Date archive
2009
Posts originally published in 2009 from the RareVictorian collection.
Victor Quetin Would Be Proud - 150 Years Later
Speaking of Victorian Furniture restoration, you might remember an ebonized French pedestal that was found in pieces and I was able to locate an original catalog image to identify it's maker and original configuration. W
Kilian Brothers Table In Hiding
I'm always on the lookout for Victorian furniture of note that is "hiding" in obscurity, either behind a coat of paint or a unknowing seller description. Here was a recent one that showed up on Ebay, disguised long enoug
Elijah Galusha Rococo Revival Sideboard
Continuing with my series of photos taken at the Rensselaer County Historical Society in Troy, NY, I present several of a sideboard by Elijah Galusha made in the Rococo style. Make note of the mirror-image carved foliage
Additional Photos of Rago's "Tiffany Style" Chairs
I know that many were interested in the "Tiffany Chairs" in the recent Rago Arts and Auction sale from the 1880/1890 Aesthetic Movement period which sold for $390,400. An outright attribution has not been made, however,
Herter Cabinet Spotted In 1964 Movie - My Fair Lady
Ulysses Dietz, curator at Newark Museum recently stopped by to give us a heads up on a Herter Brothers cabinet that a friend of his spotted in the 1964 Warner Brothers movie, My Fair Lady. I extracted a scene showing the
Rare Signed (and Antlered) Mitchell & Rammelsberg Hall Rack
Just in time for Christmas, you can get yourself a rare Mitchell & Rammelsberg hall tree with a carved Rudolph head to hang your hats on. I believe this is a rare find with a massive trophy elk rack attached to a car
Let's Put The Jenny Lind Theory To Rest
I'm thinking that maybe a 16th century sofa can end this Jenny Lind rumor for us, but let's review the ground we've covered on this topic for a moment. In this first post (yes, long ago), I announced a contest asking eve
Egyptian Revival Credenza a Winner At Fontaine’s November Auction
By Susan Mellish PITTSFIELD, MA – Finding an auction offering several items labeled “Horner” or “Belter” is a thrill. Finding an auction loaded with fabulous Victorian furniture including pieces by these makers
Thomas Brooks Sideboard Stencil Confirms Maker
I thought I'd give the Rare Victorian readers who don't appreciate Rococo Revival a little break from the Galusha deluge and whip up a post for Renaissance Revival fans. How often is it that you see the biggest, chunkies
Signed Gothic Revival Desk by Elijah Galusha
We've seen plenty of Rococo Revival furniture from Elijah Galusha and now I have photos of photos (so please excuse quality) from 1979 and the accompanying excerpt from a letter that Renssalaer County Historical Society
Parlor Chairs By Charles Baudouine
Ignoring the Galusha table for the moment, a pair of Rosewood chairs purchased from Charles Baudouine in 1849 still remain at 59 Second Street in Troy, NY, at the Rensselaer County Historical Society. Originally a 6-piec
Rococo Mirror and Window Drapery Cornices By Elijah Galusha
All of the furniture that I have presented and will present in this series by Elijah Galusha are original to 59 Second Street in Troy, NY; the current home of Rensselaer Historical Society. The images below present a Roc
Elijah Galusha Fireplace Screen Detail
I have much more to come, but here is the next installment of Elijah Galusha furniture photographs. This Galusha fireplace screen has been seen elsewhere in documentation of his work, but I wanted to capture more of the
Elijah Galusha Sofa Detail
I took some photographs of what is probably the most well-known Elijah Galusha sofas in existence. The sofa resides (with it's twin) at the the Rensselaer County Historical Society, Troy, NY. I tried to capture closeups
Deluge Of Galusha Information Coming
I have good and bad news to share with you. First, the bad news is that I've been traveling and haven't had time to profile all the great auction items coming up for sale TOMORROW, November 21st. Kamelot Auction House in
Antique Attributions Murky Part II
I think an equally important problem with making attributions is that we, on the whole, have long forgotten many fine makers from the Victorian era, probably numbering in the thousands - America alone, let alone globally
Antique Attributions Murky Part I
A recent Rare Victorian site visitor, Jim, asked the following fair question and rather than get the discussion lost in the comment section of the post that triggered his question, I thought I'd address it in detail as a
Renaissance Revival Chairs With Marked Mounts
A recent Rare Victorian site visitor shared with me some images of a set of high-style Renaissance Revival chairs with very high quality mounts. I have done a fair amount of digging on deciding whether the set is properl
Brass Egyptian Revival Rail
Speaking of Egyptian Revival brass, here's an inexpensive (at the moment) Egyptian Revival brass rail. I'm trying to imagine what it would originally been used for since it wouldn't appear that it would work for a draper
