33:
252:
He was perhaps the only man in the retail trade of that time who had any real interest in and knowledge of design and, like most pioneers, he was sniped at from all quarters. By many craftsman he was distrusted because he was in charge of an efficient business. By most businessman he was regarded as
263:
Heal was married twice. On 26 February 1895, he married Alice Rose
Rippingille and they moved to Pinner, Middlesex. In 1896, their son Cecil was born. After Alice's death from cancer in 1901, Heal remarried on 20 August 1904 to Edith Florence Digby Todhunter (d. 1946). He also had affairs in the
201:
In 1913, on the death of his father, he was elected chairman of Heals, using this position to champion artistic design within furniture manufacture and marketing. In 1933, he was knighted for raising standards of design, and in 1939 was elected to the
Faculty of Royal Designers for Industry. The
170:
factory, but in the mid-1890s he began designing simple, sturdy furniture, often in plain oak (in contrast to Heals' standard "Queen Anne" and "Old
English" styles). Although initially not popular with sales staff – who called them "prison furniture" – his designs appeared at exhibitions of the
179:. He continued to exhibit special pieces at Arts and Crafts exhibitions for more than thirty years, but his most significant contribution was to make simpler, well-designed, well-made furniture available to a broader middle-class public.
253:
a long hair chap with odd notions.... Today, when it has become possible to get well designed furniture in many shops, it is difficult to realise what a revolution Heal pioneered.
236:
Heal's influence over the company diminished in the mid-1930s, when one of his sons became managing director. Although considering retirement, he stayed as chairman during
190:, he nonetheless took advantage of machinery where appropriate. His simple, no-frills designs, created around 1905, appealed particularly to the inhabitants of the new
645:
209:
Although Heals continued to produce beds and mattresses as its staple, Heal diversified its range to include ceramics, glass, and textiles, as well as products in
111:
655:
233:
designed the company's posters, and its catalogues contained essays by influential art critics. The overall effect was to promote Heals as an iconic brand.
119:(3 September 1872 – 15 November 1959) was an English furniture designer and businessman in the first half of the 20th century. He served as the chairman of
315:
was printed for private circulation. He contributed articles on a variety of topics in connection with his historical research to publications such as
240:, finally retiring in 1953. Under his leadership sales of the Heal business grew from £75,000 p.a. in 1900 to in excess of £300,000 in the mid-1930s.
194:
and
Suburbs. He had already patented (with Hamilton Temple Smith) a unit furniture system in 1915. That same year, he became a founding member of the
610:
530:
417:
650:
172:
494:
394:
195:
400:
343:
511:"Heal, Sir Ambrose, (3 Sept. 1872–15 Nov. 1959), Head of the Business of Heal & Son, Ltd; designer and maker of furniture"
585:
510:
135:, London, the eldest son of Ambrose Heal and Emily Maria Stephenson. His great-grandfather, John Harris Heal, founded the
291:
and furniture makers. His collection of trade-cards is preserved at the
British Museum. He was the author of five books:
115:
448:
347:
article by Alan
Crawford describes this as "very wide of the mark" and accounts of his life and work as prone to
244:
631:
Collector's mark of
Ambrose Heal in Frits Lugt's Les marques de collections de dessins & d'estampes online
203:
147:
32:
665:
660:
616:
214:
191:
140:
230:
526:
490:
413:
351:, "but it showed what a powerful image he had created for his shop, and thus for himself". An
226:
176:
630:
175:, and soon became so successful that prejudices were overcome. Heal was also a member of the
518:
405:
352:
522:
467:
154:. This was followed by six months working for Graham and Biddle, furnishers, of London's
187:
144:
639:
222:
218:
155:
341:
obituary describes him as "one of the great artists and craftsmen of his time". The
625:
332:
237:
79:
434:
355:
348:
284:
265:
183:
621:
409:
132:
60:
206:
awarded him the Albert Gold Medal for services to industrial design in 1954.
570:
450:
Notable
Londoners, an illustrated who's who of professional and business men
337:
288:
280:
276:
136:
120:
272:
210:
611:'Better Furniture For Better Times' – Ambrose Heal and the Heal's Style
198:, which campaigned for "Fitness for Purpose" in industrial production.
167:
151:
359:
395:"Heal, Sir Ambrose (1872–1959), shopkeeper and furniture designer"
358:
commemorating Heal was placed at The Fives Court on Moss Lane in
275:, mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries, including records of
555:
Sir
Ambrose Heal and the Heal Cabinet Factory, Appendix VII
271:
Apart from work interests, he collected London historical
139:
furniture manufacturing and retail business. He attended
453:. London: London Publishing Agency. 1922. p. 36.
95:
87:
68:
42:
23:
393:
166:In 1893 he joined Heal & Son, working in the
613:, online exhibition, The Millinery Works Gallery
297:The English Writing Masters and their Copy Books
123:(then called Heal & Son) from 1913 to 1953.
249:
568:"Sir Ambrose Heal, An Outstanding Craftsman".
487:Sir Ambrose Heal and the Heal Cabinet Factory
293:London Tradesmen's Cards of the XVIII Century
8:
404:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
213:style. He established an art gallery at the
143:before serving a two-year apprenticeship to
31:
20:
489:. Oblong Creative. pp. Appendix 1.
