| Ercol is most famous for its modern interpretation of | | | | post-war restrictions meant a search for alternative |
| the classic English Windsor chair. This traditional design | | | | timbers was imperative. Elm was not a good timber |
| has its origins in the seventeenth century, but in the 50s | | | | for furniture manufacture, because it was hard to dry |
| it looked fresh and new. The Ercol Windsor chair | | | | out sufficiently. Ercolani himself found this out the hard |
| appealed to both modern and traditional tastes, and | | | | way when he bought a large quantity of elm that had |
| was a runaway commercial success. It inspired a | | | | been stored under cover for five years; only the top |
| complete range for Ercol furniture in English elm. | | | | layers were dry. |
| Lucien Ercolani designed the Windsor chair in response | | | | In spite of this setback, Ercolani discovered a process |
| to a Wartime enquiry to supply cheap chairs. However, | | | | of kiln drying the elm with the help of the Forest |
| it was first shown to the public in the 'Britain Can Make | | | | Products Research Laboratory. As a result, elm |
| it Exhibition' at the Victoria and Albert Museum in | | | | became the wood used for the majority of Ercol's |
| London in 1946. Although based on a traditional design, | | | | production in the post-war years. Although English elm |
| the Ercol Windsor chair became a modern classic. | | | | has a wonderful traditional ring to it, it was a modern |
| Ercolani also displayed the Windsor chair at the | | | | material, very suitable for the Ercol Windsor chair, |
| Festival of Britain in 1951. | | | | which was a perfect fusion of modern and traditional |
| The choice of English elm as a wood sounds | | | | ideas. |
| traditional, but it was a radical decision. Wartime and | | | | |