Rare Frank N. Otremba Koa Chair Appears
Some of you may recall a blog post here on Rare Victorian regarding Frank N. Otremba, a Hawaiian woodcarver that produced a mantel and chair for Mark Twain around 1908. Twain purportedly had a choice between the two item
Egyptian Revival Furniture Mounts - Pottier & Stymus
I've put up a pair of Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival mounts on Ebay. They've been sitting on my desk, staring at me like some 19th century paperweights, so hopefully someone has a better use for them than I. If yo
Creepy Zoomorphic Furniture Carvings
I'm a big fan of the incorporation of animal imagery into furniture made in the 19th century. When done well, it can elevate the level of style for a piece above those without these elements. It also requires a good bit
Wareroom Pieces of Prudent Mallard Sell at New Orleans Auction Galleries
NEW ORLEANS – October 10 and 11 found New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc. in full fall swing offering more than 1,200 important lots including some fabulous Victorian items. Of most interest was an elegant mid-19th cen
Jordan & Moriarty 1883 Parlor Suit
I was digging through the original furniture manufacturer catalogs that I have and ran across this Jordan & Moriarty parlor set that has a caption of "Library Medallion, Marie Antoinette, Grand Duchess, &c." Noti
9' 9" Mitchell Rammelsberg Bedstead Highlights Stevens Auction Sale
Several months ago I had the opportunity of weighing in on this bed having been made by Mitchell & Rammelsberg and here it is coming available during tomorrow's Steven's Auction sale. Be sure to peruse all the lots o
Rococo Revival Duchesse Top Victorian Lot
NEW ORLEANS – Quite a nice selection of elegant Victorian items were offered at the September 26 and 27 event held by New Orleans Auction, St. Charles Gallery, Inc.. Unfortunately, many of these special pieces did not
John Henry Belter Cornucopia Sidechair
This Belter Cornucopia chair is seeing action from 8 bidders on Ebay at the moment with 2 days left to go. Currently bid to less than $1,000, these chairs can command $4,000-$6,000 at auction. This variation appears to b
Victor Quetin Pedestal, Paris, 1860
A recent antique appraisal customer supplied the above images of a 19th century pedestal that they had in their possession and were wondering if it were worth restoration of the piece considering the shape it was current
Fine Pair Of Victorian Tables And Satin Glass To Be Sold 10/11
Nevin at Circa 19th Century Antiques has put up several Victorian-era lots on Ebay that will sell by this Sunday. I will draw your attention to three of them in particular: A fine Renaissance Revival parlor table with de
Grand View And Jenack Auctions Results
Grand View Antiques & Auctions presented a wonderful collection of more than 400 period and Victorian items from estates in Alabama, Georgia, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania at their September 12 sale held at the Nor
5-Piece Neo-Grec John Jelliff Parlor Set For Sale
If you are in the market for a quality Renaissance Revival parlor suite, then you may consider this 5-piece Neo-Grec suite which is available for sale. It is comprised of 2 matching but opposed recamiers and 3 matching a
Own A Piece Of Victorian Web Real Estate
I have decided to depart with some of my premium Internet domain names relating to Victorian antique furniture. If you are interested in owning the primary domains for famous Victorian cabinetmakers and eras, then this i
Exhibit: Suffolk County's Role In The Civil War
Victorian furniture fans will be interested in an exhibit on display through November 14th March 2010 at the Suffolk county Historical Society. This exhibit is focuses on the experiences of Long Island residents in the C
In The Showroom: Stickley-Brandt And Robert Mitchell Furniture - 1906
I enjoy running across photographs of period furniture new in the showroom and here is one from April, 1906. I recognize a mix of manufacturers in this photo. The front-left chair is a Robert Mitchell "Roman Arm Chair" a
J & JW Meeks Duchesse At Harlowe-Powell Auction Gallery
When signed pieces of Victorian-era furniture show up for sale, I like to feature them so that we have a reference for the future when similar pieces show up that are not marked by their maker. Sandra at Harlowe-Powell t
Auction Results - Neal Auction Fall Estates Sale
Fine Victorian furniture was in abundance at Neal Auction Company’s mid-September event. More than 1,000 lots of American furniture alone crossed the auction block. The top piece of Victorian furniture to sell raked in
Great Story Behind Amazing 900 Pound European Sideboard
A recent blog visitor, Melody, shared some photos with me of her family's monumental sideboard. If anyone has any information on whether they could confirm the origin of Capri and the type of wood, she would be grateful.
