Hall accessories are the furnishings and practical objects that equip the entrance hall of a house. They include hall stands, umbrella and stick stands, coat racks, hall chairs and benches, hall tables, card trays, dinner gongs, letter boxes, clocks, barometers, hall lanterns, mirrors, door stops and boot scrapers.
In country houses and grand town houses, the hall was both a reception space and a place of practical activity, where visitors arrived, coats, sticks and hats were left and the post was collected. Georgian halls were furnished with hard-seated hall chairs, often painted with family crests, and side tables of marble or stone, while the Victorians introduced a wealth of specialised pieces, including cast-iron umbrella stands, hall stands with mirrors and hooks, brass gongs, barometers and letter boxes in the form of miniature buildings. Collectors look for good materials and quality of manufacture, and for pieces that retain their original drip pans, mirrors and fittings. Wear consistent with use adds character rather than detracting from value. Hall accessories remain popular because they are practical as well as decorative, helping to create a welcoming first impression and a strong sense of period in any entrance.
