Posted 13 years ago
sfpickerfa…
(6 items)
Hi,
I picked this chair today from a nice collector who was looking to downsize a bit. I paid $30 for it. It is from the Los Angeles Desk Company and is solid oak and very sturdy. It has some character to it on the front left part of the seat, in reference to the three nails you see pictured, which look to be vintage to it's time of manufacture. I am looking for help from anyone who can further identify this chair's history, origin, model, or potential value.
I am adding it to my collection, and would like to be able to tell it's story.
Thanks much.
Hi;
So here's what i know about the Los Angeles Desk Co. It was founded in downtown Los Angeles in 1908 by Mr. Frederick Feitshans, apparently acquired several competing desk companies in the area. In 1910 he moved to the 848-50 So. Hill Street location.
I have a Roll Top Desk from the LA Desk Co from its prior address, which was between 1908 and 1910, making it 109-111 years old. It is a prized posession. I would love to have a chair made by them also.
You may be interested in the attached:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/283391801540. it is a desk from the same era.
The Hill St address was still active up to 1921 where Mr Feitshans was still the owner - found in a book that was published in 1921 about LA History - i am still trying to find out about the demise of the LA Desk Co - when it ended.
If memory serves me correctly, L.A. desk company did not make their own chairs. I believe they bought chairs and put their brand name on them. As for the nails you refer to as "character" they diminish what little value the chair had to begin with.
Frederick R Feitshans came from Springfield, Ill. The son of a teacher and also married to a teacher. When his father passed, his mother moved her children to Los Angeles.
1907 there is a reference in a local paper to a "Feitshans" who is manager of the LA Desk Exchange.
1917 he filed a patent for a desk design "desk number 1,220,405" (ref Patent Office Gazette)
Frederick Feitshans was President and General Manager of the Los Angeles Desk Company.
In 1920, I saw in an old "Southwest Builder and Contractor" (volume 55 - 4/30/20), he is listed as the Director of the Durard Desk Company. I know Los Angeles Desk Company had bought up many of the smaller desk companies in the area.
Around 1923 (if not sooner), Feitishans ran to be on the Los Angeles School Board and at that point, he could not continue the desk business, as he had sold desks and furnishings to schools all across the area.
This was seen as a conflict of interest (ref "Better Schools" published Los Angeles June 1923). That article referred to his business as "L.A. Desk Company".
I'm not sure if he actually shortened the name to this or if they were just abbreviating (source = Los Angeles School Journal archives).
In 1925 he went on to join the founders of the Metropolitan Warehouse and Industrial District. This was an area in Downtown Los Angels that was mostly undeveloped at the time and known as "the flats".
I believed they were tied in with "Austin and Sons", who were innovators in the design of firms that designed and built warehouses. They were essentially the pioneers of the Warehouse District of Downtown Los Angeles.
If you do an internet search for just his name, you will see there are photos of him and various articles that you can read.
His son (Frederick Jr.) became a famous Hollywood editor and producer.
One of the Feitshans was also a tennis player who competed in the 1904 Olympics. I believe this was the grandfather of Buzz Feitshans (from Springfield).
The middle initial "R" stands for "Rollin". Here in the Los Angeles area, looks like most of the Feitshans are buried at Forest Lawn in Glendale and in Illinois at Oak Ridge.
I have a friend who owns a beautiful old dial safe from the era when the LA Desk Co was located at 848-50 Hill street, which was back then, all surrounded by railroads. The safe has a beautiful train painted on the front. It seems Feitshans was deeply involved with the railroad and railroad types.