For The Record: Kilian Brothers Worktable
Here's another installment of my For The Record posts, in which seek to disburse information on pieces with available documentation for future identification purposes. While perusing the Neal Auction furniture sections f
Thomas Brooks Dresser With Putto
I almost incorrectly used the term "cherub" to describe this winged male child that is represented in the crest of this dresser, but I remembered that I had wanted to do a little digging on the difference between the wor
Kirkwood Mansion Sale In Eutaw, Alabama
Saturday, September 5th, 2009 @ 10am there will be an onsite Estate Auction at Kirkwood Mansion in Eutaw, Alabama. Hal Hunt will be selling the Contents of Kirkwood Mansion - the Estate Collection of Al and Danky Blanton
A Real Galusha In Our Midst
It's not as frequent as Belter, Meeks, Horner, Hunzinger, and the other usual Victorian-era furniture makers, but it isn't unusual to see furniture somewhat liberally attributed to Elijah Galusha. Galusha was a cabinetma
Comparing Herter Brothers Marks - When Is It Authentic?
Marked, signed, or labeled furniture in the Victorian era is the exception and not the norm. The higher-end furniture makers seemed to be as neglectful in this regard as any of the rest of the cabinetmakers. One of the m
New York Cabinetmakers Get Married
Neal Auction has another of their great sales coming up in September and I'll try to cover more of the items as it comes nearer, but I was tipped off to an anomaly in one of their featured lots, the etagere above. The bo
Herts Brothers Bedroom Furniture For Sale
Available for sale is this very impressive twin bedroom set made by Herts Brothers during the turn of the 20th century in the Louis XV style. The extensive inlay includes brass, copper, pewter and mother of pearl and the
Victorian Dollhouse Furniture
I recently purchased a new parlor set, but this time I have room for it. Not my usual cup of tea - this is a circa 1999 Rococo parlor set from China, but it's resemblance to the furniture of the makers we often discuss c
Hunzinger "Woven Wire" Patent Seat
This is a George Hunzinger "Dining or Library Chair No. 44" from the Kimball's Book of Designs: Furniture and Drapery (Boston, 1876). I have a question into the seller of the chair on the right to see if the original wir
Alexander Roux Chairs With Original Label
According to the label above which accompanies a pair of chairs currently for sale, these chairs were produced by Alexander Roux between 1848 and 1867 due to the 479 Broadway address mentioned. The chairs are entirely eb
Late Classical Chair - ca. 1825
Still welcoming other thoughts on the discussion of our recent mystery chair. I'm providing an image of an authentic Late Classical chair with similar arm form, above. Let us know your thoughts in the comments of the ori
Victorian Sofa and Settee For Sale
Kathryn Bauer is offering the following antique Victorian furniture items for sale which you can view in the images to follow. A George Henkels-attributed Rosewood sofa with newer upholstery. Kathy has extra matching fab
Another "If Only ..." Moment
Sometimes Rare Victorian regular Zeke sends me things that get my blood pressure pumping in a bad way and this is another example of one of those "If Only" moments. If only I'd been there. If only Zeke had bought it. If
Mystery Chair - Late Classical or Nouveau?
Here's an intriguing mystery chair for you which is in the middle of disagreement on it's age. This isn't a casual situation where a curious chair owner would like to know, but a case where the chair is being offered to
Victorian Folding Chair Identification
Photo courtesy of Liveauctioneers Victorian-era Folding chairs did have a higher-end and occasionally you will see that reflected in the auction prices for them today. The chair above was (I believe incorrectly) attribut
Victorian Furniture Makers' Careers Span Periods
Many Victorian furniture cabinetmakers' careers crossed wide swaths of the Victorian period and thus, adapted to the changes in tastes across those careers. When we think of John Jellif, we think of the Renaissance Reviv
Another J.W. Hamburger Prince Of Wales Set
Another 3-piece Renaissance Revival parlor set that I believe to be a "Prince of Wales" set by J.W. Hamburger has popped up on Ebay. This one is nicer than the others I have seen due to the inclusion of brass plaques, bu
"Jelliff" Crest For Sale
