Lot Essay
Broomhill Park, Kent, was built for Sir David Salomons (1797-1873) by the architect Decimus Burton in the 1850s. Sir David Salomons was a leading figure in the fight for Jewish emancipation in this country, becoming the first Jewish Lord Mayor of London and also sitting as one of the first two Jewish Members of Parliament. On his death the house passed to his nephew Sir David Lionel Salomons (1851-1925) who was a barrister by profession and passionate scientist. He transformed Broomhill by making it one of the first houses in the country to be lit by electricity. A pioneer of the motor car in Britain, Salomons built motor stables at Broomhill, comprising various garages and inspection pits, where he could work on and admire his collection of motorcars. Salomons was also a passionate horologist and amassed the world's largest collection of watches and clocks by Abraham-Louis Breguet and published a biography of Breguet in 1921.
These stools are part of a suite of furniture which included a pair of open armchairs, which were at Clandon Park, Surrey prior to the 2015 fire.