The first comprehensive study of William Ince and John Mayhew's famous
eighteenth-century cabinetmaking partnership, complemented by
high-quality photographs of their work.
The partnership of William Ince (1737-1804) and John Mayhew (1736-1811)
ran from 1758 to 1804, and was one of the most enduring and
well-connected collaborations in Georgian London's tight-knit
cabinetmaking community. The partners' clientele was probably larger,
and their work was arguably more influential over a longer period, than
most other leading metropolitan makers - perhaps even than that of their
older contemporary, the celebrated Thomas Chippendale.
Despite their considerable output and an impressive tally of clients and
commissions, much of Ince and Mayhew's work has remained unidentified
until recent times. The authors' substantial research in private family
archives, county record offices and bank archives has allowed them to
uncover much new evidence about the business and its influence within
cabinetmaking circles. In Industry and Ingenuity, the results of these
new investigations are presented alongside an impressive selection of
more than 500 colourful, vibrant photographs of Ince and Mayhew's works,
many previously unpublished, which together emphasise the partnership's
proper position in the pantheon of great eighteenth-century
cabinetmakers.
