Expert: Eileen Cronk - 10/7/2006

Question
I was just given a Rocker that needed some work.  I was told it was passed down from our friends mother and at least 85 years old.  I noticed a metal tag on the bottom, "KARPEN Guaranteed FURNITURE".  This is a smaller rocker with a rough looking carving of a rose on the back.  I'm not sure about the wood or orig. finish yet since it was stained over with a black walnut oil stain.  I can't find any info on line for an approx age.  Since my wife and I are just beginning (within the last 5 years) to collect antiques, I still have no idea of where to find info.  Could you assist us in finding more information regarding this rocker?  I will send some pictures to an e-maill address if you send me one.  As well I have another tall back rocker we picked up 2 years ago but I find no identification on it, it's solid oak and hand carved, I'll send pictures of that was well.  Anything would be a help since we are still very new to collecting.  Thank You

Answer
Eileen back to you again Mark
I found this on Karpen Furniture...
Three of the largest makers of upholstered goods in the first half of the 20th century also were in Chicago, S. Karpen and Bros., Pullman and Kroehler Manufacturing.

Solomon Karpen and his brother Oscar opened S. Karpen and Bros. in 1880 in a basement not far from home making upholstered furniture. By 1894 all nine Karpen brothers worked for the firm. After the turn of the century Karpen made Mission chairs and sofas along with parlor suites and folding beds, becoming one of the largest makers of upholstered furniture in America. In the 1920s the company, in addition to upholstered goods, made solid wood furniture in a variety of styles and offered church and lodge furniture as well. The company survived until 1952 when it was sold to Schnadig Corporation which still uses the Karpen name on one of its lines of upholstered goods.
There is a lot of info online about this company.
I did a Google search.


Hi Mark
I will look at the pictures of these chairs for you but please understand I am up in Canada and am not familiar with all the small companys who made furniture years ago.
Collecting antiques is a great hobby, but BE CAREFUL..it becomes an obsession LOL
Personally I never get to concerned with makers or companies. If I like it I get it. Simple as that.
When my house gets too full I sell some off LOL.
With regards to unmarked items, no one can tell you who made them...its impossible. On the really valuable real antiques they often say "attributed to" so and so.
Just an educated guess is all it is.
They can tell you approximately when it could have been made based on many factors, but certainly cannot pin point the exact year. They say "circa" which means around.
The exception to this is I often see dressers with matching mirrors that when taken apart clearly state the year of manufacture on the mirror back.
I had one in the shop this week stamped March 1934.
The customer was delighted when I told her when her dresser was made but I had to confess how I knew this.
I also had a small table in for repairs this week that was clearly made before electricity was available.
Now where I came from we were still using ice boxes in 1940 because electricity had not reached us yet but it was certainly available long before that so you can see Mark its guess work.
OK..I'm starting to ramble.
Send pics to
ecronk@sympatico.ca
Reduce the picture size to 7x5 inches as my PC rejects big picture files.
Kindest Regards
Eileen