Marks may appear stamped in ink, burned in or on a paper, leather or metal tag. Two companies frequently merged into one and the mark was used for the new company so it is dated back to the oldest company with a direct relationship to the mark. It’s unlikely that real antique furniture is made with the same … If “Terry and Son” had bought “Ralph Ltd.,” the new company would be dated from 1840. Sears didn’t actually make any of the own products in its own factory. Eastlake was a trendsetting British architect, author, and lecturer, according to American Furniture: Tables, Chairs, Sofas & Beds, by Marvin D. Schwartz. Starting in the nineteenth century, ranges of numbers were assigned to each year's new patents. See more ideas about pottery marks, antiques, antique knowledge. Antique Furniture. Without proper labeling, it was easy to confuse the consumer. This is a listing of the better-known marks and backstamps and enough information so that you can learn more about your porcelains. These names offer a slightly more solid reference to the company as a maker and not a retailer. Such a marking or label may have been placed inside a … If the new firm took the name “Great Pottery, Inc.,” it would then be listed as dating from 1820. The next bump up is 127,000. Flint and Horner became a well known maker of early Depression-era furniture, but sometime later, it ceased manufacturing and became a broad-based retailer in New York. Here each factory name is written in Dutch and then translated into English, so you will be able to find these names in other sources. Because each writer spells these names a little differently and each century saw a change in the actual way the Dutch language was written, each name is in its modern-day Dutch spelling. My name is Mark Davison and I buy, sell, repair, and refinish antique furniture in Ft Worth, Texas. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860. There are several things to look for when examining a piece of furniture that help to identify it as an antique. By the end of the century, makers like Gustav Stickley and major manufacturers in Grand Rapids, Cincinnati and Chicago had developed elaborate logos and trademarks, and few quality items escaped some sort of identification. Hope I didn’t make a big mistake. One such example is the firm of Flint and Horner. Different types of wood, craftsmanship, and finishing materials contribute to the individuality of each piece. An identification stamp, called a maker’s mark, is often placed in one of these hard-to-see areas. One of the umbrella groups was the Hardwood Manufacturers Association based in Memphis, Tenn. Some firms have only a single mark that was in use for many years. The two styles look similar, but to the trained eye, there are distinct differences. There... Join tens of thousands of other collectors who receive this Free weekly email with insider tips, news, marks and other news from the Kovels, Every collector knows that the quickest way to identify a piece of pottery or porcelain is to identify the, There are two marks that need separate explanations; the Sevres mark and the, Antique Price Guide by Alphabetical Order. Maybe I just don’t know how to use Kovells yet. Phyfe was one of the rare early century cabinetmakers who actually used paper labels and tags to identify some of his work. George C. Flint was a mid-19th-century cabinetmaker whose business was acquired by R.J. Horner around the turn of the 20th century. Examine your furniture for markings or labels that identify the manufacturer, or a lot or patent number. All Rights Reserved. Multiple types of wood is a good thing. But, there actually isn’t one style that defines the Victorian era (1837-1901). I can’t find a catalogue of years dates so I can look through all marks from 1930’s. Obviously, the original name of a German company was in German. Feb 19, 2017 - Explore Carla Ayers's board "Antique Marks", followed by 270 people on Pinterest. Don't go shopping for it without even knowing what it is because you are setting yourself up to fail. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Antique Repair & Restoration in Shiloh, OH. Reading the mark’s date is relatively simple. Early Colonial (1640-1730) Shortly after the first European colonists arrived in North America and … Sometimes, manufacturers made a specially designed line of items exclusive to Sears, but the mark on the furniture was always from Sears. Another was Green Manufacturing of Chicago, a maker of parlor frames for the custom trade. Some marks are made up of letters listed in alphabetical order. © 2020 Active Interest Media All rights reserved. With more than 30 in the antique furniture business, Fred Taylor is a household name when it comes to the practical methods of identifying older and antique furniture: construction techniques; construction materials; and style. More than one mark may appear on the same piece. Both are in charts listed in our identification help section. Other company names, however, were less straightforward. It is very blurry on the object to the point I can’t read it. Some are current marks. One of these was Colonial Manufacturing Co. of Zeeland, Mich., a famous maker of hall clocks. When identifying antique furniture, one of the first things to look at is the style or period. “1895–1900” means the mark may have been used during those years. Furniture labels and marks have been used since the 19th century, and the number of marks out there is mind-boggling -- in his book Arts and Crafts Shopmarks, author Stickley Shop Marks The shop marks used by the Stickleys for their furniture included burnt-in brands on a hidden part of the furniture that would evolve over the … The use of the word “manufacturing” in the company name was unambiguous about what the company did. Understanding how to assess the quality of antique furniture and how to care for it … Adding to the complexity is the proliferation of copycat builders and modern furniture craftsmen who do an admirable job of cloning authentic antique furniture right down to the tool marks and date stamps. We hope that you find the website to be a valuable resource as well. There are many problems with company names. “ca.1895” suggests a general time period. Finding a label on a piece of furniture now means that the collector has to know what kind of label it is to decipher its meaning. Labels found on 20th-century furniture generally fall into three categories: manufacturers, retailers and associations. Proper identification and authentication of your antiques or collectibles are essential in establishing a fair price for your treasures. This new tool for coloring wood produced some very confusing results. A major store would have a promotional line of instruments made with its name on it, omitting the name of the manufacturer. Antique marks are listed according to their shapes. This Pan Handler blog post has a great post on identifying both marked and unmarked antique cast iron cookware. Furniture made from oak, walnut, mahogany, cherry, and maple, can date back from as early as the 17th century; So if you come across one of these, it has a good chance of being an antique. If you need a crash course, take yourself to our mid century modern guide.Mid century furniture is I can’t look through thousands of marks, hoping to spot the mark I need. Antique marks are listed according to their shapes. If it is the original finish you can tell by the scribe lines which should be very clear. Either way A selmer mark VI is the holy grail od Saxophones. (It may be disappointing, but it is important to know you do not own an antique). Even some of the best-known makers, like Berkey & Gay, Century and Phoenix, used only the term “furniture co.” in the title. Make … You also want to look at the finish. For example, the mythical company of “Ralph Ltd.” was founded in 1820. Some specialty factories did a little better by including their main product in the name, such as Sikes Chair Co. in Buffalo, or the Grand Rapids Desk Co. Identify a mark by shape. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the best Antiques in Mansfield, OH. 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