Duffour, William

Berwick St, London; carver, gilder and papier-mâché maker (fl. c. 1749–84)

He claimed to be the original maker of papier mâché and in 1749 was famous for his ‘paper ornaments like stucco’. His address in 1757 is given as The Golden Head, Great St Andrew's Street, Seven Dials, which was also the lodging address of Martin Foxhall. He took over the address in Berwick Street in 1760 from Joseph Duffour continuing to trade from there until at least 1784. William and Marrianne Duffour took out a Sun Insurance policy in 1777 for £600, utensils, stock and goods accounting for £200. Polled at Westminster in 1784. Almost certainly the W. Duffour whose trade label is recorded on a looking-glass, c. 1775, giving address at ‘The Golden Head’, 30 Berwick St. Rococo trade label, c. 1760, of Duffour at this address is recorded. Duffour was succeeded by René Stone, probably René Duffour. Duffour supplied frames to Longford Castle, Wilts, at about £4 each. Probably the William Duffour who supplied the Duke of Beaufort, for Badminton House, Glos. with ‘Two rich Italian picture frames, Two smaller do’, costing £5 17s, on 5 and 28 April 1778.

Source: DEFM; Kirkham, ‘The London Furniture Trade,1700-1870’, Furniture History (1988), p.117;  Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture 1700-1840 (1996);  Jervis, ‘Splendentia recognita: furniture by Martin Foxhall for Fonthill’, The Burlington Magazine, vol. 147.