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Hunter, Richard (1877-1892)

Hunter, Richard

London; wholesale art furniture maker and cabinet maker (fl.1877-1892)

Richard Hunter was trading from 6 Eden Street, Hampstead Road from 1877-1880. In March 1880 he moved to 20 & 21 Frederick Street, Hampstead. A fire broke out at the Hampstead address in the spring of 1882 and he temporarily moved to 388 Euston Road, at the corner of Diana Place, before finally settling into the Steam Cabinet Works at 36 Cardigan Street in November 1882 [The Furniture Gazette Directory, 1877; London Post Office Directory 1880; The Furniture Gazette, 9 July, 188115 April & 18 November 1882; Post Office Directory, 1885; The Furniture Gazette: Classified List of the Furniture, Upholstery, and Allied Trades, 1886].

Journalists from The Furniture Gazette visited Hunter's Cardigan Street factory in the spring of 1886 to view his furniture manufacture, which included cabinets, overmantels and his 'Sutherland' and other fancy tables. They reported he demonstrated his fret saw for harmonium makers and commented that the factory was fitted out with every modern machine on the ground floor with cabinet making on the first floor.

Special reference was made to a 4 foot 6 inch high cabinet made in rosewood and mahogany, relieved with marquetry panels, and also to an overmantel. They noted that the prices of these goods left a fair margin to the trade [The Furniture Gazette, 1 June 1886].

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Drawing of a cabinet

Rosewood and mahogany cabinet with marquetry panels, c. 1886. The Furniture Gazette, 1 June 1886, p. 209.

The Furniture Gazette recorded Hunter's participation in four exhibitions:

  • The 2nd & 3rd Annual Furniture Exhibitions (1882 & 1883). At the latter his display was of drawing room furniture in prevailing styles, in marquetrie [sic], walnut, dark mahogany and ebonised woods. Of particular note was the American walnut cabinet after Chippendale and a dark mahogany cabinet with marquetry in the Adams style [29 April 1882 & 1 September 1883]
  • The 4th Furniture Trades Exhibition, Agricultural Hall, 1884, with a display of artistic cabinets in rosewood, mahogany, walnut and ebony, some with marquetry inlay, overmantels, etageres, wall hanging cabinets and tables (writing, card & centre); bow fronted corner cupboard [10 & 17 May 1884]
  • The Building Exhibition, Agricultural Hall, Islington 1892 [15 April 1892]

Hunter often advertised in The Furniture Gazette to promote new trade catalogues and show illustrations of his furniture and prices, for example: 

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A Corner cabinet

A corner cupboard designed and made by Richard Hunter. The Furniture Gazette, 20 December 1879, p. 420.

Priced items:  

  • An overmantel mirror with bevelled silvered plate £3
  • An occasional table 10s 6d
  • Mirrors 11s 6d & £1 15s
  • A wall display unit with shelves & mirrors £1 15s
  • A similar larger one  £3
  • A smaller mirror 11s 6
  • An octagonal table £1 12s 6d.

All were available in ebonised walnut or dark mahogany [20 September 1879; 20 December 1879; 4 January 1880; 15 September 1883; 18 October 1884; 15 August 1892].