National Gallery sells off leather benches over safety concerns
The National Gallery is selling its red leather benches after they were deemed non-compliant with modern fire safety rules.
The 1980s and 1990s reproductions of Victorian designs combine leather and wood, materials now viewed as difficult to maintain and potentially harbouring pests.
Eleven benches will be auctioned through Bellmans, with estimates up to £1,200 each. They will be replaced by solid oak seating as part of a wider refurbishment.
The decision, seemingly ignoring leathers inherent fire-retardancy, made during the gallery’s bicentenary and broader modernisation, has disappointed many visitors who saw the benches as part of the institution’s character.
The gallery insists the move is necessary for safety and conservation reasons, though it has retained full design records for possible future reproduction.
Photo Courtesy Bellmans Auctioneers
