Welcome to the official site of The Chippendale Society, which is devoted to the appreciation of the work of Thomas Chippendale.

The Society was founded in 1965 in Otley, the home town of Thomas Chippendale. Its aims are:-

• to advance public education and to promote the appreciation and study of the work of Thomas Chippendale senior and junior
• to acquire, preserve and maintain examples of his work for the benefit of the nation

To assist in achieving the first aim an associated educational web-site has been set up. Although the site has been designed to be especially useful for schools and individual children we hope that it will be found interesting and appreciated by a wider audience. It can be accessed by the ‘Activities’ link on the left.

A substantial proportion of the Society’s membership live in Otley (Thomas Chippendale’s birthplace) or Wharfedale where the townspeople have long cherished the connection with the ‘Shakespeare of English furniture’. There is an annual dinner held as near as possible to the anniversary of Chippendale’s baptism (5 th June 1718), and other events such as lectures, study days and visits to places of interest are organised during the year. There are generally three newsletters each year which enable members to keep in touch about activities and news .

The Society’s important collections of documents, drawings and furniture related to Thomas Chippendale have their home at Temple Newsam (Leeds Museums and Galleries) where they are displayed in a sympathetic context of other 18th century works of art.

Follow the links below for...

more about the History of the Society 
more about the Society’s Officers 
more about the Society’s Activities and Newsletter 
more about Thomas Chippendale, senior and junior 
more about the Society’s Collections and Catalogue 
a Yorkshire Chippendale Trail
information about Membership

Financial support towards the cost of this website has been generously provided by the St Oswald family Charitable Trust and the Brigadier Hargreaves Charitable Trust