I received an email from Alyson wanting to sell her Renaissance Revival parlor set (contact me if interested) and was intrigued by it's history so I thought that I'd share. "This set was handed down to me by my Grandmoth

eBay Antiques · 2012

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

Chair Renaissance Revival Rosewood Victorian Philadelphia Allen & Brother

Canadian · 2012

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

Furniture Canadian Jacques Hay

For The Record · 2011

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

Bookcase Victorian Label "Daniel Karcher"Auchincloss

Research · 2011

"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

eBay Antiques · 2011

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

Alexander Roux Bed Rosewood Bedstead Bedroom

Research · 2011

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

Auction · 2011

$4,594 Seems A Bit Steep

There must have been a few bidders that REALLY wanted this Victorian-era terrarium. Either they know something about it that I don't know or they had some excess money on hand that they wanted to part with. This terrariu

Site News · 2011

Update and Book Giveaway

I know that I have been very silent in past weeks so I thought that I would give you an update on what's going on and give away a copy of a recently published book that will be of interest to many of you. My life has cha

Contest Carpenter Gothic First-Time Book Publising Photography

Auction · 2011

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

RJ Horner Fontaine's Antique Auction Dining Exceptional

For Sale · 2011

Neo-Grec Parlor Suite For Sale

I get a lot of offers to buy Victorian furniture and recently I've been passing on them personally and handing the opportunity on to you. Here is a Neo-Grec three-piece parlor suite that I have not run across before. It

John Jelliff Neo-grec Renaissance Revival Walnut Parlor Set Suite Burl

For Sale · 2011

Leon Marcotte-Attributed Credenza For Sale

After having been in a private collection for 36 years, you can now own a piece of the Cummins Diesel estate from Columbus, Indiana. Possibly made by Leon Marcotte of New York in the 1860s, this credenza has all the high

Cabinet Credenza Leon Marcotte Rosewood Brass Maple New York Cummins Estate

Reader Finds · 2011

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

John Henry Belter Rosewood Sofa Pair Settees Grape

For Sale · 2011

Unusual Brass Chair - ca. 1900

I don't think that I've ever seen a brass chair before aside from those depicted in books. You may also remember this very unusual glass chair that sold three years ago - I haven't seen one again since. It's more common

Brass Chair Brass Furniture Victorian brass

Research · 2011

"Massachusetts Style" Cabinet

Some might be tempted to put a New York attribution on this Neo-Grec cabinet, including myself, but not so fast this time. This one was made in Manchester, Massachusetts by John Bigwood in 1875. We know this because he t

Cabinet Credenza Neo-grec Victorian Massachusetts Manchester John Bigwood

Auction · 2011

Herter Brother Credenza Will Sell at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers

This credenza was bought at an estate sale, misidentified as an Italian piece, and now is coming up for sale at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers as lot 122 this weekend. Fortunately, it has been properly identified as a piece

Cabinet Credenza Herter Brothers Inlaid Ebonized Ivory Leslie Hindman

eBay Antiques · 2011

Allen & Brother Desk on the Roadshow

One my favorite cabinetmakers, Allen & Brother from Philadelphia was profiled in the May 1996 edition of the Magazine Antiques and a desk very similar to this one appraised below on the roadshow is shown on page 723.

Desk Philadelphia Aesthetic Movement Allen & Brother Cabinetmaker Japanese

Research · 2011

M. H. Schrenkeisen Factory

I thought that I'd share this M. H. Schrenkeisen factory drawing from an October 1880 Scientific American cover. It depicts the full cabinetmaking process beginning with raw logs coming into the factory and in the lower

John Jelliff Furniture M.H. Schrenkeisen Factory

eBay Antiques · 2011

Alexander Roux Cabinet Hiding On Ebay

I've always liked perusing Ebay for Victorian Antique finds because you never know what will pop up at a reasonable price. I believe that I have run across an authentic Alexander Roux cabinet (auction completes on 1/4/11

Alexander Roux Cabinet Credenza Neo-grec Renaissance Revival New York

Research · 2010

J.W. Davis, Cabinetmaker Extraordinnaire

JohnM posted some photographs in the forum of a 12' tall Renaissance Revival bedroom suite that must be seen to be believed. It lives out it's existence in the Brennan House (built 1868), originally the home of a wealthy

