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Mahogany is a straight-grained, reddish-brown timber and is a member of the Genus Swietenia which is indigenous to central America, west indies and Mexico. It became widely popular in 18th Century America and is still sought after in most countries to this day, despite this many do not know its dark past. Where does the word ‘mahogany’ come from? One of the most well known theories of the origin comes from the slaves who were transported from Africa to America by European explorers. West Africans belonging to the Yoruba and Ibo peoples used the word ‘m’oganwo’ to describe the Khaya genus trees which grow natively in their homeland. The Khaya genus is a similar family to the American mahogany trees that the imported slaves would have seen upon their commission to the new world. So the adaptation of their native word would have likely been used by the explorers. This depressing start of the mahogany story starts to paint the bleak story of slavery, vicious competition and international rivalry. How did Mahogany gain it’s bad reputation? By the 18th century, mahogany had become popular in England, France and North America; it was used from boats to cabinets due to its attractive qualities as well as resistant attributes. This boom in popularity caused Europeans to exploit forced labour where slaves were used to harvest the naturally grown wood in North America, the west Indies and many other countries. The ships sailed to Africa for slaves, then to the Caribbean with a cargo of Africans, and finally back loaded with slave-grown produce of sugar, rum and mahogany. They had to drag and roll felled mahogany trunks to riverfronts and then float the logs, which were chained together, to ships waiting in bays full of sharks and coral reefs. The inhumanities that were forced upon captured slaves and how these conditions only got worse as the wood got scarcer and they had to search in more punishing conditions. So what was the impact of Mahogany? The rarity and popularity of mahogany caused social implications with mahogany pieces being symbols of power, privilege, and wealth. In 1830s Philadelphia, fine woodwork and furniture became status symbols for free African-Americans and in writings about white mobs attacking their homes, a newspaper reporter described a sorry pile of “bedsteads and mahogany banisters, cut up into small particles, as for kindling wood.” It was so significant that even racist mobs targeted the wood due to the symbolism that it held to the freed slaves. So why is Mahogany so rare and expensive today? There is inconsistent supply of the timber for the marketplace as it became increasingly hard to find accessible sources in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, mahogany proved resistant to nearly every attempt at cultivation, limited by insects and a resistance to germination under controlled conditions. This meant that large scale mahogany plantations were very limited due to Mahogany's reaction to certain conditions and therefore supply was bound to the natural supplies which soon ran out. This even led to White abolitionists gradually losing their taste for mahogany. Dickens wrote that the varnished wood reflected “in the depth of its grain, through all its polish, the hue of the wretched slaves.” Mahogany had social implications in all areas of life from elites to slaves to abolitionists to racists. In conclusion, any highly rare material or product will tend to have a story of bloodshed attached to it as greed leads to exploitation. This can be seen all throughout history, whether this be gold in 16th century Columbia where a 1,000 slaves were bought each year by the Spanish to pan for gold or blood diamonds produced in the 20-21st century which affects many parts of Africa and results in the slave labour of children and the funding of civil wars. The sad reality is that many products you buy today will have been at the expense of a fellow man. It's key to be aware of this and treat old products with respect while being careful that you're not adding to an existing problem.

It's always nice to set a goal and to achieve it. We didn't set out to win the best display award, but by teaming up with Phil from Phil Taylor's Cool Stuff we wanted to create a showcase for Decorative Antiques and Unique Interiors. We share with Phil a passion for using antiques to create unique and stunning interiors. Henley was a stunning event absolutely full of amazing stands with the highest quality pieces. We were surprised and humbled to receive the award whilst amongst these dealers who we have always looked up to and admired. A big thank you to Gary and his team for organising the amazing event and to all of the people who came out and supported us. We had a fantastic time, met some great new contacts, sold and bought beautiful pieces and lost ourselves for 5 days in the wonderful crazy (and exhausting) world of Antiques!

