View our Antique Chairs Here:

http://www.antiquariantraders.com/c-18-chairs-parlor-sets.aspx

We also have a variety of Antique Victorian Desk Lamps and Antique Bronze Inkwells to compliment your Antique Desk set.

CALL MARK SLOTKIN: 310 247-3900

Email: antiques@antiquariantraders.com

by Paul-Emile Boutigny (1854-1929)

http://www.antiquariantraders.com

Detail of Napoleon from ‘Napoleon: Revolt at Pavia’

Antiquarian Traders is proud to offer this fabulous painting, by the listed French artist Paul-Emile Boutigny. This artwork, depicting Napoleon at a key point in history, is a truly a rare find. The painting is of great historical significance, high artistic quality, and rich in the symbolism that made Napoleon a great hero and icon worldwide. It makes a grand statement, measuring an impressive 10 feet high by 13 feet wide. Painted in oil on canvas, the artist’s talent and skill is clearly of high museum quality. The painting provides the rich ambiance of the finest of royal settings. It reminds the viewer of the great museums of Europe or a fabulous Royal Palace. In fact this painting could have graced the walls of the famous Palace of Versailles where the Kings of France, including Napoleon, resided in splendor.The artist, Paul-Emil Boutigny was born in Paris on March 11, 1854. He studied under Cabanel at the important Académie des Beaux Arts (School of Beautiful Arts). The academy is well known as a center for the finest artists of the era, and attendance there was of high significance. The school began as the 17th-century Royal Academies of Painting and Sculpture, receiving its official title, Académie des Beaux Arts in 1803. Paul-Emil Boutigny’s paintings were presented in many of the Great Exhibitions of the late 19^th century and the early 20^th century, winning numerous awards and metals. His artwork was displayed in the Halls of Paris until the year of his death in 1929. Boutigny is a known listed artist with his name found in the important records and listings of artists of collectable significance. His artworks are primarily historical French military subject matter, with an emphasis on the period of Napoleon. His paintings have brought numerous high sales figures in both Europe and the United States. Major auction houses have been contacted and this painting was given estimates that coincide with our offering.

Antique Engraving of Pavia, Italy

The painting ‘Napoleon: Revolt at Pavia’ depicts an actual historical event in Pavia’s history and the career of the great Napoleon, who is known as the greatest military genius of his time and perhaps the greatest general in history. Napoleon was a young man of just 27, when only six months earlier on October 26, 1795, was appointed the Commander In Chief of the French Military. Pavia, Italy had been an important historical city for centuries, fought over and changing rule numerous times. During the Roman Empire it was a municipality and an important Roman military site. It became a fortified citadel of the Goths and the Byzantines. Pavia then became the capital of the Longobard Kingdom and later of the Regnum Italicum until the 12th century. Conquered by the Visconti family which ruled over Milan, it became an intellectual and artistic center and the seat of the University, which attracted students from many countries. After the Franco-Spanish war and the battle of Pavia in 1525, the town fell under Spanish occupation until 1713. It was taken over by the Austrians until 1796. At this time the French Army under Napoleon arrived at Pavia. The painting depicts the precise event in which Napoleon is about to seize the city of Pavia.

Detail of Pope Pius VI pleading with Napoleon to spare his city from the Painting ‘Napoleon: Revolt at Pavia’

The Catholic Church headed by Pope Pius VI was fearful that Napoleon’s new rule would overthrow the Papacy if they overtook Pavia, so the eighty year old Pope Pius VI made a desperate gamble and ordered the priests of the area to rouse the peasants and stand up against the French Army and Napoleon. The church bells were rung in all the surrounding areas and on May 23 and 24 in 1796, 10,000 peasants led by their priests surrounded Pavia, capturing the small French garrison located there.Pope Pius VI and his followers pleaded with Napoleon not to overthrow their city. This scene with the Pope can be seen in the center of the painting. What the Pope did not know was that Napoleon fully intended to firmly respect the Papacy and that additionally, Napoleon had the power to overthrow the oppressive Austrian Directorate.Napoleon instantly understood the gravity of the situation and descended on Pavia the second day, May 24, 1796 with the brigade of Colonel Lannes. Napoleon took the city by storm, reestablished order, and reiterated his desire to respect and defend the Catholic religion.

Napoleon went on to become the great Emperor of France, ruling over Pavia and his Empire until 1815.Considered one of the most brilliant individuals in history, Napoleon was a masterful soldier, grand tactician, sublime statesman and exceedingly capable administrator. He is also known for his passionate romance with Josephine, known as the Queen of Hearts. Napoleon and Josephine were newly wed only months at the time depicted in the painting ‘Napoleon at the Revolt at Pavia’.