Renaissance Revival Bedroom JW Davis Set

Research · 2010

Spiral Furniture Often Not Hunzinger

I thought that this Rare Victorian blog had quashed the rampant Hunzinger mis-attributions out there with our global reach, pervasive presence in the antique community and from me being featured on the cover of Magazine

George Hunzinger Merklen Brothers Spiral Furniture

Research · 2010

Why Antiques Get Mis-Attributed - Six Reasons

Unfortunately, identifying an antique's manufacturer is sometimes an art and not always a science. It is not often that a 19th Century item has a patent existing to help us easily identify the maker as does the "lollipop

Antiques Fake Antiques Attributions

eBay Antiques · 2010

What's It Worth?

Antique Value Having a blog that is well entrenched into the Google search results leads a lot of new site visitors here that send me photos of their items asking, "what is the value of this antique?" The problem is, it

Kimbel and Cabus Victorian Antique Price Appraisal Value Valuation Estimation

Research · 2010

Elijah Galusha Settee Photos

As I always say, one cannot have too many Elijah Galusha reference photos lying around for that emergency Rococo furniture identification that always pops up. This set is from a Galusha settee at the Rensselaer County Hi

Rosewood Settee Elijah Galusha Museum Rococo Revival Rensselaer Historical Society

eBay Antiques · 2010

The Rare Victorian Store Launches

It's high time I selectively whittle my Victorian antique collection down as I have bought and bought and ran out of space to put it all in. Therefore, the Rare Victorian Antiques Store has been born! I will be adding mo

Antiques Bed Chair Victorian Table Parlor Store Shop

eBay Antiques · 2010

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

Philadelphia Furniture Spiral Merklen William Koelle

eBay Antiques · 2010

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 Gothic Revival J and JW Meeks Prudent Mallard New Orleans Lejambre

Houses · 2010

Armour-Stiner Octagon House

Be sure to stop by my other blog, Old House Tours, for the latest installment of the Armour-Stiner House in Irvington, NY. I've posted almost 50 images of the interior and exterior of this important property. Also, If an

House Armour-Stiner Octagon Irvington NY

eBay Antiques · 2010

"Jos. Stiner" Chair Lands At Armour-Stiner House

Continuing from where I left off with my Victorian cliff-hanger - I was about to unveil the name written under the upholstery of one of my Egyptian Revival chairs. I was pretty excited when John Hutchinson of Rose Valley

House Armour-Stiner Octagon Irvington NY

eBay Antiques · 2010

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

Egyptian Revival Ebonized Pottier & Stymus Brass Restoration

For Sale · 2010

Aesthetic Movement Spiderweb Chair

Here is a really unique Aesthetic Movement chair for sale incorporating a spiderweb, spider and butterfly caught in the web. The design of the back also includes a pair of what appear to be palm fronds, a wreath, a ribbo

Aesthetic Mahogany Movement Spider Spiderweb

Auction · 2010

Contents of Historic Conewago Manor Inn To Be Sold October 23rd

(ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.) – The contents of the Conewago Manor Inn – an historic structure dating back to an original 1742 grant from the William Penn family, founders of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – will be sold

Fontaine's Auction Conewago Manor Inn

eBay Antiques · 2010

Fontaine's Unreserved Auction, September 25th

Saturday, Sept. 25, beginning at 10 a.m. It will be an unreserved estate auction (everything sells, regardless of price), featuring over 650 fresh to the market items offered in two sessions. Sold will be a fine Newport,

eBay Antiques · 2010

Frank Otremba Family History

From time to time I hear from descendants of the great 19th Century cabinetmakers and it is always fun to hear their family stories. This one is from the great-granddaughter of Frank N. Otremba, a highly-skilled Hawaiian

Victorian Hawaiian furniture Otremba

Mystery · 2010

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

RJ Horner Chair Cincinnati Label Shop Cabinetmaker

Research · 2010

Shupe & Noble "Climax" Folding Bed

I was contacted by a Rare Victorian visitor about a Shupe & Noble bed that they would like to sell and I thought it would be good to share with everyone for two reasons: 1) the maker is known and is not one that I've

Bed Desk Renaissance Revival Victorian Folding