American decorative arts · circa 1840 – 1900
Victorian furniture, researched and archived.
Object notes, maker attributions, and auction finds from the American Victorian era — organized as a reference library for collectors and researchers.
Object of the week
eBay Antiques
Antique Searches Fixed
I haven't been using the Antique searches here on Rare Victorian ("Buy Antiques" link at the top of the page) in a long while and what I didn't know as a result is that most of them were broken. eBay changed the way the
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Decent Furniture for Decent People
I'm sharing a PhD Thesis on 19th Century Canadian furniture with a special focus on manufacturer Jacques & Hay by Denise Jacques (I assume there is no coincidence there on the last name). She is now working on a book
Daniel M. Karcher Bookcase For William S. Auchincloss
It's not often that you can definitively identify a maker for a particular piece of Victorian furniture and equally rare is identifying a piece's original customer. When lucky enough to have some of this information, you
"Based On The Quality of Work" And Other False Reasonings
There are a lot of methodologies that people use to identify a particular piece's maker, but few of them drive me more bonkers than "based on the quality of the work it surely was made by so and so". Relative to what? Ho
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
George Hunzinger Receipt
I recently purchased this original George Hunzinger receipt from 1900, which is two years after George Sr's death. Notice the "& Son" in the logo. I assume that this is an example of Hunzinger wholesaling to another
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
The record is in the objects. Research what survives.— The Rare Victorian archive, est. 2008
Maker dossiers
All makers →The full archive
640 documented objects
Furniture forms, auction records, maker attributions, and collector notes — organized as a working research library.