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About Fred Taylor
Expertise
I will attempt to answer questions about American antique furniture, including construction details, style, period, manufacturers, care, repair and storage. I do not have any background in appliances, musical instruments, sewing machines, lighting and clocks and will not respond to quesions about those items.

Experience
I ran an antique furniture restoration business for twenty years. I am a nationally syndicated columnist on the subject of antique furniture for such publications as Antique Week and New England Antiques Journal. I have produced one video on the subject of furniture identification and my book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available.I have also published articles in Antique Trader, Chicago Art Deco Society, Northeast Magazine, Victorian Decorating and Lifestyles, Professional Refinishing, Antiques and Art Around Florida and Antique Shoppe. You can visit my website at www.furnituredetective.com

Education/Credentials
BSBA Finance, University of Florida, MBA Finance, University of Florida

You are here: Experts > Hobbies > Antiques: UK > Collectibles-General (Antiques) > Bedroom set, possibly victorian?

Collectibles-General (Antiques) - Bedroom set, possibly victorian?

Expert: Fred Taylor - 11/6/2009

Question

bedroom set

I have a bedroom set that appears quite old but I have no information about it. It was suggested to me that it is from the Victorian era. It has been heavily used and not in great shape, but many of the broken pieces have been kept with this set. The marble tops to the dresser are intact. There is a chest with what I believe are called tear drop pulls, but several of them are missing. I will send pictures and would greatly appreciate any information and possible value of these pieces!!

I also have 2 chairs that I would really love to know more about. One has cane sides and what may be silk silk fabric that is in very good condition. I like this chair a lot and unless it is of value would like to keep it for my own use.

The other chair looks to be old to me and I can see that there is burlap underneath it. The fabric is in very poor condition but it is an attractive chair otherwise and I would love to know more about it.

I will send pictures of all. Thank you for any and all assistance. I have been trying for some time to post a question so hope that you can help! I just ordered your books/dvds a couple of days ago and look forward to getting them!

Answer
Nora - Your bedroom set if from the 1880s. The style is called Renaissance Revival. The style basically was the application of machine made archtectural elements applied in layers to give a very complicated look to a very simple process. The style evolved as an accomodation to the growing factory system of American furniture production after the Civil War. Furniture like this could be assembled in a factory on an assembly line using relatively low skill labor.

This style was the main style exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. The scale of Renaissance Revival fyurniture was often quite large to fit into the huge mansions of the Eastern industrial barons of the period and is frequently called "battleship furniture. I have written an extensive article on the style published in New England Antiques Journal which I will be happy to share with anyone requesting it at info@furnituredetective.com. Most of this work was made in the Midwest - Grand Rapids, Chicago and Cincinnati.

Your set, as most of this style are, is made of walnut. The dresser is called a drop center dresser. You may be able to find replacement hardware at www.vandykes.com. In its current condition your set would sell at auction in the $2,000 + range.

The cane chair appears to be from the 1960s and is probably covered in rayon rather than silk. It has no antique or collector's value. The other chair is a Colonial Revival reproduction of a Federal period chair with Sheraton spade foot legs. It was probably made in the 1940s but has very little value.

Thanks for writing.

Fred Taylor
www.furnituredetective.com

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