Posted 8 years ago
mikelv85
(1230 items)
Salvation still continues to produce some nice finds. Today being half price Wednesday I had my eye on a vase and painting from yesterday. Both also sold for full price yesterday so a bit of a bummer....but then I went back to the furniture area. I'm still looking for pieces to display items on at the co-op. There was a nice half round console table painted black...can't get that in the car...then there was this beauty. A Louis XV style oval oak occasional table made by the "Imperial" Furniture Co. of Grand Rapids Michigan. There is a partial label and style number on the bottom to ID and date it to the 20's-30's and these pieces appear to be highly collectible. There's also some chalk writing and a penciled number under the top. It measures 25" tall (the penciled number?) and the beautiful inlaid top is roughly 23" x 17" There was even a piece of tempered glass to protect it. Seeing some really good prices on these pieces so this is staying home with me. I'll take a little swivel door sewing table I already have instead. -Mike-
Treasures: An "Imperial" table from Furniture City
Courtesy of Lifestyle Section seattletimes.com
Over the years, Grand Rapids has certainly earned the name “Furniture City.”Important manufacturing entities such as Baker Furniture Company, Berkey & Gay, Herman Miller Furniture Company, L. & J.G. Stickley, John Widdicomb Company and many others are located there.
If Grand Rapids is known as “Furniture City,” the Imperial Furniture Company, established in that city in 1903 (one source says 1904), was once anointed (perhaps by itself) as the “world’s greatest table makers.” F. Stuart Foote founded the firm; he was once the lumber buyer for L. & J.G. Stickley.
Imperial made all sorts of tables, desks, teacarts, china cabinets, buffets and chairs for dining tables. Products ran the gamut from telephone tables with small stools and nesting tables to tilt-top tea tables, book tables, end tables, extension tables, lyre base tables, console tables (with mirrors) and table desks.
Mahogany, walnut, oak, chestnut, maple, pine and gumwood were just some of the woods used; other woods were utilized for decoration, such as satinwood, Pollard oak and ebony.
After Foote’s death, Bergsma Bros. acquired Imperial Furniture in 1954 or 1955 (depending on the source consulted). One reference says that Bergsma Bros. operated the manufacturing facility until 1983, while another says it closed in 1962.
This is the sort of furniture I love.
Thanks Bonnie.... I guess it's a little gem..... seeing two to four hundred dollars on Imperial tables and I only paid twenty ! :)
He shoots ,he scores crowd goes wild. Great pick up mike.
Thanks Roy but if I had to rely on my sports skills to treasure hunt I might as well call it quits....lol :)
Well you got others like bargains. Lol I'll double your money for ya.
LOL I was a 150lbs and a shot putter in the 9th grade. Now I'm having a hard time changing my sheets. YOUR brain is alive and very entertaining and I Love the shares and information that you post Mike. :0)
There are days of "brain fog" too One. I know what you mean though. Getting older and wiser isn't all it's cracked up to be....lol :)
Nice mirrored burl top on that!
Thanks for the"love" Karen :).....They did a really good job of book matching it too. Notice the "M" for Mike....OK it could be a "W" too....lol
Nah, definitely M!
Book matching - I was trying to remember that term.
I've heard that term before on Roadshow but I was watching "How It's Made" Dream cars and the Rolls factory used that term also for creating the veneers on their dash inlays. Now there's some craftsmanship ! :)