Howard & Sons 'Portarlington' Sofa with Giltwood Legs, circa 1905

A C R O T E R I O N is pleased to offer this wonderful, rare, and possibly unique, circa 1905 fully-stamped 'Portarlington' model upholstered sofa by renowned London firm Howard & Sons, of two-cushion loveseat form, the arched back connecting outward scrolled arms between down-filled squab cushioned seat on square tapering rosette-topped fluted giltwood legs at front and swept rear all on original brass casters stamped 'Howard & Sons Ltd London', the underside with central bowed beechwood stretcher and interior rear left leg stamped with serial numbers.

Provenance: Bedford, New York private collection acquired from the estate of Dame Katherine Jane Trefusis Forbes, Lady Watson-Watt, DBE, (21 March 1899 – 18 June 1971), Air Chief Commandant of Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), the female auxiliary of the British Royal Air Force during the Second World War and married to Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, the inventor of Radar. Possibly ordered by her uncle, noted Scottish electrical engineer, astronomer, explorer, author, and inventor Professor George Forbes (5 April 1849 – 22 October 1936), for his Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland estate he built in 1906 known as 'The Observatory', which he lovingly called "The Shed", that she inherited upon his death.