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92 archive posts.
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No Reserve - Signed Alexander Roux Bed
You don't come across a signed, Rosewood Alexander Roux bed for $2k that often (current price with no reserve). It's not an overly grandiose bed in size or sophistication of design, but the carvings are exceptionally wel
Fontaine's Exceptional Antique Auction Tomorrow, 5/21
press release: The following Monumental R.J. Horner Figural Mahogany Dining Room Set. 12 Pc. Figural carved set will be offered at Fontaine's Auction Gallery in Pittsfield MA, on May 21st 2011 at 11am EST. The set includ
William Koelle, Philadelphia Maker's Label
One of my first late-19th century table purchases was a real beater, but I bought it because at the time I felt it was probably a table by Merklen Brothers. I thought that I'd get around to repairing and refinishing it a
Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival Restoration
A few years ago, I purchased a three-piece Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival set. There was strong evidence to back up the attribution that I had made - the set was pictured in many of the reference books and labeled
Mystery Cincinnati Furniture Manufacturer
A Rare Victorian reader contacted me about a chair that they have below with a badly damaged label, but a label nonetheless. It is clearly from a Cincinnati cabinetmaker (or retailer), but the question is: Which one? It
Allen & Brother Nightstand For Sale
Available for sale is this nightstand with original marble top and "A" key, attributed to the famous Philadelphia cabinetmaking shop of Allen & Brother. All four sides have decorative birdseye maple panels. These pan
John Henry Belter Cornucopia Pattern On Ebay
John Henry Belter Cornucopia pattern up for sale on Ebay? Yes, it happened. Say what you will about Ebay and eschew it at your own buying risk. A John Henry Belter Cornucopia armchair popped up several days ago, seemingl
For Sale - Late Renaissance Revival Mahogany Console/Library Table
Offered for sale is this late 19th–Century Renaissance Revival Marble-Topped Carved Mahogany Console/Library Table, rectangular” black-veined marble top, over frieze with carved foliate decoration, supported on 3-D h
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
New York Neo-Classical Ebonized Cabinet
If I wasn't in cash-conserving home-rebuild mode I'd possibly snap up this excellent 1860s Neo-classical (Neo-Grec) cabinet. One can never have too many of these space-hogging extravagances. They cost even more than the
George Hunzinger Renaissance Revival Chair
This past weekend saw a pair of these George Hunzinger chairs go for $6,000 at auction and now there is a single chair currently seeing some bidding with six days left in the sale, above. It is currently bid up to $1,825
Pottier & Stymus Inlaid Ebonized Parlor Table
This parlor table is very similar to a table in the "Styles of American Furniture" book on page 67. There appears to be differences in the inlay wood choices resulting in a rosier (Rosewood) color to this table. The inci
10-Piece Belter Parlor Set at Bob Courtney November 8th
Bob Courtney Auctions has a sale coming up on on Saturday, November the 8th that will include the six brethren to the above four John Henry Belter side chairs. The complete set is being categorized as following Belter's
Kimbel & Cabus Modern Gothic Armchair at Neal Auction
In my opinion, Neal Auction is being a bit conservative in their attribution on this chair. I'm always very appreciative of Neal's condition information and research that they provide with their listing and I feel they a
Pair of J & JW Meeks "Stanton Hall" Sidechairs
Although picking up a pair of Meeks Stanton Hall pattern chairs seems like it could never be a bad investment, that all depends on the price of the acquisition, and with this pair, the asking price of $4,400 is above whe
Are You Selling Yourself Short Selling On Ebay?
