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Luke Honey | Decorative Antiques, Chess, Backgammon & Games

fine-chess-set-by-lund-signed-mid-19th-century

March 04, 2019

Signed chess sets by William Lund are scarce.

 

The Lund family were well-known turners and manufacturers of fancy goods during the Victorian period. Thomas Lund established his business and warehouse at 57 Cornhill, London in 1804, initially selling pens and quills and later, cutlery, writing boxes, dressing cases and other fancy goods including chess sets. 

William Lund (Thomas’s son) set up his manufactory and retail shop at 24 Fleet Street, London in 1835. The property had been acquired from William Anderson, a cutler and razor manufacturer, under whom William Lund had been previously apprenticing. At that time, Fleet Street enjoyed a cluster of shops specifically selling luxury goods to the carriage trade.

Thomas and William ran their businesses independently, but after Thomas’s death in 1845, William took over the running of both, whilst also expanding his own premises to include 23 Fleet Street. By 1859, the Fleet Street premises had again expanded to include No. 25.

When William Lund died in 1872, his son Charles continued on the business under the name of William Lund & Son.