Just a quick note to give those that collect Victorian furniture parts a heads up that a "Jelliff" crest is for sale. I say "Jelliff" with tongue firmly planted in my cheek as I soon expect to put up my last post on the
Associating Herter Brothers With Decorative Inlay
Peter sent me this photo of a Renaissance Revial parlor set that he has from a "wealthy relative" and was asking if I knew who the cabinetmaker may have been that constructed it. He was wondering if it was made by Herter
Klauder And Deginter, Philadelphia Furniture Makers
Flomaton Antique Auction has suspended it's monthly auctions indefinitely, but that hasn't stopped Nevin Heller from bringing quality antiques to the world. I was perusing his antique site, "Circa 19th Century" (a busine
Top 10 Antiques Blogs
I put together a top 10 Antiques Blogs list for Blogs.com and tried to make it very diverse in it's genres and topical coverage. I tried to include a sprinkling of general antiques news blogs mixed with very focused nich
"General" Tom Thumb's Personal Settee
Speaking of upholstery ... Joan Bogart recently shared with me a settee in her possession that originally belonged to Tom Thumb. Discovered at the age of 5 by distant relative P.T. Barnum, Charles Sherwood Stratton was a
Upholstery Choices Giving "Victorian" A Bad Rap
Victorian-Era Furniture has gained a bad rap over the past 100 years for it's "garishness" and I think that there is no potential end to that reputation, and thus, it's lack of mainstream appeal. I think there is one thi
Gold Gilt Belter Furniture
I recently ran across this four-piece set of John Henry Belter Rosalie chairs online and asked the owner if I could post the image here. What struck me about this set is that the crests are gold-gilt. I have never run ac
Compiling Top 10 Antique Blogs List
I've been asked to compile a top 10 list of Antiques-oriented blog for Blogs.com and I'd like to solicit feedback from the Rare Victorian community. If you have some favorite antiques blogs that you follow, please pass t
Rare Victorian Forum: Restoration Tips for Cleaning Compo
Tcandkk may be a newbie poster on the Rare Victorian board, but it's already obvious that she's not a newbie when it comes to buying Victorian furniture. She loves a deal and is prepared to put the work in to bring a les
George Hunzinger Lounge Chair
George Hunzinger furniture fans will probably be interested to see this chair design by him based on the 1869 brace patent. This is not a common form and I personally haven't seen one in the past. You can see the chair w
Neal Auction Summer Estates Auction
Neal Auction's next sale is coming up this weekend and it has it's share of worthy lots which I have provided a sampling of below. I have been so busy recently that I haven't had a chance to review the paper catalog that
John Jelliff Neo-Grec VSA Article
John Jelliff in The Victorian Times I recently "met" Roberta Mayer virtually through this site when she saw my posts on John Jelliff and the "Jenny Lind" carved arms. She made me aware of an article she had written on th
My Antiques Roadshow Experience Part II
I left off with my Antiques Roadshow experience in the last post at the paintings table. Both Chris and I had lugged our final appraisal items through this, our longest line - long enough that it was broken in two, which
Does “Victorian” Really Have Any Meaning?
Photo courtesy of Liveauctioneers Now that we’ve tackled the semantics of Empire vs. Late Classical, let’s take a crack at something larger – the word “Victorian.” Does “Victorian” really have any meaning?
Auction Results Round-Up June 20th Edition
In what will hopefully become a regular feature on Rare Victorian, I've invited Sue Mellish, who has been an antiques and collectibles writer for Antique Week in the past, to wrap up some of the recent Victorian auction
I'll Gladly Pay You Tuesday For A Hamburger Today
No sooner do I put up a post about J.W. Hamburger than woodwright points out the Great American Auction sale coming up tomorrow. I had previously reviewed the lots, but since I just did the post earlier this morning, one
John Jelliff Or J.W. Hamburger?
Compare this 1872 catalog image of a J.W. Hamburger sofa, model "King William Suit", to a 7-piece parlor suite currently for sale as a John Jelliff. The overall form is strikingly similar and a few decorative elements ar
Miniature Furniture Antiques
I enjoyed the video below of high quality antique miniature furniture produced by Antiques TV. These aren't your ordinary dollhouse furniture pieces - they are very well made and use high quality materials.
