author

Frederick Litchfield

1850–1930

A British writer on furniture and ceramics, he helped turn collecting and decorative arts into subjects ordinary readers could explore with confidence. His best-known books combine practical advice with a wide-ranging interest in design history.

2 Audiobooks

Illustrated History of Furniture: From the Earliest to the Present Time

Illustrated History of Furniture: From the Earliest to the Present Time

by Frederick Litchfield

Illustrated History of Furniture, fifth ed.

Illustrated History of Furniture, fifth ed.

by Frederick Litchfield

About the author

Frederick Litchfield was a British writer born in 1850 and died in 1930. The British Museum describes him as a writer on furniture and ceramics, and surviving library records show that he built his reputation through books for collectors and readers interested in decorative arts.

His best-known works include Pottery and Porcelain, first published in 1880, and Illustrated History of Furniture, first published in 1892. Other recorded titles include How to Collect Old Furniture and Antiques, Genuine and Spurious, which suggest the practical, guide-like approach that made his work useful to collectors as well as general readers.

Litchfield wrote at a time when interest in antiques, craftsmanship, and design history was growing quickly. His books stand out for bringing together historical overview, visual detail, and straightforward advice, helping later readers see furniture and ceramics not just as household objects, but as part of a longer story of taste and making.