Harris Lebus was one of the largest and most influential British furniture manufacturers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Based in Tottenham, North London, the company began as a small family business in the 1840s and expanded rapidly under the leadership of Louis Lebus and later his son, Harris. By the early 1900s, Harris Lebus operated one of the largest furniture factories in the world, producing both affordable mass-market furniture and well-crafted designs influenced by the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. The firm’s designs often featured stylized motifs, solid construction, and simplified forms, making quality design accessible to the growing middle class. Harris Lebus supplied major retailers and exhibited at international exhibitions, earning a reputation for combining craftsmanship with industrial efficiency. The company also played a significant role in wartime production and later in post-war utility furniture schemes. Its legacy is one of innovation, democratic design, and the successful blending of artistry with mass production.
