Daguerre, Dominique

Sloane St, Chelsea, London; cabinet maker (fl.1789–d. 1796)

A refugee French dealer who fled to London in 1793. He was purveyor of furniture to Louis XVI and styled ‘Marchand privilégé de la Cour’, his shop in Paris being at the sign of the ‘Couronne d'Or’, Rue St Honoré. He is mentioned in D'Oberkirch's Memoirs as having there a fine sideboard, which was to be sent to the Duke of Northumberland. In 1785 he supplied furniture to the 2nd Earl Spencer at Althorp. In 1789 he sent in a bill to the English Crown for £1,659 for ‘carving and gilding done by S. Nelson by order of Mr. Dagare’. After his arrival in London he entered into partnership with another Frenchman, M. E. Lingereux, at a shop in Sloane St. From there the firm supplied a large quantity of costly furniture for Carlton House, including some gilt armchairs and sofas, which are still in the Royal Collection and bear Daguerre's label. Two mahogany chairs from a suite made by Georges Jacob were supplied by Daguerre for Carlton House and have his manuscript label. They also remain in the Royal Collection (illus. Gilbert (1996), figs 271-273). On the 28 October 1794 he also estimated for the supply for Carlton House’s  Crimson Drawing Room for ‘Three pairs of Green Damask Window Curtains with Ornamental drapery, silk trimmings, inriched cornices’, no doubt intended to harmonise  with the green scagliola imitating cipollino marble of the walls although these may not have been delivered because Holland notes three weeks earlier that the colour was to be changed to coloured stucco to allow 'for hanging His Royal Highnesses Pictures'. He claimed £15,000 in the proceedings of the Commissioners for the settlement of the Prince's debts. Daguerre is named in Henry Holland's accounts for furniture supplied to Woburn Abbey, Beds., costing £107 5s 6d. Items included four lamps with two burners for the Billiard Room, £12, and two writing tables for the Dressing Room of the East Apartment. Lord Palmerston purchased girandoles and a clock from Daguerre for Broadlands in 1790.

Source: DEFM; de Bellaigue, ‘The Crimson Drawing Room, Carlton House’, Furniture History (1989)Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840 (1996).