The historic
Frederick Parker collection
The Frederick Parker chair collection and archive
The Frederick Parker Chair Collection is an outstanding resource for studying British furniture making and design from the 17th century to the present day.
The Frederick Parker chair collection and archive together form one of the most complete records of furniture making in Britain over more than 150 years. It is an outstanding resource for students of furniture history and design.
The collection and archive are owned by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers. Part of the chair collection is on long term loan to the London Design and Engineering University Technical College, where it forms part the East London Furniture Institute (ELFI) and will be accessible to visitors later in 2026. Meanwhile a catalogue of the entire chair collection is online. The archive is on long term loan to the London Metropolitan University, accessible both to visitors and online.
Enquiries and Visits
The chair collection is being moved to a new location, the London Design and Engineering University Technical College, 15 University Way, London E16 2RD. A selection of 75 chairs will be displayed at the College and will be accessible to visitors by appointment from autumn 2026.
Visiting the Frederick Parker Collection
They will be part of the East London Furniture Institute which provides courses in furniture design and making, upholstery and woodworking. Individual and group visits may be arranged by appointment.
The whole collection of around 200 chairs is already accessible in an online catalogue with high resolution photographs and detailed descriptions of every chair.
The archive is housed at London Metropolitan University, within the Special Collections Library at the Holloway Road campus. It is available for research by students and readers, and group visits can be arranged by appointment.
Visiting the Frederick Parker Collection
Parts of the archive have now been digitised are accessible online.
For general enquiries about the Frederick Parker chair collection and archive please contact The Furniture Makers’ Company.