After a wonderful first market last month, Chiswick High Road Antiques Market returns this Sunday 13th June. Retrovation will be back on the High Street at the market tomorrow. We had a fantastic first event and met lots of new customers. It's a fantastic way to not just sell on the day but also to introduce Retrovation to a whole new audience who have also then visited our website since the market. It is also a great way to make people think about buying antique and vintage pieces which are affordable and sustainable. The whole market was buzzing with stands lining the High Road. There is a fantastic eclectic range of antiques and vintage sellers. As well as selling, we were also able to buy a few special pieces that we loved including a lovely antique artists box. It is a fantastic setting for the market. Right on the busy High Road in a pedestrianised area perfect for browsing. And with lots of busy cafes and restaurants on the side streets around the corner. So with the sun due to shine tomorrow, there are plenty of opportunities to grab a break and a drink. We look forward to seeing you there!

Drew explained on his live why he started Salvage Sundays, how it has evolved and how he sees it moving forward as he moves on to his next "Massive Project". Check out the full recorded live on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CMIC_GrlLNM/ Drew explained how Salvage Sundays was something that he imagined whilst riding his bike at the start of the pandemic amidst his frustration that nothing was being done to support the antiques trade during lockdown. Drew gave a round of applause to Dawn from Retrovation for revolutionising the concept and turning it in to "something wonderful". Salvage Sundays now has a group of more than 30 dealers and a programme of lives and social media running. It has a team pulled together from a broad church of experience with the whole group involved. Drew explained how he now needs to step back from the week to week Salvage Sundays schedule and take a role supporting, promoting and helping. This is driven by his commitments to his next brain child which is democratising design; starting with giving really well designed furniture to people that is very affordable. So Drew officially hands over Salvage Sundays to the people involved in it, with Dawn from Retrovation as the flag bearer. Retrovation are proud to be part of Salvage Sundays moving forward and look forward to the next phase of this exciting initiative. Check out @salvagesundaysdealers for the latest news on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/salvage.sundays/

Jenny Coad was kind enough to feature Salvage Sunday Dealers and Retrovation in her fantastic article in the Times "How to buy Antique Furniture and Homeware on Instagram". Jenny interviewed Rob from Nook Antiques who is one of the original participants in Salvage Sundays and a number of dealers, including Retrovation, got a mention. Specifically highlighted was Retrovation's "Intriguing 1920's Gledhill Shop Till" and the shoe lasts we had on display. The article is a fantastic boost for the Salvage Sundays Dealers. This initiative, started by Drew Pritchard during lockdown last year, is an opportunity for Antiques Dealers to get to a wider audience through social medial as traditional outlets such as shops and fairs remain closed. It is part of a growing trend for "Virtual Fairs" and is currently made up of over 30 dealers; wholly run by the dealers. We are delighted to be at the heart of this endeavour. Dawn from Retrovation is working closely with Drew Pritchard to continue to develop Salvage Sundays with lots of new initiatives on the horizon. Check out the live chat on Salvage Sundays with Dawn chatting with Drew on the future direction of Salvage Sundays https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKt91rQD4_l/ What excites Retrovation about Salvage Sundays is the opportunity to grow and be part of a community where we can support each other, all benefit from what we build and feel part of something that is bigger than ourselves. For information on all of the dealers who are part of Salvage Sundays and to get the schedule for the upcoming Sunday, head to @salvagesundaysdealers on Instagram.

