Historic Frederick Parker Collection chairs to go under the hammer at summer auction

A selection of chairs from the renowned Frederick Parker Chair Collection will be offered for sale this summer at Sworders Auction House, giving collectors, furniture makers and design enthusiasts a rare opportunity to acquire pieces.

The auction will take place on 23 June and forms part of an exciting new chapter for the Collection as it relocates from London Metropolitan University to its new home at the East London Furniture Institute (ELFI) in Docklands.

After more than two decades at London Metropolitan University, the Frederick Parker Chair Collection is being transferred to ELFI, an emerging centre of excellence for furniture making, upholstery and craftsmanship training. The move will ensure the Collection remains accessible to future generations of students, makers and researchers while placing it at the heart of a thriving furniture education community.

As part of the transition, the Collection is being carefully refined. The most significant, historically important and inspiring chairs will be retained to form a permanent display at ELFI, where they will continue to support teaching, research and public engagement.

A number of pieces, however, have been identified as suitable for deaccessioning and will now be made available through auction. The sale offers a unique opportunity for collectors, craftspeople and design enthusiasts to own examples from a collection that has played a vital role in documenting the history and evolution of chair design and furniture making.