| What do you collect? | Fashion + Jewelry | Watches + Clocks | Pottery + Glass | Furniture + Home | Art + Photos | Music + Movies | Toys + Games | Sports | Coins + Stamps | Paper + Books | Ads + Signs | Autos + Transport | Eras + Decades | Other » |
Victorian antique furniture refers to pieces made during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), and includes both mass produced pieces and those hand crafted in small shops by designers such as Herter Brothers, Allen and Brother, Merklen Brothers, John Henry Belter, Alexander Roux and R.J. Horner.
Although some designers like George Hunzinger put labels or stamps on all their furniture, many did not, so attributing a Victorian piece conclusively can require lots of research. In terms of wood, walnut is generally inferior to rosewood, which was used on higher end pieces...
There are many, and very different, Victorian furniture styles. In fact, famous Victorian designer Charles Eastlake himself hated Rococo, which is mid 1850s Victorian. Here are some of the main Victorian styles:
1) Gothic Revival (circa 1830-1860). Think churches and you have a good feel for this furniture style - design elements such as arches, quatrefoils, trefoils, spires, and crockets.
2) Rococo Revival (c. 1840-1865). High-style furniture of French influence marked by use of naturalistic flora (flowers, shells) and fruit as well as C-scrolls and S-scrolls, and highly sinewy curved lines.. Early pieces may have used mahogany, but common Rococo often used Walnut, while the top-end leveraged Rosewood.
3) Renaissance Revival (c. 1860-1890). Reverses the feminine elegance of Rococo around the time of the Civil War by espousing masculine arches, cartouches, animal and human figures, inlaid panels, burl panels, gilt incising, and ormulu mounts. Subgenres include Egyptian Revival, Modern Gothic, and Neo-Grec.
4) Eastlake and Aesthetic Movement (c. 1880-1900). Moving away from the showy complicated designs of prior eras, this furniture has stylized natural elements (flowers, leaves), rectangular forms and severe lines, shallow incisings and turnings. On finer pieces, marquetry, inlay and veneering can also be found.
How did I get started collecting Victorian Furniture? Antiques is in my genes, my mother's family were longti… [more]
"Why do writers on antique furniture leave off right where my interest begins," protests a man who has acquir… [more]
In the broadside political caricatures which were produced and circulated quite freely in America from the be… [more]
About 11 years ago, my wife and I went on some architectural tours. We joined the organization that sponsored… [more]
How did I start collecting Victorian trade cards? In the late 60s I was a bottle collector, early American bo… [more]
Malcolm Warrington is based 12 miles to the west of Central London. He is a council member of the UK Ephemera… [more]
As a teenager, I collected everything from vintage bicycles to Coca-Cola to Victorian stuff. Once I realized… [more]
John Werry's in-depth blog on rare Victorian Furniture, with detailed, informative and often humorous posts on doze… [read review or visit site]
Scott Geyer's blog on the innovative Victorian furniture designs of George Jacob Hunzinger, who began manufacturing… [read review or visit site]
Chuck LaChiusa's wonderful guide to the architecture and history of Buffalo, NY, also happens to host an impressive… [read review or visit site]
Attention paper collectors: don't miss Malcolm Warrington's exquisitely designed tribute to Victorian scraps (stamp… [read review or visit site]
Ben Crane's excellent reference site on Victorian trade cards. Includes a scrapbook containing hundreds of beautifu… [read review or visit site]
This beautiful site showcases the collection of Stanley and Polly Stone of Fox Point, Wisconsin, consisting of earl… [read review or visit site]
Steven Cabella's personal homage to Charles and Ray Eames. This site is as clean and visually appealing as the Eame… [read review or visit site]
Malcolm Roebuck's tribute to the ornate silk picture bookmarks and postcards ('Stevengraphs') produced by Thomas St… [read review or visit site]
This huge online database from the Speed Art Museum is a rich trove of beautiful photos and reference information o… [read review or visit site]
The Index of American Design project (1935-1942) was an effort to catalog American decorative arts objects from the… [read review or visit site]
This microsite from the LA County Museum of Art provides a good overview of the Arts and Crafts movement in Europe … [read review or visit site]
An overview by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts of the design movements between 1880 and 1940 that comprised Moder… [read review or visit site]
This website showcases several hundred pieces of furniture, held by thirteen museums, that were designed for Herman… [read review or visit site]
This Library of Congress microsite is an overview of the postwar modern design work of Charles (1907-78) and Ray (1… [read review or visit site]
Got a site to suggest? Let us know.
Are we missing one? Tell us.
Source: Google News
The set will feature a large staircase, Victorian furniture and period costumes. Although he usually prefers comedies, he's finding a welcome challenge in...Read more
THE highest bidder will be spoilt for choice in antique Victorian furniture that is to be auctioned off in Port Elizabeth this morning...Read more
emerald-accented set is a finely-detailed joy to see, and Lisa Burgess' like-colored period costumes are a delight, as is the Victorian furniture...Read more
The auction items included Flow Blue china, carnival glass, stoneware, rare fruit jars, ironware, ironstone, primitives, glass, china, Victorian furniture,...Read more
Poor Grandma let go a houseful of pristine Victorian furniture for just over $1500 to a "helpful" gentleman who volunteered to take them off her hands...Read more
PLEASE JOIN US Over 300 Interesting Lots including :Russell Wright Furniture, Victorian Furniture, Period Country Americana, Paintings, A HUGE amount of...Read more
MC 2% discount Cash or check We are very pleased to offer at public auction from the estate of Al Edgar, a sale of Victorian furniture and smalls...Read more
Teddy Roosevelt got rid of the Victorian furniture he considered in bad taste. And in the 1940s and 1950s as millions began moving into suburbs,...Read more