Portrait of Empress Joséphine of France, painted by François Gerard

The love letters Napoleon and Josephine both wrote while Napoleon was away at battle are legendary, and their relationship is known as one of the great love stories of history. Josephine was a socialite without equal and mistress to several leading political figures. She left a young Napoleon completely smitten on their first meeting. They married on March 9, 1796. Josephine had regular dalliances with other men and her affairs almost led to a divorce in 1799. However, despite Napoleon’s love for her, the Emperor needed children of his own to secure succession to the crown and when she was unable to give him any he finally divorced her in 1809. Painful though it was, divorce allowed Josephine to devote time to gardens and her love of botany and her last years were productive. She died in 1814, a woman much loved by the people. Napoleon never got over having to divorce her and his last words were, “France, the army, Josephine.” The painting is dated 1895 and signed E. Boutigny. The provenance is exceptional. This painting was exhibited 1900-1927 at the NY Metropolitan Museum of Art, on loan from a private collector. It was purchased by Mr. J.G. Pepper in 1927 and given to the Isaac Delgado Museum, New Orleans and displayed from 1928-1981 (now known as the New Orleans Museum of Art). It was bought in 1981 by Dr. Howard Knohl, Los Angeles, California and purchased by Antiquarian Traders, Beverly Hills, CA, in 2000. The painting is in remarkable condition. Complete restoration was a two year project, recently completed to perfection by a top quality restorer with credentials from both The Getty Museum and The Los Angeles County Art Museum. This painting is a truly rare offering, as important artworks depicting Napoleon are recently more scarce. Perhaps, it is the first “find” of the 21^st Century. Tragically, a short time ago, a museum fire destroyed an entire French collection devoted to Napoleon, resulting in the loss of numerous important historical paintings of Napoleon. This loss has made this painting even more significant and increased its value. Antiquarian Traders is including a fabulous frame and all the necessary crates and assistance to protect the painting during shipping.

In the 19th C. people were smaller than we are today, so we will make modifications like expanding antique bedroom sets, or converting an antique chair into a antique swivel chair.

Visit our online showroom with over 5000 Museum Quality Antiques:

visit: www.AntiquarianTraders.com

email: antiques@antiquariantraders.com

A year or so later, I was in Poughkeepsie, NY, and gave him a call. I took a train up to Albany, rented a car and went out into the farmlands. Finally, I arrived, and sure enough in the barn was a Wooton desk – the likes of which had not yet been discovered (nor has another been found since). The coveted, highly sought after Winged Griffin Superior Grade Wooton desk had been found! Heretofore, the only known pictures of the desk were drawings coming from Wooton’s original catalog. The legend had come to life.

Purchasing it was a different story. He did not really want to sell it; he just wanted me to look at it. It was in very bad condition, missing hardware, broken carvings, cracked wood, and generally very rundown and lifeless. The farmer was not aware of its rarity, nor was he interested in the Wooton story. I found out that it was inherited through his family and originally owned by his great grandfather who was a businessman in the Albany area. He told me that he understood that it cost $750 brand new in 1875.

I made him an offer and he refused saying the desk was not for sale. I was very frustrated because here was a piece of American history not yet revealed, and I could not pry it loose from him. I did not let my frustration show, but I did leave him with $1,000 cash so that if he ever decided to sell it, he promised to call me first. What else could I do, I had to have the desk? I was absolutely desperate. As I drove back to Albany, I figured it was a $1,000 lost but it was worth it to know the desk existed and I had lots of fun telling others about my experience.

Five years later, he called and said the desk was for sale and if I wanted it, he would hold it for me for 24 hours. I caught the next plane to NYC and flew up to Albany to try to make my meeting with Destiny. When I arrived, there were three other antique dealers looking around his place for things to buy. Nobody bothered to go to the barn. I spoke to the farmer, whose name was James Weaver, and made him an offer of $15,000. I felt he would take it for sure. If I offered him $5,000 he would have thrown me out, yet if I said $50,000 he would have thought he really had something and not sold it. So, $15,000 seemed to be the right number. James said, “I’ll tell you what, make it $30,000 and you’ve got yourself a desk.”

