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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
Hunzinger and Merklen Reproductions
If you remember this post a while back, I spotted this chair that looked out of place and ran a contest to see who could figure out what was different about it. There were many responses in the comments section and many
Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival Set
Quick post to address some of the comments on the previous post: I now have the Egyptian Revival set by Pottier & Stymus in my possession and I've done some digging to see if the upholstery is original and based on a
Antiques Hit Hard Across The Board - Almost
As regular visitors to this site are aware, I've been watching the health of the Victorian antique market recently for concrete examples of this trend and I thought I'd take another quick glance at some fresh auction res
"Hand-Made" Victorian Furniture Does Not Mean 100% Hand-Made
I thought I'd share this excerpt from a 1980 dissertation by Page Talbot, "THE PHILADELPHIA FURNITURE INDUSTRY 1850 TO 1880". This dissertation was written to partially fulfill her requirements to achieve the degree of D
Another George Henkels Conundrum
I was watching this chair during the Neal Auction sale and was very interested in the notation that was added to the catalog and the lot detail on the Neal website that didn't make it into the Ebay text. I have provided
Joslin Hall Rare Books - Furniture & Cabinetmakers
For those of you who collect books on antique furniture and cabinetmaking, you may want to call Joslin Hall Rare Books and have them send you this catalog, number 313. It just arrived in the mail yesterday and it has 41
Tidwell Antique Auction - Kilian Brothers Table
Jerry Burrell gave me a heads up on an upcoming auction at Tidwell's in the "extreme Southeast corner of Oklahoma" and it appears they have an affinity for selling items from our favorite era. I have not previously heard
Meeks Pieces At Jackson Auction Today
I'm on the road again so Rare Victorian access is somewhat limited but I caught a window of time to mention that there are a few Meeks-attributed items going up for sale during a Jackson's Auction sale happening today. T
Video - Final Episode: Refinishing A Merklen Brothers “Shabby” Table
Well, the table is finished and it looks fantastic. In this final episode, John Hutchinson of Rose Valley Restorations in West Chester, PA explains the process that he, Kyle, and Bill followed to bring the table to this
I Feel A Bit Queasy
Somebody make me feel better about missing this cabinet for $1,500. I was asleep at the wheel on that one. As I stated in the earlier post, I would be watching the price on this as a temperature guage for the health of t
Neal Auction to Sell Another 1857 House of Representatives Chair
If you followed the drama of Kathie's chair identification here on Rare Victorian (Part I, II, III, and related posts IV, and V), you might be interested to know that Neal Auction is selling another of these original 185
J & JW Meeks Laminated Rosewood Marble Top Table
Ferrell Auction Co. is selling the above pierce-carved, signed, J & JW Meeks Rococo parlor table. We can date the table to 1836-1855 due to the 14 Vesey St. address included in the stamp. There is a wide range of pri
Video - Part III: Refinishing A Merklen Brothers "Shabby" Table
A quick update on the table's progress in this video. It is fully stripped and sanded and the quartersawn Oak shows in all it's bare glory. We select stain for the wood and paint for the griffins. Video Part I and Part I
Original Manufacturer Catalog Section Open!
I've christened a new section of Rare Victorian that will house Adobe Acrobat versions of original manufacturer catalogs that I have collected. Right now there is only one - The Dawley Furniture Company from 1897 - but h
Brunk Auctions New York Renaissance Revival Cabinet
Brunk Auctions will be putting up the above credenza on July 12th with an expected range $3,000-$6,000. These cabinets are a staple in the Victorian furniture auctions, yet to me they do very little more than provide a s
Video - Part II: Refinishing A Merklen Brothers "Shabby" Table
Here's Part II of the Merklen Brothers table refinish project. If you didn't view the first Part yet, I recommend you watch it first, here. In this episode, I'm in the shop of my favorite local furniture restoration busi
Gorham Leaded Glass Table Lamp - ca. 1903
I enjoy surrounding my antique furniture with antique lighting and if you are a collector lamps as well, you may be interested in this Gorham leaded glass table lamp. Gorham is not a name you hear often due to the scarci
John Jellif Furniture Prices Dropping or Anomaly?
