Lloyd Loom

Lloyd Loom is a furniture-making material and brand associated with machine-woven wicker made from tightly twisted kraft paper reinforced with wire. The process was patented in the United States in 1917 by Marshall B. Lloyd. Its construction gave furniture a woven appearance while providing a more regular and industrially repeatable alternative to traditionally woven natural wicker. The material became especially associated with chairs, tables, baskets, baby carriages, cabinets and other household or commercial furnishings. The technology gained a major British commercial platform through W. Lusty & Sons. In 1920, Frank Lusty pursued British rights to the material after learning about it through the company's New York agent. The Lusty family acquired the relevant rights in 1921 and began production the following year. The British business developed its own designs, generally emphasizing simpler forms than some of the original American furniture. Under the Lusty name, Lloyd Loom became a recognizable furniture offering rather than merely a manufacturing process. During the 1920s and 1930s, Lusty Lloyd Loom expanded into a broad catalogue of domestic and contract furniture. The products appeared in hotels, restaurants, tea rooms and transport settings, including a Zeppelin, cruise ships and ocean-going liners. The Lusty family reportedly developed more than one thousand designs, and more than ten million pieces were produced in the United States and Great Britain before 1940. By 1933, the Lusty catalogue contained more than four hundred designs, while the company's factory at Bromley-by-Bow in East London had grown to cover seventeen acres and employed more than 500 people. The British business suffered a decisive interruption during the Second World War. Its London factory was destroyed by bombing on 7 September 1940, along with more than 20,000 items of stock. No fatalities were reported in the destruction described in the reference material. The company restarted with a new catalogue in 1951, but post-war austerity meant that it did not regain its pre-war sales level. Production later moved from London to Martley near Worcester, where British production ended in 1968. American production continued at Menominee, Michigan, until 1982. After a short interruption, Flanders Industries purchased the Lloyd Manufacturing works and established Lloyd Flanders, which continued producing Lloyd Loom furniture in Menominee. The brand and technique therefore survived through a separate American manufacturing lineage even after the original British operation had ceased. In the 1990s, Geoffrey Lusty, a grandson of William Lusty, revived production by moving manufacturing to the Far East. The Lusty business later faced difficulty expanding sales in the United Kingdom. In July 2008, W. Lusty & Sons was renamed The Lusty Furniture Company, while production continued in Indonesia using designs originating with the company. During the period between the decline of the original British operation and the later revival, other furniture businesses also entered the Lloyd Loom market. Examples mentioned in reference material include Lloyd Loom of Spalding in the United Kingdom and Vincent Sheppard in Belgium. Lloyd Loom is now used by a range of manufacturers and retailers rather than being confined to one universally controlling producer. Some companies make furniture using synthetic fibres inspired by or derived from the original paper-based construction, especially for outdoor use. Current global production is concentrated largely in Indonesia, China and Vietnam, while smaller-scale production remains in the United Kingdom. The name consequently refers both to a specific historical material process and to a wider family of woven furniture products sold across indoor, outdoor, residential and hospitality markets.

The Lloyd Loom story began with Marshall B. Lloyd's 1917 United States patent for machine-woven wicker made from twisted kraft paper strengthened with wire. The process created a consistent woven material suitable for furniture manufacture and became commercially important because it combined a wicker-like visual character with an industrial production method. The technology entered the British market through W. Lusty & Sons, a London business established by William Lusty in 1872 as an East End hardware shop. The company later developed expertise in timber products and benefited from demand for ammunition packing cases during the First World War. In May 1920, Frank Lusty sought British rights to Lloyd Loom after receiving information from the company's New York agent. Full British patent rights were obtained in 1921, and production began in Britain in 1922. Lusty Lloyd Loom furniture developed into a substantial product system. The company produced designs that were generally simpler than the original American examples and extended the material into chairs, tables, cabinets, baby carriages and other furnishings. By the early 1930s, the Bromley-by-Bow factory in East London occupied seventeen acres and employed more than 500 people. The 1933 catalogue contained over 400 designs, while the family's total design development eventually exceeded 1,000 designs. Lloyd Loom products were sold not only for homes but also to hotels, restaurants, tea rooms and transport operators. Their presence aboard a Zeppelin, cruise ships and ocean liners helped reinforce the material's association with modern commercial interiors and travel. The factory was destroyed during a bombing raid on the afternoon of 7 September 1940. More than 20,000 pieces of stock were lost, although the reference account records no fatalities. The Lusty business later restarted and issued a new catalogue in 1951. Post-war austerity limited the recovery of demand, and the British operation never returned to its earlier sales scale. The London site was ultimately sold, the business moved to Martley near Worcester, and production ended in Britain in 1968. The American branch of the story continued at Menominee, where Lloyd Loom furniture was made until 1982. Flanders Industries then purchased the Lloyd Manufacturing works and created Lloyd Flanders. After a short production hiatus, Lloyd Flanders resumed manufacturing in Menominee and continued the Lloyd Loom furniture tradition. A later revival of the Lusty connection took place in the 1990s, when Geoffrey Lusty, a grandson of William Lusty, restarted production with manufacturing relocated to the Far East. The business encountered difficulty expanding United Kingdom sales and sought a new owner in 2008. W. Lusty & Sons was renamed The Lusty Furniture Company in July of that year, and production continued in Indonesia using the company's historic designs. The market subsequently became more fragmented. During the period when the original British production was inactive or reduced, other producers and retailers entered the category, including Lloyd Loom of Spalding in Britain and Vincent Sheppard in Belgium. Contemporary Lloyd Loom furniture may use the original paper-based construction or synthetic fibres developed for greater resistance in outdoor settings. Production is now concentrated mainly in Indonesia, China and Vietnam, with smaller-scale British production also reported. Lloyd Loom therefore functions as both a historic patented process and a broader furniture category served by multiple manufacturers and retailers.

