Campaign Furniture

I've been wandering through page after page of drafted blogs, thinking I ought to either delete or publish them.  We'll see how that goes.

We run into campaign furniture here and their  there (what is this - sign of old age?) on our travels.  This was drafted because we saw it on our last trip to France, when we camped at Loches, in the Loire Valley. We visited the village one market day and were fascinated by a collection of campaign furniture for sale.  I'm not sure why I didn't take photos, unless the gruff people at the Nice flea market had made me shy. 

I think the first place I met campaign furniture will have been in the Old Government House in Parramatta, New South Wales. I remember a bed and a chest in a small bedroom and the story about a freed slave, a valet, George Jarvis. He had travelled with his employer during a military compaign in his native India. The bed folded up for ease in moving and I think the night stand had drawer locks and handles to carry it, effectively making it a trunk.

We saw it again in Napoleon's part of Fontainbleau (a different trip to Loches) or at least it was mentioned.   Of course, 'campaign' is as in going to war and following the battles, not as in running for political office. It was supposedly in relation to his office, but I don't see anything that looks remotely campaign-ish to me in the photos I took at Fontainbleau.  A better idea of his campaign furniture is shown here.

Napoleon's 'office'. I suppose that bed might come apart fairly easily...

Then one day this lady ran this incredible post explaining the term. I shared the link with Bill, knowing he'd appreciate the beauty and utility of these pieces.

And just now, in looking up images for this very post, I found this website, that also talks about this type of furniture.  Though the painted versions make me shudder, I thought it interesting that the butler's tray on the stand constituted campaign.  I know just where I could get one of those!