during World War II for wooden tent pegs and bentwood chairs ensured its success. In the late-1940s, Ercolani developed his range of mass-produced Ercol furniture, which became a household name in post-war Britain, and which continues today. He played an active part in the Furniture Industry, being a founder member of the industry's guild, the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers and its Master for 1957-58. Personal life Ercolani was married in 1915, to Eva Brett, and they had three children. He took British citizenship in 1923. Ercolani died on 9 June 1976. Legacy In 2010 the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers awarded a Design Guild Mark for Ercolani's Originals collection, as they are now known. The Originals collection reflected a break from the heavy, ornate pre-war styles towards a new clean lined, simple elegance. They were first launched in the late 1950s and were relaunched by Ercol in 2003. References Sources A Furniture Maker: His Life, His Works and His Observations, L. R. Ercolani (London: Ernest Benn, 1975) 1888 births 1976 deaths British furniture designers 20th-century British businesspeople Italian emigrants to the United Kingdom Italian woodworkers British woodworkers