• 2008

  Lusty company renamed

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  W. Lusty & Sons changed its name to The Lusty Furniture Company while production continued in Indonesia.

• 1982

  Lloyd Flanders established

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  Flanders Industries acquired the Menominee works and formed Lloyd Flanders, continuing American production.

• 1968

  British production ends

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  Production ceased after the operation moved to Martley near Worcester.

• 1951

  Post-war catalogue relaunch

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  The British business returned with a new catalogue after the wartime interruption.

• 1940

  Bromley-by-Bow factory destroyed

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  Wartime bombing destroyed the East London factory and more than 20,000 items of stock.

• 1933

  Large Lusty catalogue established

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  The Lusty catalogue featured more than 400 designs, reflecting the scale of the British product range.

• 1922

  British production begins

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  W. Lusty & Sons began producing Lloyd Loom furniture in Britain.

• 1921

  British rights acquired by W. Lusty & Sons

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  The Lusty family obtained British rights and prepared the technology for commercial furniture production.

• 1917

  Lloyd Loom process patented

  [1]Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org

  Marshall B. Lloyd patented the machine-woven, wire-reinforced kraft-paper wicker process in the United States.

A heritage woven-furniture material and design tradition positioned around distinctive texture, repeatable machine production, broad furniture versatility and historical associations with domestic, hospitality and transport interiors.

• Indoor and outdoor seating · 1917

  Lloyd Loom woven seating

  Chairs and related seating are the best-known Lloyd Loom products. They use the characteristic woven surface produced from paper-based or later synthetic strands and have been made in forms ranging from domestic dining chairs to armchairs, lounge seating and contract furniture. Historical Lusty designs were used in homes, hotels, restaurants, tea rooms and transport interiors. Contemporary producers may adapt the construction for outdoor environments.

• Heritage furniture collection · 1922

  Lusty Lloyd Loom furniture

  The Lusty range transformed the patented material into a large furniture catalogue with comparatively simple British designs. It extended beyond chairs to tables, cupboards, baby carriages, baskets and other household furnishings. More than 400 designs appeared in the 1933 catalogue, and the Lusty family is reported to have developed more than 1,000 designs over the history of the business.

• Outdoor furniture

  Lloyd Loom outdoor furniture

  Modern Lloyd Loom-style outdoor furniture may use synthetic fibres modeled on the original paper loom. These materials are intended to provide the visual texture and woven character associated with Lloyd Loom while improving suitability for weather-exposed settings. Product types include outdoor dining chairs, lounge seating, sofas and tables, although exact materials and construction vary by manufacturer.

• American woven furniture · 1982

  Lloyd Flanders Lloyd Loom furniture

  Lloyd Flanders represents the continuing American manufacturing lineage of Lloyd Loom furniture at Menominee. The company was formed after Flanders Industries purchased the Lloyd Manufacturing works in 1982. Its products preserve the Lloyd Loom association with woven seating and related furniture, serving residential and outdoor applications.

• 2008

  Rename the Lusty business and continue overseas productionStrategy

  Background

  The Lusty business experienced difficulty expanding sales in the United Kingdom and sought a new owner.

  Action taken

  W. Lusty & Sons was renamed The Lusty Furniture Company in July 2008, while manufacturing continued in Indonesia using original designs.

  Aftermath

  The Lusty Lloyd Loom tradition continued through an overseas production model rather than the former British factory network.

  Source

• 1982

  Flanders Industries purchases Lloyd Manufacturing worksM&A

  Background

  American Lloyd Loom production at Menominee had stopped after operating through the post-war period.

  Action taken

  Flanders Industries acquired the works and established Lloyd Flanders, with production resuming after a brief interruption.

  Aftermath

  Lloyd Loom furniture continued to be produced in Menominee through a new company.

  Source

• 1921

  Acquire British rights and develop a local furniture rangeStrategy

  Background

  W. Lusty & Sons identified an opportunity to commercialize the patented American material in Britain after receiving information through its New York agent.

  Action taken

  The Lusty family acquired British rights and began production in 1922, developing its own furniture designs rather than simply reproducing the American originals.

  Aftermath

  The British operation turned Lloyd Loom into a broad furniture range used in domestic, hospitality and transport settings.

  Source

1. 1Lloyd Loomen.wikipedia.org