Collinson & Lock

Collinson & Lock was a leading London-based furniture and decorative arts firm active from 1870 to 1897. Founded by Francis Collinson and George Lock—former employees of Jackson & Graham—the company quickly became synonymous with high-quality “Art Furniture” during the Victorian Aesthetic Movement. Known for their refined craftsmanship and progressive design approach, the firm collaborated with influential designers such as E.W. Godwin, T.E. Collcutt, H.W. Batley, and Stephen Webb.

Celebrated for their Anglo-Japanese, Gothic Revival, and Renaissance Revival furniture, Collinson & Lock played a key role in promoting the new artistic style that swept through late 19th-century interiors. Their pieces, often ebonized and inlaid, were featured in major international exhibitions including Philadelphia (1876), Paris (1878), and Chicago (1893), earning them multiple awards and international acclaim.

Beyond furniture, they offered comprehensive interior decoration services, supplying elite clients such as Oscar Wilde, the Rothschilds, and members of the British and Prussian royal families. Their work ranged from bespoke furniture to complete interiors for private homes, yachts, and public buildings like the Savoy Theatre and Royal Courts of Justice.
Though the company dissolved in 1897 and was later absorbed by Waring & Gillow, Collinson & Lock remains a celebrated name in decorative arts history, recognized for shaping the aesthetic and design values of late Victorian Britain.