Earl Spencer to Host Tea, Discussion at Market

October 9, 2011  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in licensing on October 10, 2011

Charles, 9th Earl Spencer will host a champagne tea and discuss family history in the new Theodore Alexander showroom during High Point Furniture Market.

The invitation-only event for Althorp Living History retailers and media on Saturday, Oct. 22, will feature a traditional champagne tea as served to visitors at the Althorp estate. The customary fare will include a selection of hand-cut sandwiches, fruit scones served with pots of jam and clotted cream, an array of English cakes and of course, freshly brewed Althorp Tea and House champagne. Earl Spencer also will a special announcement during the event regarding an exciting sales promotion exclusively for Althorp Living History retailers.

Theodore Alexander is the exclusive manufacturer of the licensed home furnishings collection Althorp Living History, based on more than 500 years of living history from the Althorp Estate, the Spencer family home. The collection will be displayed this Market in a new, dedicated showroom-within-a-showroom environment marked by an entryway which has been replicated from Althorp.

According to Russell Towner, president of Theodore Alexander, introductions this season will "reflect a captivating insight into the past, with furnishings based on the distinctive legacy of each of the nine Earls Spencer and their specific achievements, whether military, naval, political, personal or in direct relation to the 14,000-acre Althorp estate." The "Nine Earls" galleried selection encompasses signature pieces in tribute to each of the Earls correlating with his designated period in history.

Among the extraordinary pieces is a hand-carved mahogany library armchair commemorating the life of the 2nd Earl Spencer. As 1st Lord of the Admiralty between 1794 and 1801, George John Spencer appointed Horatio Nelson to the position of commander of the English Fleet in the Mediterranean. Originally crafted from timber taken from HMS Victory, flagship of Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar, the back of the remarkable chair is in the shape of a ship's transom carved with a coat of arms and its armrests are modeled as cannons.

The 9th Earl Spencer's literary achievements are celebrated with The Author's Desk and Chair, a satinwood and rosewood cross banded writing table modeled after a late 18th century original by Thomas Sheraton. A finely carved mahogany armchair in the manner of George Hepplewhite features a shield back with wheat sheaf, palm leaf and rosette carving.  

The Althorp Living History collection provides a source of funds used in the restoration of the Althorp estate, one of England's oldest and most impressive country houses. Twenty consecutive generations of the Spencer family have resided at Althorp, including the current occupant--the 9th Earl Spencer.

The new Theodore Alexander showroom is located at 229 West Russell Avenue, #8 on the Green Line shuttle for High Point Market.