Rare Victorian Forum - An International Community
This week, a new poster took the forum by storm with some great information about a variety of subjects. Canadian Maple (CM) seems to have an endless supply of catalog and photographic reference material, which he's happ
George Hunzinger Sofa With "Opera Singer" Arms
George Hunzinger furniture hasn't graced the pages of Rare Victorian for a while, so I thought I'd alert Hunzinger fans to the sofa that is currently seeing very active bidding on Ebay. With 2 days to go, it has seen 20
"Empire" Furniture Isn't Always Empire Furniture
I interrupt this blog that occasionally masquerades as something scholarly and amounts to not much more than Victorian eye-candy and tabloid-style cabinetmaker worship to discuss the use of "Empire" to describe more than
Herter Brothers-Attributed Cabinet May Be Allen & Brother
I bid on a cabinet this week after I learned of a "Herter Brothers" cabinet coming up at a local auction. I immediately thought Allen & Brother when I saw the cabinet photos. I coincidentally ran into the "Gems of th
I Never Saw a Purple Cow: This Week's Forum Roundup
This past week, we had a huge brush fire burning just blocks from our home and it made me think long and hard about the contents of our house and what we'd be able to save if disaster struck. It was a frightening few hou
The Antiques Roadshow Experience
This past Saturday was the Antiques Roadshow event in Atlantic City, NJ and I invited a friend of mine whom I knew had some items that he had wanted appraised for quite some time. I requested a press pass so that I could
Tweeting Antiques Roadshow Today
For those of you who use Twitter, I'll be Tweeting the Antiques Roadshow experience today as it unfolds in Atlantic City. If you're not following me yet, you can do so here. If you're not a Roadshow fan, today is also th
Ancient Temple Carving Headed To Antiques Roadshow
I had mentioned that a friend of mine is headed to the Roadshow with me with a 200-pound ancient stone carving in hopes of getting a valuation and identification. You might wonder how someone in rural Ohio comes to posse
Herter Brothers Bookcase At Mark Vail Auction
Mark Vail's June 6 auction has a lot for sale that I will call "entry-level" Herter Brothers. From what I see this is a 100% authentic Herter Brothers bookcase. It's not one of Herters' high-style pieces as the design is
You Oughta Be in Pictures: This Week's Forum Roundup
If your ears were burning last Friday at 3:00, it's because I was talking about you. I was on the Warner Brothers tour in Burbank and where I got to visit the magnificent prop house. The tour guide said that the prop war
Antiques Roadshow Bound
You have to try everything once, right? I put myself on the list for the Antiques Roadshow tickets this year and was one of those selected to receive the free tickets. It's a lottery system, so there is never a guarantee
Gems of the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia 1876
I recently ran across the 1877 publication, "Gems of the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia", made available in its entirety below, from Google Books. It is a sort of greatest hits of the 1876 exhibition which was an
Michaan's Fine Art, Furniture and Decorative Arts Auction Friday, June 12, 2009
The June 12 event to be presented by Michaan’s Auctions of Alameda, CA, is sure to be a crowd pleaser. More than 260 lots of fine art, furniture and decorative art will cross the auction block this day. One of the nota
The Helen Of Troy Theory
(Continuation from Part I and Part II) I've been talking a lot about Jenny Lind lately and here's the impetus for my resurgent interest in solving the mystery of who the carved-arm females are meant to depict: The owner
Need Tips On Visiting Cape May, NJ
photo by wasabi_bob There is a reasonable chance that I will be visiting Cape May soon and am reaching out to the Rare Vic community to see if anyone has tips on which houses to visit and places to antique/se
The Curious Case of the Victorian Carved Bench
As I eluded to yesterday, there are a few changes happening at Rare Victorian - all for the good. I'd like to introduce Cynthia Boris who will be helping out with a Forum News post every week to summarize the interesting
Victorian Furniture Highlighted in Cowan’s June 6, 2009 Fine and Decorative Art Auction
Cowan’s is preparing for a solid auction of Fine and Decorative Art on June 6th, where they are emphasizing 19th-century furniture and other decorative arts. Along with elaborate newel post electroliers, a Tiffany lamp
Rare Victorian Antique Classifieds
There are some exciting new additions coming to Rare Victorian this week, so please be checking back over the coming days to see what is in store. I have been very busy behind the scenes and I still owe you a follow-up p
Auction Houses - Contact Me
If you work for an auction house that regularly features high-quality Victorian antiques and would like to be included on a list of auction sites that we monitor to report on for Rare Victorian readers, please use this f
Carved Bust Arms Not Jenny Lind
If you haven't read the first part of this series on proving/disproving the Jenny Lind association with the carved arms on Renaissance Revival furniture, you can read it here. This may take a few posts to get through, so
Jenny Lind She Ain't
I've longed referred to these female busts as "Jenny Lind" due to the prevalance of this belief in the marketlplace. People know which arms you are referring to when you describe them as Jenny Lind carvings. It has never
Rare Victorian Blog On Amazon Kindle
If you haven't heard of the Kindle, it is a wireless reading device manufactured by Amazon that seems to be gathering some wide adoption. The Kindle allows you to wirelessly buy, receive, and read books them from a devic
Modern Gothic or Eastlake/Aesthetic or Both?