We recently sourced a pair of posters from the 1970's showing the fight against infectious disease in the National Health Service. The posters are from Department of Medical Illustration at St Bartholomew's Hospital of London and graphically represent the hard work to contain infectious disease. The current pandemic and the fight to contain it is the latest in a long history of the fight against the spread of disease led by the health services. Florence Nightingale fought to improve conditions and nursing practices during wartime to prevent the spread of disease in the Crimea. As well as cleanliness, she understood the need to keep rooms well ventilated to stop the spread of air born diseases, particularly pertinent to the current pandemic. Much of the good nursing practices at that time was born from experience of what worked rather than absolute science. The battle against infectious diseases has always relied on science, practical experience, rigorous compliance with rules and dedication of health workers and other professionals through the ages. Often as our understanding of disease has changed, it has required major changes in how we live and behave and the leadership of individuals to change behaviour. At Retrovation we have always been fascinated by historical medical and scientific antiques including those relating to the fight against infectious diseases. As these diseases are eliminated, with the passage of time these pieces become of historical rather than current interest. Typhoid, although still a problem in some developing countries, is largely now eliminated in the developed world. The English Victorian apothecary rack with Typhoid testing kit below is now just a beautifully made and interesting antique giving us a glimpse in to the past. The current pandemic has made the fight against infectious disease far more than a point of historical interest. Along with the rest of the country we thank our NHS for their daily fight against the disease which as we write is at its worst in hospitals throughout the UK. The fascinating 1970's NHS posters have been purchased by a regular customer in St Albans who works in the NHS as a gift for a member of her team who is on the front line. We thank her for her generosity and have passed the money in full to the NHS charities together, who represent 140 charities supporting the NHS. https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/

At Retrovation we believe that mixing old and new in an interior space adds soul and personality, providing a stamp of individuality. Antique Herbarium Botanical Samples are perfect for this with everything that we love; they are mementos of exploration, they are beautiful and are full of history. So what is a Herbarium (plural Herbaria)? They are a collection of plant specimens with notes about the plant and where it was collected for scientific purposes. It was important to collect and catalogue each part of the plant. The origins of collecting botanical samples go back hundreds of years, becoming increasingly popular in the 19th century with the Victorians obsession with cataloging the natural world. These elaborate pressed flowers have been cherished by the collector, with hand written details and beautiful presentation on original antique paper. We have sourced a number of these fabulous Herbarium sample pages (the books are increasingly being divided up and sold individually). To incorporate in to a interior space with maximum impact, we have created wall hangings by mounting the samples in stunning original museum exhibition frames. These frames were sourced from Plymouth museum and we believe they are a perfect marriage. Take a look at our current range of framed herbariums currently available to buy on our website.

Apothecary actually comes from the Latin “apotheca” or storehouse and in medieval times an apothecary could purvey any luxury item. From the 16th century, the apothecary started to resemble the modern idea of a pharmacist or someone who formulates and dispense medicines. The early apothecary jars were for storage but also for display of expensive and valuable items so were decorated to impress. The bottles and jar bear latin inscriptions of their contents. The pharmacist would need to know the meaning of these and use their handbooks of “materia medica” to keep up to speed with contents. Up until the late 19th century, apothecary containers were functional products made by skilled glassblowers along with other products such as windows and drinking vessels. These hand blown glass would normally have a “pontil scar” where the pontil was broken from the blown glass. In these cases the bottles would have been made by skilled glassblowers using techniques that would have been in use from the 18th Century and decorated using cold-painted application where motifs are applied to the glass with paint and protected by a thin layer of varnish. This laborious technique was not suitable for larger scale production that came in to effect in the late 19th/ early 20th Century. In the latter part of the 19th century through the industrial revolution, larger companies such as the York Glass Company would have used more modern techniques to make larger volumes for use in the larger pharmacies associated with larger populations. These would have been in use right through the early part of the 20th Century until post the 2nd world war when modern technologies with plastic and modern dispensaries would have made these apothecary jars and bottles with their beautiful labels redundant. LUG (Label under glass) examples in Ceramic and Glass are late 19th century or early 20th Century. Label under glass was a later technique used so that an elaborate and decorative label would be protected by covering in a thin layer of glass. These examples were typically made in factories rather than hand blown and would carry the mark of the factory maker for example the York Glass Company who operated in the latter 19th century/ early 20th century and would have made these bottles on a large scale as demand grew through the industrial revolution). We source many different types of apothecary bottles and it is ever changing. Do take a look at our latest collection.