I looked at the sad decaying sack of bones, swallowed my pride and my usual negotiating skills, extended my right hand, and we shook on the deal. I cannot begin to tell you the elation that went through me when I knew that I owned the desk. I have been a Wooton desk collector and dealer for 25 years (12 at the time of purchase). I had owned every style in every grade, put the whole Museum tour together, repaired and rescued countless desks, but never had I reached such a high point in my collecting life until that exact moment. Truly, the first men to climb Mount Everest had nothing on me!

The desk took more than a year to restore and I have used it personally since, except for occasional exhibitions and antique shows. We now have it on display in our store and it is for sale. $250,000 gets you the best buy of Victoriana that there is. Cheap at twice the price. It will sell someday, and if it doesn’t, that’s OK too, because the pursuit of Beauty and its elusive capture was an experience I will never forget.

MARK SLOTKIN · ANTIQUARIAN TRADERS · BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA

http://www.antiquariantraders.com

It has become obvious that in order to maintain the high standard of quality and tradition that historical landmarks represented in their once prideful communities, a way has to be found to make these wonderful and curious old buildings usable. Spring Street and some of the larger old mansions on the fringes of downtown are perfect examples of beautiful landmarks that must be saved.

In many cases, progress has passed them by. What is to be done with the beautiful old mansions, libraries, post offices, train stations, banks, office buildings, and warehouses that are in various states of decay and deterioration? Many are vacant or abandoned and cannot be restored due to lack of funds and code requirements. There are few legal uses for them, which would generate enough income to justify their costly repairs and continual maintenance needs.

These beautiful old relics are no longer viable economic entities. They simply cannot compete when shackled by the chains of today’s unsympathetic building codes. Quite naturally, these intricate and wonderful buildings do not fit into the fast food mold that the building codes envision. This is precisely what makes them charming, unique, and worth preserving.

All this brings me to my point. These intricate buildings can never be built again. We simply cannot afford to take the chance of losing these precious assets due to restrictive laws. What better way to achieve this goal than to provide legislation, which will help preserve these landmarks and insure that they weather the passage of time gracefully?

A provision in the new Los Angeles City Charter must be drafted which would automatically exempt historical landmarks or buildings of important historical and aesthetic value from the current restrictive legislation. A clearly defined blatant cushion of protectionism in the form of preferential treatment is needed, one which exempts these wondrous gems from red tape, artificially inflated fees, and stringent building and zoning codes. What other properties must endure, simply and directly, must not apply to historic buildings. Landmarks are special. Treat them as separate, but NOT equal. Let them stand alone and aloof, impervious to the whims of the bureaucratic process.

In the mean time, The City Council needs to accept the concept of protectionism for its landmarks and act immediately before we lose another one. It must understand, once and for all, historic landmarks must exist outside and apart from the ordinances and restrictions that govern present day developments. Without accepting these principles, we all take a huge chance of losing a part of our historical charm and identity.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with preferential treatment, when it benefits our community goals of keeping our cultural heritage intact. These landmarks renew our faith in craftsmanship, design, and the beauty of human work. Without special help, our rich heritage (or at least what’s left of it) will be hauled piecemeal to the dump, lost forever or become fair game to the graffiti tagger.

Specifically, preservation helped along by this cushion of protectionism will benefit the entire movie industry. The old buildings and mansions should be allowed unlimited access to filming. The permit process should be made easier and free to encourage the use of these buildings. The elitist neighbor complaints, which push the filming to other areas, should be ignored when it comes to landmarks because this is often times the only way the owners of these buildings can earn enough money to at least keep their buildings. A “working” building won’t fade away or be demolished to a developer for land value.

Protecting our landmarks will open up many more locations, thus helping to prevent “run-away production”. The trickle down affect will soon hit all the trades associated with the film business. It’s common knowledge why filming has left Los Angeles: other areas have courted the production companies with less restrictions and easier access to local resources.

Perhaps we can create a groundswell of public opinion that will help the L.A. Charter Commission and the City Council realize that there is nothing wrong with openly giving preferential treatment to a past gone era. In return, these beautiful old jewels will continue to grace our streets and remind us of our bygone heritage.

MARK SLOTKIN
ANTIQUARIAN TRADERS

BEVERLY HILLS, CA

http://www.antiquariantraders.com

THE GREEK REVIVAL 1820-1845

For more than 50 years after the end of the American Revolution, neoclassical design in many variations led American fashion in architecture and decorative arts. No other basic style had endured for so long. It was time for a change and it came with the advent of the Greek Revival. The more delicate forms and geometric shapes inspired by Hepplewhite and Sheraton gave way to bolder contours and richly carved decoration, reflecting French Empire and English Regency taste. A reliance upon ancient Greek and Roman patterns became prevalent, most of which were inspired by French and English publications which were available to Americans.