Bob Courtney Auctions is selling this 3-piece bedroom set on Ebay at the moment and the sale will be ending today. The have listed it as an "Eastlake Aesthetic Movement" set and I've been mulling over this categorization
Twitter And The World Of Antiques
Since some of my regular visitors and blog subscribers own, operate, or work in the antiques business, I thought I'd take a momentary diversion to address the use of Twitter in the business of antiques. This will also be
Victorian Brass/Bronze Hardware
If you are a fan of Victorian brass & bronze door hardware, there is a recent post in the Victorian forum that has extensive images of ornate hardware collections from "stever". Steve has photos of hardware manufactu
J & JW Meeks "Stanton Hall" Chair
Currently at $202.50 and originally described as a chair made by Belter, this Meeks Stanton Hall chair is seeing some early bidding due to the low starting price and no reserve. These chairs will hit $800 to $1500 at auc
Herter Brothers Furniture In The Movies
We received a tip from Joe in the comments on this post that we could find some of the Warner Brothers Herter Brothers furniture stash that recently sold at Bonhams in the film, "The Unsinkable Molly Brown." I located th
John Henry Belter Patents - Improved Bedstead & "Dished" Lamination
Below are two of four patents that John Henry Belter secured (two more to follow): Pat. 15,552 (Aug. 19, 1856) - John Henry Belter's improved bedstead patent that seeks to address issues with bed construction prior, such
Carlo Bugatti - A Century Ahead Of His Time
Carlo Bugatti's Art Nouveau furniture designs look more like they were designed for Batman's home than for the homes of the turn of the 19th century when they were made (the firescreen above was is circa 1900). Paul Tuck
Final Herter Brothers Pieces From Warner Bros. Studios Collection To Sell
Next Tuesday, May 5th, Bonhams will be selling the final pieces of Herter Brothers furniture from the Warner Brothers Studios collection. Staci Smith from Bonhams has provided me with the following summ
Stevens Estate Auction May 2nd, 2009
Stevens Auction will be having a sale this weekend which will include antique Victorian Furniture from a variety of makers and periods and the convenient thing about the sale is that you don't need to bring a truck or tr
Thoughts On Furniture Attributions & CDWA
You've often heard me rant about furniture attributions being applied to furniture in a flippant manner - "heavily carved + Rosewood" = Belter or Meeks. R. J. Horner is probably the most abused name next to George Hunzin
Rare Victorian Toolbar Available
I've developed a toolbar for those of us that use Rare Victorian and the forum on a daily basis. I know some of you are thinking, "John why the heck would I want a Rare Victorian toolbar?". Well, the answer is that it pu
House Of Representatives Bookcase Bidding Update
"John, get over it. Bidding issues happen all the time. Join the club." I know that's probably what you're all thinking and I agree. I've been the under-bidder many times before and it's never a happy feeling. Not succee
W. W. Strong Ebonized, Aesthetic Movement Bedroom Suite
This Aesthetic Movement bedroom suite has popped up on Ebay and is labeled via stamp to be made by W. W. Strong Co. of Chicago, Illinois. The seller has some other provenance to share with us on the set: The set was purc
Didn't Win The House Of Representatives Bookcase
Just a quick note to pass on very bad news confirmed this morning. I didn't win the House of Representatives Bookcase that I bid on this weekend at the Harlowe Powell sale. Apparently my $1,625.00 bid was not enough to t
1857-Era House of Representatives Bookcase
As members of the Rare Victorian forum and of subscribers to Rare Victorian Special Finds have known for a number of days, this somewhat simple bookcase may be a pretty rare find. Thanks to a tip from Jason/1881Victorian
Neal Auction - Spring Estates Auction - April 18th, 19th 2009
Neal Auction is preparing for another great sale this weekend, their Spring Estates Sale on Saturday April 18th and 19th. The Victorian Furniture headliner for me in this sale is the Herter Brothers-attributed credenza s
Consensus: Not Stanford White Design - Aesthetic Parlor Set
There was a lot of good discussion on the Parlor Set in the last post that, by family history, had been designed by or is in some way associated with Stanford White. Cheryl (AKA misslillybart) found a photo that seems to
Stanford White Parlor Set Mystery
Usually when I do these antique Victorian furniture posts I post an image or so and accompany it with the brief research that I have done. I'm going to do it backwards this time. I am posting the image first without havi
Signs Of A New Generation Of Antique Collectors
A post that I did on the passing of Richard Wright in early March asked a question that a not-yet 20-year old site visitor named Frank Merante of Francis Clay Antiques answered in an email to me. His note gives me hope t
Fontaine's Exceptional Antique Auction, April 4th
Fontaine's has another one of their Exceptional Antique Auctions coming up this weekend and there are many great Victorian pieces to be aware of. Live bidding will be provided
Truman & Tyler Bill Of Sale To Robert Knight
Truman & Tyler were furniture dealers "in Rich and Common Furniture, Feathers, Mattresses, Looking Glasses, and Housekeeping Articles, at Wholesale and Retail." They were located at 109 Westminster Street in Providen
Old House Tours Launches!
