Rare pictures of world-famous Lancaster Waring & Gillow including staff from the 1940s and 1950s

The noted firm of English furniture manufacturers and antique dealers was formed in 1897 by the merger of Gillow of Lancaster and London, and Waring of Liverpool.

The firm of Gillow of Lancaster can be traced back to the luxury furniture and furnishings firm founded by Robert Gillow (1704–72) in about 1730.

The firm rapidly established a reputation for supplying high quality furniture to the richest families in the country.

During the final years of the 19th Century, Gillow & Co ran into financial difficulty and from 1897 began a loose financial arrangement with Waring of Liverpool, an arrangement legally ratified by the establishment of Waring & Gillow in 1903.

Of course, Waring & Gillow were a major employer in Lancaster and these rare photos discovered in our archives picture some of the people who worked there over the years.

The pictures also feature a few examples of their stunning craftmanship. We hope you enjoy taking a look at them.

Here are also 21 old pictures taken at workplaces in Lancaster and Morecambe in the 2000s