462:
460:
401:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
371:
344:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
182:Undoubtedly influenced by the ideas of
646:People educated at Marlborough College
131:Heal was born on 3 September 1872 in
37:Photographic portrait of Ambrose Heal
7:
523:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U238429
387:
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
375:
656:English businesspeople in retailing
173:Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
101:(2) Edith Florence Digby Todhunter
14:
331:Heal died on 15 November 1959 in
196:Design and Industries Association
586:"HEAL, SIR AMBROSE (1872–1959)"
91:Furniture designer, businessman
18:British businessman (1872–1959)
313:The Records of the Heal Family
305:Signboards of Old London Shops
264:1920s with Prudence Maufe and
1:
468:"A Shop with high standards"
435:UK public library membership
651:English furniture designers
515:WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO
309:The London Furniture Makers
99:(1) Alice Rose Rippingille
682:
217:premises showing works by
82:, Buckinghamshire, England
362:, North London, in 2013.
30:
474:(199): 42-47. July 1965.
247:said of Heal's legacy,
392:Crawford, Alan (2004).
410:10.1093/ref:odnb/33786
256:
485:Heal, Oliver (2014).
301:The London Goldsmiths
204:Royal Society of Arts
311:(1953). In addition
215:Tottenham Court Road
574:. 17 November 1959.
141:Marlborough College
588:. English Heritage
231:Claud Lovat Fraser
229:. Artists such as
532:978-0-19-954089-1
433:(Subscription or
419:978-0-19-861412-8
177:Art Workers Guild
105:
104:
673:
598:
597:
595:
593:
582:
576:
575:
565:
559:
558:
550:
544:
543:
541:
539:
507:
501:
500:
482:
476:
475:
464:
455:
454:
445:
439:
438:
430:
428:
426:
397:
389:
353:English Heritage
243:Fellow designer
118:
108:Sir Ambrose Heal
75:
72:15 November 1959
57:3 September 1872
56:
54:
35:
21:
681:
680:
676:
675:
674:
672:
671:
670:
636:
635:
607:
602:
601:
591:
589:
584:
583:
579:
567:
566:
562:
552:
551:
547:
537:
535:
533:
509:
508:
504:
497:
484:
483:
479:
466:
465:
458:
447:
446:
442:
432:
424:
422:
420:
391:
390:
373:
368:
329:
317:The Connoisseur
261:
164:
148:James Plucknett
129:
110:
100:
83:
77:
73:
64:
58:
52:
50:
49:
48:
38:
26:
19:
12:
11:
5:
679:
677:
669:
668:
663:
658:
653:
648:
638:
637:
634:
633:
628:
619:
614:
606:
605:External links
603:
600:
599:
577:
560:
553:Heal, Oliver.
545:
531:
502:
495:
477:
456:
440:
418:
370:
369:
367:
364:
328:
325:
260:
257:
245:Gordon Russell
188:William Morris
163:
160:
128:
125:
103:
102:
97:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
78:
76:(aged 87)
70:
66:
65:
59:
46:
44:
40:
39:
36:
28:
27:
24:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
678:
667:
664:
662:
659:
657:
654:
652:
649:
647:
644:
643:
641:
632:
629:
627:
623:
620:
618:
615:
612:
609:
608:
604:
587:
581:
578:
573:
572:
564:
561:
556:
549:
546:
534:
528:
524:
520:
516:
512:
506:
503:
498:
496:9780957599239
492:
488:
481:
478:
473:
469:
463:
461:
457:
452:
451:
444:
441:
436:
421:
415:
411:
407:
403:
402:
396:
388:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
376:
372:
365:
363:
361:
357:
354:
350:
346:
345:
340:
339:
334:
326:
324:
322:
318:
314:
310:
306:
302:
298:
294:
290:
286:
285:calligraphers
282:
278:
274:
269:
267:
259:Personal life
258:
255:
254:
248:
246:
241:
239:
234:
232:
228:
224:
223:Wyndham Lewis
220:
216:
212:
207:
205:
199:
197:
193:
192:Garden Cities
189:
185:
180:
178:
174:
169:
161:
159:
157:
156:Oxford Street
153:
149:
146:
145:cabinetmakers
142:
138:
134:
126:
124:
122:
117:
113:
109:
98:
94:
90:
88:Occupation(s)
86:
81:
71:
67:
62:
45:
41:
34:
29:
22:
16:
626:Find a Grave
622:Ambrose Heal
590:. Retrieved
580:
569:
563:
554:
548:
536:. Retrieved
514:
505:
486:
480:
471:
449:
443:
423:. Retrieved
399:
342:
336:
333:Beaconsfield
330:
321:Country Life
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
270:
262:
251:
250:
242:
238:World War II
235:
208:
200:
181:
165:
130:
107:
106:
80:Beaconsfield
74:(1959-11-15)
47:Ambrose Heal
25:Ambrose Heal
15:
666:1959 deaths
661:1872 births
538:3 September
425:3 September
356:blue plaque
349:hagiography
266:Dodie Smith
184:John Ruskin
640:Categories
437:required.)
366:References
289:signboards
281:goldsmiths
227:Modigliani
133:Crouch End
127:Early life
61:Crouch End
53:1872-09-03
571:The Times
277:tradesmen
96:Spouse(s)
517:. 2007.
307:(1947),
303:(1935),
299:(1931),
295:(1925),
273:ephemera
211:Art Deco
63:, London
219:Picasso
168:bedding
152:Warwick
529:
493:
472:Design
431:
416:
360:Pinner
335:. His
327:Legacy
162:Career
137:Heal's
121:Heal's
617:Heals
592:4 May
338:Times
114:
594:2014
540:2021
527:ISBN
491:ISBN
427:2021
414:ISBN
319:and
225:and
186:and
69:Died
43:Born
624:at
519:doi
406:doi
150:in
116:RDI
112:FSA
642::
525:.
513:.
470:.
459:^
412:.
398:.
374:^
323:.
287:,
283:,
279:,
268:.
221:,
158:.
596:.
557:.
542:.
521::
499:.
429:.
408::
55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.