I have no free time but I had to do it. I've launched a new site dedicated to the appreciation of historic properties - Old House Tours. My aim is to capture old homes and buildings of all eras and share them with others
For The Record: Bardwell, Anderson & Co., Boston, MA
I was perusing one of my oft-used Victorian furniture books, Furniture Made In America, 1875-1905, and ran into a table that I knew that I had seen before. My recollection is that Meg and Bruce Cummings had one in their
Victorian Antique Furniture Stolen - Birmingham, AL
Please be on the lookout for some Victorian Furniture that was stolen on it's trip down to Stevens Auction. If you come across any of it please contact us (info @ rarevictorian.com) and we will pass the information on to
John Henry Belter Lion & Serpent Decoration
In a recent post I mentioned a John Henry Belter sofa design that integrated uncommon Belter themes of sea serpents, lion arms and carved paw feet. Photos of this sofa can be found on page 65 of the Belter book and are s
S. Karpen & Bros. Furniture Exhibition - Russell Senate Office Building
Emily Rose, a Karpen descendent and author, tipped me off that there is a special exhibition going on featuring furniture from the S. Karpen & Bros. furniture manufacturing company at the Russell Senate Office Buildi
Rare R.J. Horner Bedroom Suite Up At Auction
Just a quick note to mention the upcoming April 5th sale of an attributed R.J. Horner Bedroom suite. A tag does accompany the set. More details and photo tour at the R.J. Horner blog.
The Wild Side Of John Henry Belter
I hadn't been paying attention. It took a couple years into my Victorian furniture "mindshift" for me to notice that some of the attributed John Henry Belter chairs had lions carved into the arms. I had probably seen hun
Herter Brothers Attributed Cabinet
I think that Herter Brothers fans would likely agree with me when I say that I don't think the Herter Brothers attribution on this cabinet currently for sale on Ebay is warranted. The use of hardware on this piece is in
Emerson & Son Spiral Table
I recently purchased an Emerson & Son furniture catalog from 1893 which I will make available on the catalog page in future. What caught my eye in the catalog was the image seen below. As I said to Paul Tucker in an
For The Record: James W. Cooper & Brother
In case anyone runs across one of these Hunzinger-looking pedestals, they were actually made by Philadelphia maker James W. Cooper. You may have already viewed his "Art Furniture" catalog here on this site. Paul Tucker,
Victorian Furniture At Grand View Antiques & Auction
There is a fair amount of Victorian furniture in today's Grand View sale and the lot that popped out from the rest for me was #129 - the Pottier & Stymus-attributed, mirrored credenza, above. There are some other fam
James W. Cooper & Bro. - Philadelphia Art Furniture
Many of you may already be aware that I have set up a special page on Rare Victorian to make original furniture manufacturer catalogs from the 19th century available for Rare Victorian readers to view. I own several peri
William "Richard" Wright Jr. (1947-2009)
The sad news of the passing of William "Richard" Wright on Sunday at the age of 62 made me pause for a moment and feel very upset that I won't get a chance to hear him unleash his seemingly endless depth of knowledge on
Belter Bidding War
This video is from a 2006 Antiques Roadshow video appraisal done on this pair of John Henry Belter scroll pattern armchairs where the buyer paid $7,000 for them - a result of a heated bidding war where the thrill got the
Selection of Hal Hunt Auction Results
Thanks to Rick Ponder, we have a selection of results from the last Hal Hunt sale enumerated in the forum. A few highlights are the Belter bed shown on this post went for $175,000, a Belter dresser for $80,000, and a Bel
M. & H. Schrenkeisen Sofa With Carved Bust Arms
I thought I'd post a catalog reference image for M. & H. Schrenkeisen to help set the record (kinda) straight on this sofa. I say "kinda" since one can never believe everything one reads, but this is photographic pro
"Shannon Phila" Locks = Daniel Pabst?
I ran into this dresser listing on Ebay which caught my eye due to the expertly done Aesthetic Movement carvings. What further caught my eye was a mention in the listing description of the presence of locks that bear the
George Henkels Bedroom Suite Analysis
This bed from the Neal Auction February 2008 sale is part of a 3-piece bedroom suite that I recently ran into in the hands of a dealer. I believe they are one and the same set and probably one and the same as the one "Ha
Gerald Lawhorn Collection At Hal Hunt Auctions
Major collectors of the best in American Rococo probably have already directed their attention to the February 21st Hal Hunt Auction of the Gerald Lawhorn collection. Lawhorn founded the Griffin, GA PetroSouth chain of g
Antique Purchasing Poll Results
It's been almost two days since I put up the poll on antique purchasing and the response distribution has stayed relatively the same since the early votes so I thought I'd share the results thus far. It seems that 50% of
Are You Tempering Your Antique Purchases In This Economic Downturn?
