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Bianco, D. & Sons (1880-1980)

Bianco, D. & Sons

Fitzroy Works, North Crescent, Chenies Street, Tottenham Court Road, London; furniture manufacturers (fl.1880-1980)

Established in 1880 by Domenico Bianco, who was born in Piedmont, Italy (1852), and arrived in London in 1873. The firm started off as a small workshop in the basement of his house just off Tottenham Court Road, producing furniture of a high quality in French, Italian and English styles. 

The London Post Office Directory (1891 & 1902) recorded his address as 59 Chenies Mews and 15a Clipstone Street respectively.  In the early 1900s Domenico was joined in the business by his two sons, Mario and Silvio, the firm then became D. Bianco & Sons.

By 1913 Domenico had built a new steel and concrete building in Chenies Street, just off Tottenham Court Road. The ground floor of the premises had a showroom for drawing room and library furniture and a design studio. The first floor was devoted to bedroom and dining room furniture with the 2nd, 3rd & 4th floors devoted to workshops. There was a polishing shop on the 2nd floor and 3rd & 4th floors housing the cabinet makers, who had a certain amount of machinery but the use of this was reported to take second place to hand work. The extensive roof area was used for the seasoning of timber with the basement used for storage of the timber and veneers.  

In the 1920s the London Illustrated News reported that the showrooms displayed a wide range of reproduction furniture in classic styles as well as new designs. Although Mario and Silvio worked as furniture designers, the firm also employed others including A. Maynard and the company produced furniture for architects including Edwin and Robert Lutyens, and for interior designers. Goods were produced and supplied to the trade in London, Great Britain and worldwide, including bedroom suites to Heal’s, Tottenham Court Road. The Heal’s commissions comprised one particular design in 1910 & 1925, increasing to five in 1930 and six in 1936.

During the two World Wars, they produced aeroplane wings, propellers and munition boxes but returned to furniture and panelling post war.  D. Bianco & Sons were still listed at Fitzroy Works, Chenies Street in London Post Office Directory, 1941. Sometime after 1945 their production moved to a small factory in Camden Town, taking over C. Mansfield & Sons, another Heal's supplier, 1950. Bianco eventually merged with the rival firm of Charles Pegram in the 1980s.

A set of six stamped chairs with leather backs and seats on oak frames (illustrated below), were designed and produced by D. Bianco & Sons Ltd in 1972 for the London Stock Exchange Council Chamber. These chairs were probably commissioned by Sir Nicholas Goodison, a member of the Council for the London Stock Exchange in 1972 and later Chairman. Sir Nicholas was also President of the Furniture History Society until 2020. The chairs were sold at auction by Sworders in June 2018. 

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chairs

Set of Chairs commissioned for the London Stock Exchange, 1972. Sworders Auction House, Essex, June 2018

Photographs of the workshop at Chenies Street and the Bianco family are illustrated in Massil (1997), pls 4 & 5.

The firm's archive of cash books, ledgers, designs, sketches & photographs, 1930-70, is at the Archive of Art & Design, V&A (AAD/1995/18). 

Sources: Massil, Immigrant Furniture Workers in London 1881-1939 (1997); Heal, Sir Ambrose Heal and the Heal Cabinet Factory 1897-1939 (2014).