By 1840, a high point in the development of the Greek Revival or American Empire period became very noticeable. Larger and heavier furniture, bolder in outline, using columns to build mass, retained their delicacy by incorporating stenciling, gilding, and fine carvings to accentuate the best details of the piece. A general feeling of unsurpassed opulence and elegance was the desired effect.

After 1840, the rich carvings and gilded decoration gave way to flat, often veneered, mahogany or rosewood surfaces. Broad plain features, scrolls, and pillars were the earmarks of the later stages of the period. New technology lowered costs, making them available to the vast majority of middle income Americans. The demand for something more exclusive led into the Rococo Revival Style.

ROCOCO REVIVAL 1840-1860

As the middle of the 19th century approached, America was in an experimental stage with a passion for novelty. The commonplace man was able to enjoy a greater degree of variety of material comfort and satisfaction than he had ever known in any other society. He also enjoyed a reasonable expectation of joining the ranks of the wealthy. This faith was constantly renewed by the numbers of self made men who achieved great fortunes at every level and confidently looked for more, better, and different things to enrich their lives. The booming democracy led to great expectations.

A new fashion which looked back at the rococo forms of Louis XIV and Louis XV periods was gaining favor. The 19th century version featured cabriole legs, curving contours, intricate carvings in arrangements of rich, deeply carved clusters of fruit, flowers, or other natural forms in a variety of combinations unlike anything ever produced in the 18th century. The pieces were not limited to seating, rather the whole range of furniture from bed suites to hall pieces incorporated the new designs. Many European craftsmen, lured to America with the promise of a better life, added impetus to the mounting popularity of the new style.

Although most of the inspiration was of French origin, the name of John Henry Belter, a German immigrant, is most commonly associated with the American Rococo Revival style. His innovative methods earned him several patents between 1847-1858. These techniques incorporated layers of laminated rosewood, forming a lightweight piece of wood, which could be curved and carved much easier than solid wood. The ability to produce incredible detail was made easier.

Despite Belter’s patents, furniture of a similar nature was quickly turned out by others who eventually undermined his hold on the market by simplified, inexpensive, and popular versions of his creations. Belter died poor in 1864. Today Belter is the most expensive and sought after manufacturer of the Rococo Revival period. Joseph Meeks (1771-1868) was an industrious competitor who used the laminated process to create equally high style pieces of parlour and entry pieces. Meeks passed his skill to his sons who ran the business until the end of the 19th century when it finally closed. Today pieces by J. & J. W. Meeks and Sons are highly sought after and considered an equal to Belter in quality and style.

All rococo pieces were not laminated and heavily carved. Some makers produced a form of suave simplicity which was an extreme contrast to the heavily carved laminated pieces by Belter and Meeks. Alexandre Roux, a French immigrant, made plain and artistic furniture with simple rounded edges and brass beading trim that gracefully curved the outlines of pieces that he created.

With the advent of Civil War, the rococo period ended abruptly. The years surrounding the war witnessed enormous changes in the political, social, cultural, and industrial aspects of the American landscape.

GOTHIC REVIVAL 1830-1875

The task of designing furniture in the Gothic Revival style was complicated by the fact that secretaries, bookcases, dressers, clocks, whatnots, upholstered furniture and the like, conveniences and shapes that had not been dreamed of in the Middle Ages, were now being manufactured and offered to the American market. This was a romantic phase of American history which allowed for a vast array of new concepts. The formal order that had given the Greek Classical Revival its essential character was gradually replaced by The Gothic Revival which rejected the smooth curved classical lines in favor of picturesque arrangements of pointed arches, towers and turrets, and other church-like features.

Chairs were the most commonly produced item in the Gothic Revival period. They were lined up in large Victorian entrance halls and imposing libraries. Tables followed current shapes and achieved a Gothic look through ornament. Almost every household had some reminder of Gothic inspiration. Clocks were particularly popular and adapted well to cathedral steeples and spires.

The war effort had produced an enormous vitality and spirit of enterprise, particularly in the North. That energy carried over into peacetime pursuits. Huge fortunes were made from the war, but Americans were given mixed messages on how to tastefully spend it. Magazines were not consistent in their advice because a medley of styles were available and identified by names that often had no specific meaning. The past was continually pillaged for models to accommodate the changing fashions of the day and the result was a state of hopeless confusion. Homes were being furnished in styles variously labeled Gothic, Renaissance, Elizabethan, Moorish, Louis XVI, Grecian, terms which often were interchangeable according to the makers.