I had to resist signing a check and handing it over the the dealer who was displaying this birdseye Maple bedroom suite. I am in need of a bedroom set badly and my wife reminds me regularly about the bare mattress in one
Lincoln's 200th Birthday - Library of Congress Images
It seems odd that the states in U.S. can't make up their mind as to what President's Day should be called or who it should honor. Depending up on the state you live in, it may be called "Washington's Birthday", "Presiden
Not A Belter Work/Sewing Table
I received a note from Joan Bogart about the table that was profiled in a few previous posts. It was documented in the book, "The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Revival" on page 83. Joan feels that the tab
Staircases Are Not Furniture
I have a new pet peeve - though I need a stronger way to express my disdain for this practice but I'll keep the blog clean. The removal of historic staircases from homes that are not being demolished is a low way to secu
Strange Things Happen
On February 2nd I published a post about a John Henry Belter work table and explain that by blogging about it I was imprinting it's form in my brain. February 7th I spot what I think is a larger version of the same table
Don’t Believe All That You Read, Part III
I'd like to get back to the series of posts on issues with using furniture books, catalogs, and ads as proof-positive sources for furniture maker attributions (Trade Catalogs Can Be Misleading; Don’t Believe All That Y
John Henry Belter's Miscellanea
Those of you who visit this site regularly and/or are John Henry Belter furniture fans are very familiar with his over-the-top Rococo parlor furniture - tables, chairs, settees, meridiennes... But there are, of course, o
New Orleans Auction - St. Charles Gallery "Spectacular Winter Sale"
I was pressed for time this week, otherwise I would have given you more advanced warning of this sale which is happening today and tomorrow in New Orleans. The above-pictured Belter-attributed table will be part of the s
Antiques Roadshow Herter Brothers "Burn Mark" Parlor Table
As Michael Flanigan said in this Antiques Roadshow appraisal, if this table hadn't been branded "Herter Bros", I would have passed it off as a nice Rosewood Renaissance Revival table. However this is indeed a true Herter
Hunzinger 1869 Patent Chair
Whoa. It has taken me 5 days to isolate an issue on this blog that prevented me from creating new posts. It is easier to troubleshoot problems where nothing works at all then to troubleshoot the case where everything wor
Trade Catalogs Can Be Misleading
I hadn't intended yesterday's blog post to be first in a multi-part series, but as I lay awake last night after dealing with a sick puppy, it occurred to me that I had been saving up a bunch of material for a post on Geo
Don't Believe All That You Read
You need to retain a healthy dose of suspicion when you read anything in books related to 19th century furniture and the identification of their makers contained within. That caution also includes what you read on this s
Robert Mitchell High-Back Arm Chair #66-1337 A
I knew eventually that this chair would turn up and it finally has. This is the Robert Mitchell High-back Arm Chair from his ca. 1902 catalog, model #66-1337 A. The "A" designates the Mahogany version of the chair, which
Victorian Antique Lorillard Tobacco Cabinet
Not something that you'd hang above your Rococo or Aesthetic Movement sofa, but here's a great 1880s Victorian tobacco cabinet from the Lorilard Tobacco Company, which operated 100 years prior to this cabinet's creation
Birdseye Maple Dresser Identification
Here's a little "in-the-field" reporting as I spend some time away from home this weekend on the Chesapeake Bay visiting some friends and shopping with my wife. Fortunately for me, there is a selection of girlie shops wi
Bonham's Selling Warner Brothers' Studio Collection of Herter Brothers Furniture
In what one Hollywood blogger is referring to as a Warner Brothers garage sale, Bonham's is offering one of the most important Herter Brothers collections seen at sale in over 60 years. This sale represents over $1,000,0
“Hunzinger Chair” Mystery Part III
Sorry if this series of posts is hitting the press slowly, but that is intentional as I am getting new information real-time and I want to be sure that you get it as it rolls in. As we've been exploring in the past two p
"Hunzinger Chair" Mystery Part II
Continuing from where the last post left off,we were trying to determine if an unlabeled chair that Zeke Feldhaus recently purchased was produced by George Hunzinger due to the patent-protected brace design (very bottom
"Hunzinger Chair" Mystery Part I
I hope everyone had a great holiday break as did I, but it's time for us all to get back to normalcy. Let's kick off year 3 of Rare Victorian with a little furniture analysis triggered by a recent series of emails from Z