I will be checking the results of the above attributed John Jelliff 4-piece parlor set after the July 12th Neal Auction sale is over. The 8-piece set that recently sold at Cowan's drew a disappointing $2,600. Maybe there
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
Bembe & Kimbel Chair In Thaddeus Stevens Bronze Monument
If you followed the recent posts on Kathie's Bembe & Kimbel chair, you might be interested to see the chair as part of a recent bronze monument of Thaddeus Stevens created by George Mummert. I received a note from Ge
Antiquing Bycatch
In my spare time I like to fish on the Chesapeake Bay for Stripers, Bluefish, crabs and miscellaneous other fish in Tilghman, MD. From my vacation spot down there, I can paddle around and easily encounter what is termed
The Lengths I Won't Go To...
Guess who is the new owner of one of the chairs in the recent Henkels attribution drama. The lengths I won't go to to make sure Rare Victorian readers get the best information ... In reality, I have been wanting to own o
Attributing R.J. Horner Hall Chairs
I have a labeled Horner Hall or Throne chair (sometimes referred to as Savranola or "X"-Chair) and I have three other unlabeled chairs that share similar traits, so I'll document how I would come to the conclusion that t
A Couple of Updates
Vickypicker may have found a smoking gun to refute my assertion that the chair was made by George Henkels. I think I'll make definitive statements more often as it draws people out with their information. Please see the
Side Chair Manufactured by George Henkels?
It always gives me great pleasure to nail down a maker of a piece of furniture that we often see being sold as "attributed to" and be able to turn that into a definite "made by". No further need to attribute this chair t
Kathie's Bembe and Kimbel Stencil
Above is an image of Kathie's Bembe and Kimbel signature. The wood is indeed dry and the markings are worn, but it seems to be of the 928 Broadway variation. Hard to say from just this image, but that is my guess. Below
Special Finds Updated
I ran across a higher-end Aesthetic ebonized armchair with inlay and gilding in beautiful condition at a reasonable price for what it is. Subscribers can log in here to review the information. If you are unfamiliar with
1901 Robert Mitchell Furniture Co. Ad
An ad from 1901 for Robert Mitchell Furniture Co. showing the Roman chair like mine.
Robert Mitchell Furniture Co. Roman Arm Chair - 1904
I purchased a chair a year or so ago at a local auction to go along with my Horner hall chairs. I had previously seen this chair attributed to R.J. Horner and, considering the griffin carvings, I never thought twice abou
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery - Part III
Make sure you've read Part I and Part II before proceeding The Two Makers Theory On Friday, I was coming to a conclusion different than where I am today - that a strong possibility existed that Kathie's chair was made by
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery - Part II
Where we left off yesterday in Part I of this story was that I was noticing some differences between Kathie's chair and those that had previously sold at auction. The most prominent difference for me were the shield carv
Rosewood "Collectors Cabinet" Label
Grand View Antiques & Auction is selling a cabinet on June 21st that they are describing as a Rosewood Collectors Cabinet and are saying that it is a New York piece. Maybe an eagle-eye Rare Victorian reader can inter
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery
I get emails from site visitors all the time with items to show me and I enjoy reading the messages and looking at the images that they forward to me. I never tire of Victorian antique eye-candy. This particular message
Survey: Please Help Me Make Rare Victorian The Best It Can Be
Please help me continue to fine-tune Rare Victorian to the needs of it's visitors! I really care about what you think about the site and want to hear what you have to say about it - criticisms, suggestions, and praise! P
It's A Good Time For Rare Victorian Billiard Tables
John (AKA Woodwright) has sent me a message that I thought would fit well as a post on Rare Victorian. Little did he know that he had became the first guest-poster on RV ;-) John is a relatively recent addition to the co