One of the most favored labels was the Renaissance style, a term which covered almost everything. Massive pieces were very typical and because of their size and ornamentation were very expensive. Much of the furniture was done by European craftsman, now fully Americanized, yet still retained a French influence. Ormolu moldings, painted porcelain plaques, and marquetry of contrasting woods, all improvisations on themes in the Louis XVI style, applied to the name Renaissance Revival.

RENAISSANCE REVIVAL 1865-1880

The romantic nostalgia that had bred and sustained the Gothic Revival went much further during the Renaissance Revival as the century progressed. No style was too bizarre or exotic to find its place in the market. Americans were beginning to face the unsettling realities of the Industrial Revolution which had rapidly accelerated during and after the Civil War. These realities brought into sharp focus the contrast between romanticism and industrialization. The two faces of the new civilization, one clinging to the past, the other glorifying the future, forced great contrast and changes in style

This period of American furniture making was the most varied and prolific in American history. In 1876, at the Philadelphia Centennial, the largest of the international fairs yet to be held, marked the peak of the Renaissance Revival style.
The workmanship by immigrant craftsmen, now called

Americans, was unsurpassed and rivaled the best French cabinetmakers. Superior examples were able to win gold medals at European exhibitions. Some exhibition pieces were priced at $10,000, more than it cost to build a comfortable country home. Of paramount importance, the Renaissance Revival period produced a uniquely American look which was immediately identifiable from its European counterparts.

EGYPTIAN REVIVAL 1860-1875

Concurrent with the Renaissance Revival came the Egyptian Revival. It was influenced by discoveries in Egypt which led to exhibitions of Egyptian art, the first major collection displayed in New York in 1852. Towns along the Mississippi River, the American Nile, were named Cairo, Karnak, Thebes, and Memphis. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 inspired Verdi’s “Aida” and in 1881 an obelisk, Cleopatra’s Needle, was erected in Central Park in New York City. The combination of these events encouraged a revival of interest in Egyptian decoration. Pieces displayed sphinxes, gilded bronze heads, carved animal paws, birdlike wings, geometric motifs, and lotus designs. This ornamentation was superimposed upon an otherwise Renaissance Revival form, yet it remained distinctly Egyptian Revival.

Manufacturer such as Herter Brothers, Pottier and Stymus, and Marcotte were prominent during this period and were able to make both Renaissance and Egyptian styles. As a result, their business boomed while the makers who could not adapt, failed. Both periods inspired new cabinetmakers to join the parade with names such as Thomas Brooks, Kimbel and Cabus, and Allen Brothers making an impression in the market. Again, the Egyptian Revival style remained distinctly American and was never really copied in Europe.

By the 1870’s the day of the professional interior designer had dawned. Often times, the decorators were given “carte blanche” for everything-style, design, quality, and price. These designers went to the best makers and often commissioned them to do the entire interior including all the woodwork and furniture. Good examples can be found in the various Vanderbilt homes around the country. One of them built in the upper 50’s on 5th Avenue in New York City, constructed about 1880 for William H. Vanderbilt, included a limited edition of 500 folio sized books, illustrating the interior and exterior detail of the house. They were distributed as gifts to his friends.

INNOVATIVE FURNITURE 1870-1900

It was an inventive age, spurred on by the Industrial Revolution. Those with mechanical abilities took advantage of newly developed techniques and materials to create unprecedented forms and contraptions which added diversity and fresh interest to the decorative arts of their time.

Cast iron was used extensively because the material was cheap and it did not have to be hammered by hand. Advances in iron founding and milling techniques stimulated an increasing number and variety of different designs. Chairs, settees and urns were used in the garden. An ingenious device allowed a reclining seat in railroad cars, office chairs could now be made to recline and swivel, and adjustable folding chairs became a reality. The use of new technology found its way to the wire chair which was found in every ice cream parlour. George Hunzinger was probably the most innovative with his assortment of patents of various chairs, some folding and other collapsible. Still, all of it bore the unmistakable mark of American Victorian design.

The Wooton Desk Company was likely the most innovative and popular design of this period. William S. Wooton took his first patent in 1869 where he won first prize of $5 at the Indiana State fair. He produced a simple school house desk that featured a rotary compartment on one side which allowed for concealed organized storage. He went on to produce the Wooton Patent Secretary in 1874 that eventually became the signature piece of the Victorian era. Almost every dignitary of the late 19th century used a Wooton desk. Names like Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Gould, Presidents Garfield, Grant, and Harrison, Pulitzer, Scrivner, and even Queen Victoria herself used these desks. Every Wells Fargo office had one. They were the first organized storage center for information, the earliest computer if you will.

