lines than their more bulky pre-war counterparts.

    Two of the castors have brakes so that the unit can be 'locked' in situ for use as a PC station.

    H79 x W104 x D55cm (Height to top of keyboard shelf: 71cm)

  • Condition

    As can be expected with vintage pieces, this item may have minor wear. Please contact us if you have any queries regarding condition. If the sizes, colour, etc all work for you, we’re more than happy to make you a pre-purchase video to confirm condition, prior to you placing your order.

  • Delivery

    We can easily help arrange delivery via trusted furniture couriers who operate throughout the UK. The delivery part is simple. We send furniture to London and all parts of the UK every week of the year. We’re also happy to accommodate you if you’d prefer to collect in person. Prices do not include delivery.

  • Location

    We have two showrooms, in Ayrshire and Glasgow, and viewings are by appointment. We can arrange viewings day or evening, 7 days a week. Please call, Whatsapp or text Stuart on 07534323180 to arrange a viewing.

Description

A wonderful Ercol elm cabinet, this unit is in Ercol’s Light color has super grain patterns. A solid piece of furniture that looks stylish from all angles and has its original castors, making it easy to move around. Once the doors are opend, the cabinet has slide-out areas for keybourd and printer and a space to the right hand side for a tower PC to sit.

In 1889, Italian-born Lucian Ercolani (1888-1976) immigrated with his parents to England, settling in East London. His father—who constructed picture frames for the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and took up work as a carpenter for the Salvation Army in London—urged Ercolani to follow in his footsteps. Ercolani studied drawing and design at the Shoreditch Technical Institute, before sitting the City & Guild exams in the theory and construction of furniture. In 1907, he made his first piece of furniture, a musical cabinet. At school he met Ted Gomme, the man who would later co-found G-Plan, and with whom he developed a lifelong friendship which outlived their working relationship, which lasted until 1920.

Like many British firms, Ercol supported the war effort, producing over 25,000 tent pegs a day, while both of Lucian’s sons, who worked in the family business, fought in the war. In 1944, Ercol was offered a huge contract to supply the Board of Trade with 100,000 low cost Windsor chairs. Ercol had uncovered a new way of utilizing elm, a natural resource in the High Wycombe forest that had been neglected as a timber due to its unruly and brittle nature. Using a special technique and new machinery, Ercol was able to manipulate the elm into a beautiful product. The process began with natural seasoning—drying the wood for one to two years outside—followed by kilning—steaming the wood in a large, enclosed room. In 1947, the first pieces from their Windsor Collection were available for purchase—which Ercol exhibited the year previously at the Britain Can Make It exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Ercol’s collection of mass-produced furniture found a ready-made market in post-war Britain, which demanded smaller pieces with simpler lines than their more bulky pre-war counterparts.

Two of the castors have brakes so that the unit can be ‘locked’ in situ for use as a PC station.

H79 x W104 x D55cm (Height to top of keyboard shelf: 71cm)

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