Antique Campaign Folding Armchair, Maker: J. Alderman, London, Circa 1870

Victorian caned satin birch campaign traveling or invalid’s folding armchair with front and rear steel carrying handles that unfold, the legs unscrew from the frame for easy transport and the hand rail is removable. Trigger mechanism in the corner of the arm enables the arms to fold and the caned back to fold flat against the seat. Makers engraved brass label on the lower back of the chair reads: J. Alderman, Inventor, Patentee and Manufacturer, 16 Soho Square, London.

Alderman was already a well know invalid chair, couch and carriage manufacturer when he established an independent business at 16 Soho Square in 1860. Before that he worked for Thomas Chapman, also a manufacturer of invalid chairs, at 6 Denmark Street in Soho. He became Chapman’s partner in 1855 and the firm changed its name to Chapman and Alderman. In 1890 the firm was renamed Alderman, Johnson & Co. and moved to Charing Cross Road and New Oxford Street. In 1903 the company was transferred into John Ward Ltd.