Venturing back to the topic of furniture in the Georgian house, today my post is all about mirrors.

A Brief History of Mirrors:

Before the invention of mirrors people could only see their reflection on the surface of water.

Early civilisations made mirrors from polished stone such as obsidian, then the Egyptians moved on to use polished metals.

The first metal-backed glass mirror is said to have been made in Lebanon in the first century AD.

Romans used metal-backed glass to make mirrors, but the glass-blowing process was crude and led to poor quality mirrors.

During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, glass-blowing techniques improved which allowed larger and better quality glass to be produced. Mirrors were now backed with metals such as gold, bronze and tin.

By the nineteenth century, larger and larger pieces of glass were being produced which meant larger, single-pane mirrors could be made.

Mirrors were usually custom-made, which made them very expensive, and only affordable for the very wealthy.

Georgian Mirrors

The style of Georgian and Regency mirrors was influenced by neo-classicism. Designers like Robert Adam and Thomas Hepplewhite opted for simple and elegant lines in their creations. They incorporated symmetrical ornamentation and neo-classical motifs, such as laurel garlands and simple scrollwork. Mahogany was the typical choice of wood because it was very durable.

As with many decorative pieces of the period, gilding also was a popular feature. Designs often had a pediment at the top with a central motif such as a spread eagle, an animal head, or even a sea shell. Pediments topped with vase motifs were also popular, as were metallic and marquetry inlays.

Mirrors in the Georgian House

The Looking Glass

The looking glass became popular in the Renaissance, and by the seventeenth-century, it was considered an essential part of a lady’s toilette. Small, hand-held mirrors were made from cut-offs and fragments that could be made into pocket mirrors. Dressing tables often had a fixed looking glass on the tabletop as part of the design. Sometimes, the looking glass could be lowered to fit into the table.

The first looking glasses were rectangular until the 1770s when George Hepplewhite began to design oval-shaped looking glasses. Looking glasses gradually increased in size as glass production methods improved and allowed larger pieces to be blown. Looking glasses then became free-standing on plinth bases with drawers beneath them, and eventually morphed into the Cheval glass.

The Cheval Glass

A cheval glass was a free-standing, full-length, dressing mirror that was first introduced in France in the 1700s. It usually stood on four feet, and so was given the name cheval (French for horse). A cheval glass is tall and narrow and fixed in the middle within an upright frame so that it can be tilted. Due to its size, the cheval glass was only owned by the very wealthy.

“These moving glasses are now generally introduced into the sleeping-apartments and dressing-rooms of our nobility and persons of distinction.”
From Ackermann’s Repository, January 1827

The Pier Glass

Also known as a Trumeau mirror, a pier glass was a mirror placed on a wall between two windows supporting an upper structure. There were also placed above mantles. These mirrors were a common decorative feature of neo-classical eighteenth-century homes. They were designed to promote the neo-classical themes of light and space. They were usually tall and thin, and often designed in a similar style to the windows or spaces they lined in an attempt to visually increase the size of a room.

The Convex Mirror

Convex mirrors were developed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods following the advent of glass blowing. The glass blower made a small glass bulb, which was then coated with molten metal. Their magnifying, as well as reflective, qualities, made them excellent to help improve lighting.

By the eighteenth century, they were the most popular choice of mirror and were ornamented with plant foliage, candle arms, bows and feathers. In Thomas Sheraton’s “Cabinet Dictionary” of 1803, convex mirrors are the only type of mirrors listed. Convex mirrors are also known as butler’s mirrors as they were often placed in the dining room and allowed the butler to keep a discreet eye on the goings on at the table while his back was turned.