Comments on: Victorian Transitional Sidechair – Gothic Revival Meets Rococo Revival

By: Klauder And Deginter, Philadelphia Furniture Makers | Rare Victorian

Klauder And Deginter, Philadelphia Furniture Makers | Rare Victorian — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:50:10 +0000

[...] chair is pure Rococo while the chair in the back of my mind to compare it to is Gothic/Rococo (and my posting inspired many comments of displeasure in it’s execution). The chair was [...]

By: misslilybart

misslilybart — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:11:48 +0000

The 2005 loan exhibit essay is also available as a downloadable pdf file @ the Philadelphia Antiques Show website:

http://www.philaantiques.com/exhibit/

By: Curtywurty

Curtywurty — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:12:41 +0000

The attribution is made by Robt. F Trent and H Mack Truax in their lengthy discussion of Philadelphia gothic furniture in the essay for the 2005 exhibit, Vaulting Ambition, Phila. Gothic Revival Furniture and Other Decorative Arts 1830- 1860. If you go to the Philadelphia Antique Show this April, they usually have older copies of the exhibition catalog for sale. This chair is related to other furniture made by the firm Klauder and Deginter made for Loudon, a large home in the Germantown section of Philadelphia.
I have even seen this form as a plank bottom hall settee with double backs, side by side. Very strange.

By: RareVictorian

RareVictorian — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:05:35 +0000

How did you come about that assertion? Can you share with us? Thanks.

By: Curtywurty

Curtywurty — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:20:38 +0000

This chair was made in Philadelphia by the firm of Klauter and Deginter.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:25:05 +0000

Phil is right. It is easier to build a collection of furniture, works of art, and books that is focused than it is to find the perfect house to put them in. We are confirmed Gothicists, broadly construed, but it is almost impossible to find a Gothic Revival house in San Francisco. Given that we have strong preferences for neighborhood, and needed a big house, we bought a formal neo-Classical boxy house, c.1901, with touches of Arts&Crafts in the entry, a grand paneled living room with plaster molded neo-classical ceiling (and an angel over the fireplace), and dining room with Richardson Romanesque arched fireplace.

The Gothic Revival collection, which includes French Charles X cathedrale furniture, English Gothic Revival and modern Gothic, and American Classical/Gothic and high Gothic Revival, nevertheless works well in the house. We are using period wallpaper, and Gothic chandeliers and curtains. Since I am a truecollector, and not a decorator, my wife makes all the final decisions on how to put it together. So far, it is working well, even though it would be better if the architecture of the house were more sympathetic.

As one of my friends said, if you do not watch out, people will think it is a theme park!

By: Phil

Phil — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:23:09 +0000

I think because of the relative plethora of Victorian furniture and decorative objects that are available, we can easily choose to assemble a more narrowed, purist-type of collection or a broader, eclectic, transitional collection. I was thinking how much more difficult it is to apply the same purist standards to buying Victorian houses. There is a goodly chunk of Victorian real estate out there that is transitional, influenced by local architects/builders, or just plain unique. Our choices are majorly influence by economic, familial, and sometimes recreational considerations. My passion is for pure, unadulterated, over-the-top Second Empire, but we are happily ensconced in a Colonial Revival with, oddly, a some dashes of Craftsman.

By: zeke

zeke — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 22:59:44 +0000

I always thought the storage was to keep your bible in. The hard, un-cushioned seat reminded you of your piousness while reading it!

By: woodwright

woodwright — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 18:24:18 +0000

I always thought that chairs with lift seats/ storage beneath them like this Gothic/ Rococo chair were used as hall chairs – the storage area under the seat used for gloves, scarves, hats, etc. Yes, no, maybe so?

By: james conrad

james conrad — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 16:15:35 +0000

Hmmmmm, interesting, box chairs? Heres an example of a 17th century joined box stool.
http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5135117

The longer i am around old furniture, the more i come to realize that no matter what style or era, most furniture forms are very much connected to one another in fundamental as well as decorative ways.