James Conrad and Steve Sika commented on a recent post about a pair of high-end Neo-Grec chairs that were being sold on Ebay (unsuccessfully) and I thought I'd move Steve's question into it's own post as it deserves some
Superb Renaissance Revival Bed Needs Some Work
This bedstead on Ebay will be sold by the time some of you read this but I thought I'd mention it due to the quality of the piece. It is a Renaissance Revival bed with 101" height and 75" length and not quite Queen width
Video - Antique Rococo Revival Chair Crest Repair
Some good friends of mine asked for a recommendation on a repair shop and I mentioned to them that Rose Valley Restorations does good work for me, so they brought the chair to me to take in to John Hutchinson. This will
Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival Set
Quick post to address some of the comments on the previous post: I now have the Egyptian Revival set by Pottier & Stymus in my possession and I've done some digging to see if the upholstery is original and based on a
Video - Final Episode: Refinishing A Merklen Brothers “Shabby” Table
Well, the table is finished and it looks fantastic. In this final episode, John Hutchinson of Rose Valley Restorations in West Chester, PA explains the process that he, Kyle, and Bill followed to bring the table to this
Special Finds Updated
I ran across a higher-end Aesthetic ebonized armchair with inlay and gilding in beautiful condition at a reasonable price for what it is. Subscribers can log in here to review the information. If you are unfamiliar with
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery - Part III
Make sure you've read Part I and Part II before proceeding The Two Makers Theory On Friday, I was coming to a conclusion different than where I am today - that a strong possibility existed that Kathie's chair was made by
It's A Good Time For Rare Victorian Billiard Tables
John (AKA Woodwright) has sent me a message that I thought would fit well as a post on Rare Victorian. Little did he know that he had became the first guest-poster on RV ;-) John is a relatively recent addition to the co
Why I Do The Research That I Do
The stand above is a good example of why I read and research Victorian Furniture to the extent that I do. When I first started collecting Victorian Furniture it was only so that I could put furniture in my home (built in
John Henry Belter "Tuthill King" Pattern Recamier
I don't know about you, but there are so many bunches of grapes on this Recamier (or is it a meridienne?) that it makes me feel like I'm in a vineyard. This is an early John Henry Belter Recamier as evidenced by the appl
Rosewood Mitchell & Rammelsberg Etagere
You'd think I was on the Neal Auction payroll by the amount of furniture I've been profiling by them (I'm not), but as usual, their upcoming sale has a lot that Rare Victorian readers would be interested in owning, budge
Pair of John Henry Belter Rosalie Meridiennes ... or are they Recamiers?
Kaminski Auctions of Beverly, MA is selling these twin John Henry Belter Meridiennes/Recamiers on the 26th of April. Condition seems to be fine on these two, which appear to be in the "Rosalie with grapes" pattern, thoug
Historic House Tour Weekend
I apologize for the lack of posts recently and will also apologize for possible continuation of that malady. My house was on the local historic home tour this past weekend and we have been gearing up for that for some ti
Tips for Buying Antiques Online
Not everyone has dipped their toes into the murky pool of buying antiques online. I wrote the following list of tips in the forum and thought I'd clean it up and post it on the main blog for a wider audience. Hopefully,
Cowan's Results and the NYC Pier Show
Ok Rare Victorianites, I think we were all asleep yesterday since the Hunzinger chair above went for $325 at Cowan's, which might be a recent record low for a chair of the style. Even if you shipped it to New Mexico, you
Victorian Furniture at Cowan's Auction This Weekend
There are a few items of Victorian furniture going up for sale during the Cowan's auction this weekend, including this pair of Meeks Stanton Hall armchairs. There's a second pair of Meeks side chairs that are also up for
Victorian Table For The Equestrian
Here's a great early Victorian (1830-1840) table for hanging up your horse-riding boots after a ride in the countryside or for storing any other high-top style boots. The table appears to be in excellent condition; proba
The William P. and Emma C. Bancroft Bed
Recently, during one of my wife's painting weekends (she is making sure all the white walls in our home's upper floors adopt a real hue), we moved one of the beds away from the wall and I noticed this label on the back o
Pricing Your Antiques For Sale
My antique Victorian pricing research over the years has been a mishmash of looking at pricing on Ebay auctions for sale (current and closed) and Googling keywords appropriate to the piece I'm looking to sell. I might go
Fontaine's "Exceptional Antique Auction" - February 23rd
For those of you who are avid VictorianForum.com visitors, you are already aware of this, that the Fontaine's auction is approaching and now the listings have hit Ebay. I've created a custom search that isolates just the
Completely Restored Regina Music Box From 1909
An anonymous commenter got the mystery device's name correct - this is a Regina, technically a ReginaPhone 240 Music Box and it plays 15 1/2 inch Regina discs. I've wanted one of these for a while but they are so highly
1890s Victorian Wicker Chair in Excellent Natural Condition
I'm also a fan of Victorian wicker and own a nice Heywood-Wakefield chair in natural finish and two huge "peacock" painted wicker chairs that I keep out on the front porch. I like having variety in my antique collection
Determining When Antique Furniture Isn't Old
I ran into these photos on Craigslist yesterday as I was looking for a Victorian bed. Craigslist listings may provide some good deals but their minuscule photos do not provide any means of checking the condition of the i
Rare Hunzinger High-Back Lollipop Chair
I'm a big fan of George Hunzinger's work and when I ran across this unusual Lollipop chair by him I had to bring it home. I have never seen this chair in any of the auctions, Ebay or otherwise, nor in the Barry Harwood H
The Next Rare Victorian Giveaway!
