Posted 8 years ago
Kydur
(103 items)
This is an early 1900s full-size (or double) Simmons solid brass (over iron) bed originating in Montreal, Canada. It compliments the brass bed I previously acquired in January earlier this year (see previous posting).
I paid $35 for it at a local yard sale this summer and the seller was apologetic about the price, implying I could offer less for it if I wanted. It belonged to his wife and they were downsizing to their new smaller cottage-house. He hated brass beds and couldn't understand why anybody would want one; he was suggesting it might be re-purposed as a funky garden gate or something. As a crowd of potential interested buyers began to buzz around I quickly paid the asking price before being bombarded with offers up to four times as much while loading it into my vehicle!
I asked about the history of the bed and the woman told me that her daughter was conceived in the bed and that her daughter's daughter (her granddaughter) had been conceived AND born in the bed. Fortunately, before too many more intimate details could be revealed, her husband intervened by suggesting that probably wasn't the sort of history I was looking for!
The bed was manufactured in Montreal and sold in Quebec. There were only two owners (prior to myself) and it was gradually moved across Canada to the west coast over the years. It's in excellent condition, just needing a cleaning, light polish, and mattress/boxspring before being put back into use. I'm in a quandary because I prefer the style of the previous brass bed I purchased but that one needs a lot of repair and this bed can be used much sooner. Also I don't have the room for two beds!
I will likely use this bed as a "placeholder" while I repair the other one. I suppose then I'll have to build an addition on the house to make room for both of them! After spending so much time searching for an authentic brass bed I never thought I'd be in the enviable position of choosing between two of them!
Probably a good thing that it didn't come with the mattress! LOL!!
Wow Kydur!! What a deal indeed! Nice bed for sure. By the way, what ever happened to your big brass bed that you posted earlier this year? Have you finished working on it yet?
Jscott, that bed has been completely disassembled in preparation for cleaning and polishing. There is one seized/stripped brass screw that will need to be drilled out and re-tapped. Three other screws on various spindles are missing and will need to be sourced out (I want to use authentic slot-head brass screws). A number of the brass ornaments have become separated and need repair - one of the post tops is split at a place important for structural integrity and will need to be brazed by someone with the skills to do it from the inside with a flawless looking mend from the outside.
At some point in time one of the spider-nuts that attaches the rail knuckle to the brass posts was replaced with a standard hex-nut and is completely rusted/seized with the only access about 12" inside the post-leg. I've been soaking it in rust-remover but it's still going to be a challenge to remove that nut without doing damage. Another of the spider-nuts is also seized but will be much easier to remove once loosened because it's designed to be hammer-turned with a long bar.
I tracked down a fellow who can re-manufacture (at a reasonable cost) the iron puzzle-piece fitting that's missing on one of the rails, but he won't have his shop setup until the new year.
Still very much a make-work project on the back-burners. This recent bed find just needs a good clean and polish and it's ready to use! Although when I disassemble it I may find a few unwanted surprises as well.
Wow!! Sounds like you've got your work cut out for you on the other brass bed! Good luck with that.
I had a nice double size, but left it in the apt when I moved. Wish I still had the bed, as I loved sleeping in it. Very lucky you.
I just bought a beautiful brass bed. It says Simmons and had "patented" with dates ranging from 1905-1916. Problem is I am not sure if I assembled it correctly. The way the rails attach to head/foot boards is different from anything I've seen. Each end has 3 brackets/pieces that fit in along with the rail. Hoping its like yours or someone might be able to help!