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Missing Zeke

Nelson & Matter

Missing Zeke
Missing Zeke
It is with great sadness that I pass on the news that Rare Victorian regular and email friend of mine, Zeke Feldhaus, has passed away. I had not heard from Zeke nor seen him around Rare Victorian for a while but I didn't want to pester him. Eventually I had to check in as it had just been too, too long. His wife Helen wrote me back and passed on the very sad news that he had died this past October 5, 2009. My thoughts are with Helen and their son, Jake. Helen, we miss him greatly, too. How better to remember Zeke than to pass on information that Zeke wanted me to share with Rare Victorian that I had yet to share. He had sent me the following information and photos of a labeled Nelson, Matter & Co. sideboard, two days before he passed. He knew I always enjoyed seeing labeled Victorian pieces and so he took these photos for me. Thank you Zeke. I hope you're up there antiquing to your hearts content.
In a very local antique shop, like 5 miles from me there is this really nice aesthetic sideboard that I absolutely love and have no room for. In any event, I always look at it and admire it and the owner told me it's from Grand rapids, Mich. I'm like how do you know and she tells me there is a label on the back, but it's too heavy to move to show you. She told me she wrote the name down and she'll put it on a card in the top drawer. I actually went to visit it today and the name was not in the top drawer, but I took a bunch of pics to show you. The woman in the co-op that owns it was not there but I spoke to another person and they told me its no problem moving it so i could see the label, Oh Joy! Lo and behold there is a Nelson and Matter label on it! I love documented furniture and i know RV does as well. Zeke

3 comments

  1. woodwright
    I'm very sorry to hear that Zeke passed. My condolences go out to his family. I never met him - but he seemed like a great guy. He was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic regular contributer to RV and clearly loved antiques. I always enjoyed reading his comments and what he had to say. I Googled his name to see what was on the net - and there is much info about him. He apparently was really involved in the comic book world - a side of him most of us didn't know about. Here is a link w/ his picture: http://www.comicarthouse.com/ (copy and paste it to your browser if it does not work as a live link) (1949 - 2009 - he died of lung cancer). Here is a link to a site that set up a memorial fund in his memory for his son Jake's college fund - it also lists a paypal account set up for his son's college: http://tinyurl.com/yjkov59 There are lots of memorial comments to him from the commic book world - it sounds like he was loved by many and a great freind. We'll miss him here at RV for sure. woodwright
  2. John Werry
    Thanks Woodright. Rare Victorian just sent his wife a sizable contribution for Zeke's son's college fund.
  3. John Hutchinson
    Many condolences. He appeared to be one of the rare breed of men, 'a gentleman and a scholar.' John, RVR

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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