Time for the second Rare Victorian free giveaway! I have two of these, so I'm giving away a First Edition copy (1998) of Nadja Maril's, "Antique Lamp Buyer's Guide - Identifying Late 19th and Early 20th Century American
My Favorite Victorian Antique
I'm sure everyone has a favorite piece in their antique collection and picking out just one to be "the favorite" is like picking your favorite child, but for me it's a relatively easy choice... and I don't have children.
Hunzinger Rocker with Duplex Spring up for Bid
Just a quick note to point out that a Hunzinger rocker with the duplex spring popped up for sale in the San Francisco area (they're saying no shipping). It appears to be in good condition and has nice spiral turned frame
Meeks Stanton Hall Parlor Set
Coming up for sale is another historically unified parlor set being split into separate lots. This time it is a "Stanton Hall" parlor set from J & JW Meeks. I won't revisit the topic of splitting these historic sets
Charles Rohlfs Chair - Sold $198,000
If you remember this chair from my previous post, I thought I'd update you on the recent sale results - $198,000. It took four minutes to sell and handily exceeded the pre-auction estimate of $30,000-$50,000. It's in exc
Allen and Brother Music Cabinet
Up for sale from Kamelot Auctions in Philadelphia is this fine Allen and Brother (attributed) music cabinet. This piece has a central bronze plaque of a Nouveau-styled woman supported by garland and stylized animal legs
All-Original Signed Herter Brothers Walnut Bookcase
This is the first Herter Brothers bookcase that I have run across since I've been collecting over the past few years and this one is stamped "Herter Bros." to confirm it's origin. If I had a spare $10k to buy furniture t
Allen and Brother Cabinet (not Herter Brothers)
For some reason the Allen and Brother pieces are coming out of the woodwork after not seeing any for months. Lewis & Maese Auction Company is bringing this cabinet up for sale on October 24th and have it marked as a
7-Piece J & JW Meeks "Stanton Hall"
I love how Neal Auction Company goes to great lengths to provide helpful condition reports on their online auction items and in this case it is a 3-pager, which is unusual, but it is largely due to the fact that this lot
Bembe & Kimbel U.S. Representatives Chair Reprise
Does this chair look familiar? I did a post (see for more history) on these Bembe & Kimbel U.S. House of Representatives chairs back in May and here's another one coming up for sale. These chairs were used in the Hou
Aesthetic Floral Carved and Inlaid Cabinet attr. Herter Brothers
Coming up for sale at the Fontaine's sale mentioned in an earlier post is this ebonized Herter Brothers (attr.) carved and gilded, floral inlaid cabinet. The top gallery has a hand-painted hunt scene. Condition is good e
Charles Rohlfs Chair
If you'll excuse the interruption in the flow of Victorian Furniture for this minor sidestep into Arts and Crafts, I thought I'd mention this great chair coming up for sale by Charles Rohlfs.Charles started his career as
1880s/1890s Onyx and Metal Parlor Table
I am selling one of the pieces from my house as I just can't find "the right place" for it amongst the rest of my collection. It is rather sizable as far as parlor tables go (34"h x 24.5"w x 30.5"d) as most tables of the
John Henry Belter "Rosalie with Grapes" Sofa
Up for auction is a John Henry Belter Rosalie with grapes pattern sofa, offered by Depew Auction Gallery from Atlanta, GA. You can see an identical sofa in the Belter book by Schwartz, et al. on page 60. I can't see any
Alexander Roux Labeled Hunt Sideboard
Coming up at auction on August 30th will be a fantastic labeled Alexander Roux Hunt Sideboard. I would say that this one is at least on par with the one at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A Roux sideboard achieved a hamm
Herter Brothers Table Update
I received additional condition information and pictures for the Herter Brothers (attributed) table profiled earlier here. Here's the condition report:Several breaks and repairs to edge molding. Repairs to handles of urn
J. & J.W. Meeks "Hartford" Sofa
Neal Auction House is auctioning off this Meeks "Hartford" sofa on June 9th. There is a nice pair of matching Hartford armchairs that are also being sold in the prior lot and can be seen here. They do a great job of writ
Gustave Herter Rosewood Chair
For those of you who like to buy pristine furniture with an impeccable finish which is ready to be placed in your home, this blog entry is not for you (nor was the last one for that matter). I'm fascinated by rare Victor
Neo-Grec Four-Piece Parlor Set - Jelliff Style
