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Fortier, Ursin (1880-1900)

Fortier, Ursin

London; bamboo furniture maker (fl.c.1880-1900)

Listed at 65 Charlotte Street, Fitzroy Street in 1885 and at 26 Stephen Street, Tottenham Court Road in the London Post Office Trades Directory (1891). Fortier made bamboo furniture for Liberty and eventually the store became his sole client. He produced ‘Japanese-style’ bamboo furniture and also pieces in bamboo in conjunction with Moorish accessories such as plant pots etc, which were heavily promoted by Liberty in the 1880s & 1890s. Examples were shown in the Liberty & Co. catalogues of 1896 & 1898 (illus. Walkling (1979) pp. 103-106).

Sources: Walkling, Antique Bamboo Furniture (1979); Bennett, Liberty’s Furniture 1875-1915. The Birth of Modern Interior Design (2012).