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John Henry Belter
Posts tagged John Henry Belter from the RareVictorian furniture archive.
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Two Belters are Better Than One
Here is not one, but a matching pair of John Henry Belter settees in an early, seldom-seen grape pattern from the applied crest era of his work. Notice the scrollwork has a ridged pattern instead of the usual flat "taffy
Neal Auction Louisiana Purchase Sale, November 20th & 21st
Neal Auction is preparing for their annual Louisiana Purchase sale this weekend which includes a full representation of styles from the early 19th Century through the early 20th. One of the more interesting items is a Go
John Henry Belter Desk
The great, great, great-grandson of John Henry Belter contacted me seeing if I could help locate a John Henry Belter desk available for sale: "My father, aunts and uncle have many pieces of his furniture in their houses
Tom Thumb Settee/Sofa Lands At Ringling
Tom Thumb and his wife, Lavinia Warren's personal sofa made by John Henry Belter was mentioned here on Rare Victorian once before. I think this is the final story on the sofa - it has landed at the Ringling Museum - a gi
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
Hunzinger Parlor Suite Hits $17,925 at Neal’s Winter Estate Event
As evidenced by the Hunzinger Parlor Suite sale, the results of Neal Auction Company’s Winter Estate Auction held January 30 and 31 are impressive indeed. Fine Victorian suites and cabinets were sale highlights. Bearin
Macro Antiques: John Henry Belter Rosalie
I though it would be interesting to see an angle of decorative arts that we don't always see: the extreme close-up. I've pulled out my new macro lenses and have taken some close-ups of pieces that I own and will be shari
North Georgia Antique Auction Starring Pottier & Stymus
North Georgia Antique Auction is offering up some fine Victorian pieces in their upcoming January 9th auction. For me, this attributed Pottier & Stymus credenza with extensive ormolu bling is a standout. I've seen th
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
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
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
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
"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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
How About An Alexander Roux Under Your Christmas Tree?
Not that it would fit under a tree, but go with me on this one. Drop some hints to your special other someone that you'd like a nice hunt sidebaord attributed to Alexander Roux or a few Belter chairs under the tree when
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
Neal Auction Louisiana Purchase Sale, October 11th
Note to Neal Auction: free advertising on Rare Vic for infinity if this cabinet finds it's way to my front door. Don't worry, it's a covered porch. Like they would need to bribe me since I blog about their sales anyway.
John Henry Belter Child's Chair
I would like to see one of these Belter youth chairs in person. I have a Belter slipper chair and it is diminutive; I can't imagine how tiny these chairs made for children would appear. At 27 3/4" tall, I could almost wa
Fontaine's Exceptional Antique Auction Sept. 27th
Plenty of high-end Victorian coming up in the Fontaine sale in a few days with all the usual suspects: Belter, Roux, Meeks, Jelliff, Baudouine, Pottier & Stymus, and Horner among others. The Meeks Hawkins pattern set
John Henry Belter "Lincoln" Pattern
I ran into a listing for a Belter "Lincoln" pattern sofa and not having heard of that pattern before, I had to do some research. It happens that Lincoln had several pieces of Belter furniture in the White House during hi
Flomaton Auction August 29th
The Flomaton sale snuck up on me today since it isn't being conducted with an online Ebay bidding capability. There are several Victorian items up for bid including a few Belter chairs and the bed above, whose provenance
John Henry Belter Bill of Sale Update
A quick update on the Belter Bill of Sale that was in the previous post. The December 1998 issue of Magazine Antiques has an exhaustive article on this particular bill of sale, documenting the history of the furniture pu
Original 1855 John Henry Belter Furniture Order Receipt
Lise Bohm has shared with us an original 1855 receipt that she owns documenting a Belter furniture order by what appears to be Col. B. L. Jordan. I was unable to find anything documented on this Colonel. The order is for
This Sofa Is Flipping Us The "Bird" (Pattern)
When speaking of John Henry Belter and J & JW Meeks furniture, there are several "patterns" that were typically made by the makers as original designs or commissions for wealthy clients and subsequently produced agai
J. H. Belter or Meeks Rococo Sofa at James D. Julia
The sofa depicted above is coming up during James D. Julia's "Spectacular Maine Auction" on August 26th. I'll be profiling more of the delectable Victorian pieces in future posts as we near the sale, but let's talk about
Book Review: Rococo - The Continuing Curve, 1730-2008
I picked up a copy of Rococo The Continuing Curve and thought I'd pass on some thoughts about it, which you should realize come from the mind of an antique furniture collector who only dabbles very slightly (currently) i
Rococo: The Continuing Curve, 1730-2008
Quick note to mention that Sunday will be the last day for the Exhibition at the National Design Museum titled, Rococo: The Continuing Curve, 1730-2008. Sure to be some John Henry Belter pieces among others. Has anyone s
The Victorian Humidor Project
Everyone needs at least one vice in their life to make things interesting and smoking cigars is one of mine. So what type of humidor would a Victorian Antique collector have? An antique quartersawn Oak humidor with tin l
Galusha-Attributed Sofa Update
I received a note back from Stacy Pomeroy Draper, Curator of the Rensselaer County Historical Society which has some Galusha pieces in their collection. Thanks to Gordie for the thought to contact her. I asked her to wei
Is This Really a Galusha?