REFORM STYLES 1875-1915

The Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts movement were essentially English transplants, having taken root about 1876 and ending with World War I. This period included the years of extravagant fashion called the “Gilded Age”. The Arts and Crafts movement stood for values exactly opposite to those that mirrored fancy European fashion or its American equivalent in the Renaissance or Egyptian periods. The mansions that lined 5th Avenue or dotted the landscape of Newport were filled with imported luxuries or American opulence.

The principles of Arts and Crafts were developed around 1850 as a revolt against the growing dehumanizing mechanization of life that accompanied the Industrial Revolution. Reformers like William Morris, John Ruskin, and Charles Eastlake recited the menace to human values when the machine took command from the traditional individual artisan. A return to the handicrafts that are intimate accomplishments of daily life would restore sanity and satisfaction to the domestic scene.

However it was accomplished, such work was to be guided by sound, honest principles of construction. The suggestion that good design has a moral as well as utilitarian purpose sounds odd but it was repeated throughout the second half of the 19th century, despite the excesses of the Greek Revival in1820 through the Renaissance and Egyptian Revival periods ending in 1880. The principal apostle of the reform period was Charles Locke Eastlake who published eight editions of Hint on Household Taste in Furniture, Upholstery, and Other Details from 1872-1890. A large number of Americans regarded him as the prophet of the movement and his name was uttered with reverence. Eastlake did design furniture, but was more concerned with constructive principles and sincerity of purpose than with external forms. He emphasized the importance of simplicity and usefulness which unfortunately enabled the majority of manufacturers to produce shoddy and inexpensive merchandise upon which they freely capitalized using the Eastlake label. Only a few conscientious craftsmen interpreted his doctrines in good faith and artistry.

AESTHETIC MOVEMENT 1875-1890

On the American side, the firm of Herter Brothers was the driving force which changed the styles of furniture from its previous exuberant opulence to the simplified lines of the Aesthetic Movement. Christian Herter became the leading influence when he applied Eastake’s ideas with sensitivity and skill. Their products were expensive and never mass produced. Rectilinear forms replaced curved lines and deep carvings. Colorful inlaid patterns reflected the pervasive influence of Japanese art. The detail was carried out down to the brass door pulls and hardware which adorned the furniture. Thin incised lines, low profile moldings, turned supports, the use of lighter looking woods, and geometric patterns all characterized the Eastlake style as it was interpreted in this country. Again, Herter managed to Americanize a European idea which set it apart from anything else that was being produced. It was so spectacular and new that it tolled the death march of the past periods and their chaotic confusion.

MISSION PERIOD 1895-1910

Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Henry Green, and Gustav Stickley were the major contributors of the Mission style. Wright and Green were more influential in architecture, although often times both designed and insisted that their furniture was integral and important to the overall design of the house. Stickley produced simplified straight line furniture out of oak, often without the need of upholstery. As uncomfortable as it seems now, it was very popular then and remains very collectible and expensive today. The previous periods, other than the Arts and Crafts movement, simply did not work in a Wright or Green designed structure.

Thus we come to an end of what has got to be the most confusing and difficult period of decorative arts in America. The various classifications and styles should be easier to recognize now as we are able to look at examples from each era and compare their progression to the next stage. Let’s hope that this article will keep the furnishings historically correct within their respective surroundings.

MARK SLOTKIN

ANTIQUARIAN TRADERS

http://www.antiquariantraders.com

In this episode Mark takes us through the 19th C. Victorian era, and some of the important furniture makers, styles, and pieces of the period. Witness the finest antiques available including antique desk ensembles, chandeliers, art case pianos, Turkish rocking chairs, and more…

read more | digg story

Episode 1 The Victorian Era

In this episode Mark takes us through the 19th C. Victorian era, and some of the important furniture makers, styles, and pieces of the period. Witness the finest antiques available including antique desk ensembles, chandeliers, art case pianos, Turkish rocking chairs, and more… Antiquarian Traders has been in business collecting antiques for over 30 years, and has a profound knowledge of quality and style. Whether you just have an interest in antiques, or even the serious collector, the Antiquarian Traders – Guide to Antiques has something for all!

email: antiques@antiquariantraders.com

Visit us online at: http://www.antiquariantraders.com