Up for auction is a Four-piece Neo-Grec Parlor Set made in the manner of John Jelliff. The carved arms provide the hint that this is possibly from Jelliff. Bidding ends on May 10th and pricing starts at $1,750 with expec
John Henry Belter "Rosalie" Parlor Chairs
Here's a beautiful Rosalie-related set of Belter chairs, including the arm chair and 3 side chairs. It appears that this is a Rosalie variation "with grapes". All have reasonably nice matching fabric. It's hard to see if
Ebonized Aesthetic Pedestal
Up for bidding is an excellent c. 1870s Aesthetic Pedestal from an unidentified maker. It has many attributes of a very fine piece: burl walnut panels, detailed inlay work, and gold incising. I wouldn't be surprised if i
7-piece John Henry Belter Rosalie with Grapes Parlor Set
It's not often that you see a 7-piece set of Belter furniture come up for sale together. This is Belter's Rosalie with Grapes pattern, circa 1850, consisting of a sofa, gentleman's arm chair, meridienne and four side cha
Meeks Stanton Hall Sofa
Up for sale is a Meeks Stanton Hall Pattern rosewood sofa. There isn't much condition information but I can see nicks and scratches in the legs, arms and skirt. Bidding starts at $4,125 and expected range is $12,500 to $
John Henry Belter Armchair Needs a Home
Excuse the humor in the title but since I usually post about extravagant high-end furniture in phenomenal condition, I thought I'd profile a famous-maker piece in need of some TLC. In this case we have a laminated Belter
R.J. Horner Winged Griffin 12 Foot Dining Table
As usual, Bradford's Antiques has yet another great piece of R. J. Horner furniture for sale. This time it's a 12 foot dining table with four 20" leaves which are skirted and carved to match the carvings on the table top
Modern Gothic Kimbel & Cabus Desk c.1870
My (Victorian Era) antique collection includes a mishmash of Rococo, Renaissance, Aesthetic, Elizabethan and Neo-Grec pieces, but I'm conspicuously missing Gothic. I'm a big fan of Gothic design, but I haven't run across
c1850 John Jelliff Lady's Writing Desk
I think we're all used to seeing pieces done by John Jelliff in the forms of sofas and chairs, most with the trademark carved arms with figures of animals and humans. Here is a lady's writing desk attributed to Jelliff a
Charles A. Boudoine Laminated Rosewood Sofa ca. 1855
I have a recently acquired habit of collecting sofas. I have more sofas than I have space to put them in. A recently purchased Jelliff sits in my garage while a Belter scroll sofa sits at a right angle to a French rococo
R.J. Horner Oak Griffin Desk
I've had several recent posts dealing with R.J. Horner items and this is primarily due to two things: one, a significant number of visitors to my site/blog are looking for R.J. Horner items, and two, there have been a ra
R. J. Horner Style Quartersawn Oak Griffin Sideboard
If you are a fan of R. J. Horner, you will love this Quartersawn, heavily carved sideboard. Although it is not being attributed to R.J. Horner, the quality, style and carvings are very representative of his work. If you
R. J. Horner Oak 12 Piece Dining Set
Up for sale is an R.J. Horner 12 pc. Oak Dining Room Set with a 60" round split pedestal banquet table with leaves and full carved winged griffins. There is a matching sideboard, triple bow glass china and 8 dining chair
Pottier and Stymus Labeled Walnut Bedstead
Up for auction on February 3rd from the New Orlean's-based Neal Auction Company is an impressive Renaissance Bedstead attributed to Pottier and Stymus. I have blogged about several of the other items in this particular a
Alexander Roux, Pottier & Stymus Tables
Up for auction from the Neal Auction Company is a Walnut Center Table attributed to Alexander Roux. What is interesting are the Jelliff-like Minerva busts and the wolf masques that adorn the legs and skirt. Starting pric
Rosewood Rococo Sofa, But Not Belter
Pictured to the left is a very nice Rococo sofa made in the 1850-1860 time period. Since this particular sofa is solid rosewood, it is of a quality level that is above much of the furniture of the time, but it is not a B
Meeks Stanton Hall Sofa - $7,500
Another Meeks Stanton Hall sofa is available for sale here. This one seems to be fairly priced at $7,500 and the pictures show no noticeable cracks, splits or repairs.
Merklin Table
Although the lister named the photograph "hunz.jpg", a reference to George Hunzinger, I believe they got it right when they listed it as a Merklen. Both Hunzinger and Merklin favored the twisted legs and the brass ball a
Back to glossaryReturn to all reference hubs · See also: No Reserve - Signed Alexander Roux Bed