My knowledge of Elijah Galusha furniture is not where I'd like it to be but I don't think there is much out there to help the Galusha researcher to remedy that situation. The above sofa is being sold by Jenack Auctions a
Start Your John Henry Belter Collection
A Belter sofa for $1.00? That is what it is currently bid up to with no reserve price. This Belter furniture pattern is sometimes referred to as "Simple" or "Scroll" due to the smooth simplicity of the carvings. We often
John Henry Belter Also Worked In Oak
This Oak armchair's side chair equivalent is featured in the John Henry Belter book in figure 23. This book is not directly attributing it to Belter in the caption but it seems to lay out the foundation by which this att
Book Review: Victorian Detail by Priscilla S. Meyer
I had previously mentioned that I'd be giving you a little more of a review on my latest book purchase, Victorian Detail, by Priscilla S. Meyer, so here goes. Lise Bohm tipped me off to this book, as she occasionally doe
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
Egyptian Revival Parcel-Ebonized Rosewood Chair
You know I've been reading too many auction listings when fancy-schmancy decorative arts nomenclature like "parcel", meaning partial, ends up in my blog post title. I can't believe it popped into my head. Anyhow, in case
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
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
Indestructible Belter Furniture
Some of you have probably read something about John Henry Belter's secretive lamination process which comprised 7-9 layers of wood, usually Rosewood. Belter steamed and soaked the thinly (< 1.6mm) sawed layers of wood
Another Early John Henry Belter Chair?
Charles, AKA "Peakangus" in the forum, sent me these photos of a Rococo chair that he owns that is possibly a Belter piece. A few characteristics that when combined point to it being by JH Belter: Hollow brass casters La
Early John Henry Belter Applied Crest Chair
This chair sold yesterday and I kinda wish I had bid on it. Those of you who have been in the Victorian Furniture world for longer than I may have run across this form before, but I have not. I believe that the seller co
Splitting of Sets - Does it Bother You Too?
Does it bother anyone other than me that auction houses (and dealers) take parlor sets that have been together for 150 years and split them up to maximize the total sale? This particular set is a John Henry Belter "Fount
JHB Chairs
A recent email from a site visitor had me thinking about the fact that most of the famous cabinet makers of their time were at one time not so famous. They had to have an apprentice period in their earlier years and they
A Bevy of Belters
A bunch of John Henry Belter's simpler designs are coming up for auction from Flomaton and Thomaston. I've provided a quick pick list below. There are a few scroll pattern chairs and sofa, a pair of "Rosalie" chairs, and
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
Galusha Rococo Revival Side Chair
If you're a fan of John Henry Belter, Alexander Roux and J & JW Meeks pieces and haven't heard of Galusha, you should add that name to your shopping list. While his pieces weren't quite as over-the-top carved as Belt
Five John Henry Belter "Henry Clay" pattern chairs
Here's a great opportunity to grab five matching Belter chairs at once for that huge parlor that you have to fill. Only a few more days left on this sale (May 5th ending) so bid soon if you are interested. You can see th
Belter Bonanza
If you are a fan of Belter furniture, there are 12 excellent lots for sale right now which are not being caught by my link on this page to Belter pieces for sale. They are listed as "JH Belter" vs. my usual search for "J
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
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
John Henry Belter Slipper Chair
Up for bidding is a Rosewood pierced slipper chair by John Henry Belter. Chairs of identical overall form with variations in the carved detail can be seen in both "The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Reviva
John Henry Belter Rosalie Pattern Sofa
I have never seen this from Belter before - a solid laminated back to the sofa - all rosewood. The pattern is Rosalie (no grapes) Circa 1850. Dimensions 39"h x 82"l x 32"d. Bidding starts at $3,000 and expected range is
Pair of John Henry Belter Rosalie Armchairs
I'm not partial to the yellow fabric but here's a nice pair of Belter Rosalie pattern armchairs with floral and fruit carved frames and molded cabriole arms and legs. Bidding will start at $2,000 with expected range to b
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
John Henry Belter Child's Chair
So what does the consummate Belter collector acquire when they thought they had everything covered? Why, a child's chair of course! This laminated rosewood chair has an amazing 28 1/2" height and a diminutive 11" seat he
John Henry Belter "Fountain Elms" Pattern Side Chair
Here is a beautiful rosewood John Henry Belter "Fountain Elms" pattern side chair up for auction for the next few days. I would have blogged about this chair earlier but the pictures on the listing are very dark and don'
John Henry Belter Henry Clay Reference Set Sale Results
In January we profiled the upcoming sale of 7 pieces from the reference set for John Henry Belter's "Henry Clay" pattern here . The sale completed today with hammer prices far exceeding the expected ranges in all cases.
Museum Quality Antiques Auction
Antiquarian Traders has a 1343 lot auction scheduled for February 8th and it will include some of the most famous names in furniture making from the Victorian era. 28 items up for bid by R.J. Horner or Horner Brothers, 1
Belter Parlor Furniture - Reference Set for the "Henry Clay" Pattern
Up for auction from St. Charles Galleries, Inc. are 7 pieces of John Henry Belter's "Henry Clay" pattern parlor furniture. The exciting part of this sale is that these pieces are being deaccessioned from "Ashland," The E
Belter and Meeks Chairs
Up for auction are two Belter Rosewood Slipper Chairs similar to the one found on p. 56 of "The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Revival" by Schwartz, Stanek, and True. Bidding starts at $3,000 and expected
Welcome!
I'm going to attempt to cover the world of Rare Victorian furniture listings on the Internet. As a big fan of furniture by famous makers such as John Henry Belter, Herter Brothers, RJ Horner, J & JW Meeks and others,