The Eighteenth–Century London Upholder: A New Domestic Commerce

Adapting to the economic changes and interior furnishing trends that took place in the first half of the eighteenth century, many upholders expanded their business lines. While consumer demand increased for household goods, so too did the widespread use of personal credit, which ultimately led to an increase in upholder bankruptcies after 1760. Through two case studies of financially successful upholders, the book sheds light on diverse topics such as the East India Company, banking, royal household tradesmen, and military contracting, to create an intricate understanding of their experiences. Offering new insights into the business, social, and personal lives of London’s upholders, this book demonstrates how they were instrumental in creating a new domestic commerce in eighteenth-century Britain.