AboutFred 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
Question I have a wicker highback rocking chair, from what i gathered from information it is victorian. The begining letters on the under side start with "ordw" i can't read anything else. I was wondering if i e-mail pic's of the rocker if you could give me any info on it.
thanks
Rick.
Answer Rick - Your wicker platform rocker is Victorian but it came very late in the period, from the 1880s but more likely from the 1890s. Platform rockers were popular in the U.S. in the second half of the century, especially toward the end. By the 1880s the ornate wicker like your chair was the rage but it soon died out at the close of the century and in the 20th century wicker fashions became less fancy. Two chairs remarkably similar to yours are shown on pages 89 and 90 of "Fine Wicker Furniture 1870-1930" by Tim Scott, published by Schiffer Publishing, www.schifferbooks.com. The 1990 price guide in the books shows those two chairs valued at $650 each. I could not find a manufacturer whose name fit those initials. Thanks for writing and thanks for the photos. Fred Taylor
