Here is a wonderful article from the American Collector Archives at Collectors Weekly. The article was first published in the March 1943 issue of American Collector, a magazine that ran from 1933-1948. The author of the article is a man named Richmond Huntley. Collectors Weekly titles it “Flashback: Victorian Furniture.” I can’t tell if that reflects the original title, but no matter.
Huntley’s prose is engaging and educated, a style largely lost in the journalism of today. Huntley’s perspective on Victorian furniture is decidedly negative and gives interesting insight into current tastes for the furniture.
Huntley lets us know that it was only recently (remember, recently as of 1943) that anything made after 1830 was considered antique. And only “recently” has Victorian furniture “been taken seriously at all.” By that we mean seriously enough to invest in, refurbish, and protect under Aviva home insurance! What a change in attitude!
He gives an abbreviated but informative history of Victorian furniture, mentioning Greek, Roman and Egyptian sources and styles like Louis XV and Gothic. He himself favors the furniture made before the Civil War and says little of what came after, perhaps out of contempt.
He makes no bones about his feelings for the “whatnots and overstuffed armchairs of the 1880’s.” If you have to keep one of those horrible chairs around because it belonged to a great-grandfater, you can always hide “its worst features” with a a slip cover. As far as the whatnots go, “family sentiment can be carried too far.”
Very funny. But there is a gloom these days resulting from a shift in taste away from the excess of antique Victorian furniture. As this article shows, though, it was hardly popular in the first half of the 20th century either.
If you like it, buy it. Why worry what everyone else thinks? Eventually tastes will come around to it. If you’re a dealer with an inventory of Victorian furniture, well, tastes may come around sooner than you fear. A bad economy may actually help that along. Have a look at this post.
On the positive side, as far as Huntley is concerned, are Belter, Marcotte, J&J Meeks, and Seibrecht. The article contains a single photo – a bed by Belter. Surprise. Huntley knew the good stuff. An investment-minded person might have taken note. Check out this post to see how far the appreciation for beds by Belter has come. And imagine if your grandparents had bought up Belter in 1943 and left it to you!
Click here to read this delightful article. While you’re there, take a look around the antique Victorian section of Collectors Weekly. It’s well worth the visit.