A.H. McIntosh

Alexander Henry McIntosh (1835 - 1919) started his furniture business A.H McIntosh in 1869 in Kirkcaldy, a small town in Scotland. Rapid expansion was based on a reputation for quality craftsmanship and international interest generated from exhibiting at the World Fair in Paris in 1878, and the Sydney Exhibition in 1879. By the 1950's A.H McIntosh began moving away from a traditional style and embraced the contemporary modern style, highly influenced by the Scandinavian design aesthetic.

A focus on employing trained industrial designers during the mid 20th century ensured McIntosh stayed at the forefront of contemporary furniture design. In-house Design Directors such as the talented Valentino (Val) Rossi, creator of the hugely popular 'Dunvegan' range, and then Tom Robertson created a number of iconic furniture ranges with clean lines and sculpted organic details that sold well throughout the UK. Each design was named after a town in Scotland and some of the most successful furniture designs were in production for over 20 years.

By the 1990s, cheaper, low quality imported furniture had began to dominate domestic markets. Many of the larger furniture makers were forced to drop the quality and cost of their ranges to remain competitive, or focus on other niche markets. Today McIntosh focus on producing a wide range of school furniture under the name ESA McIntosh. A.H McIntosh designs from the mid-century are in high demand due to their sophisticated designs and high quality craftsmanship.