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Discover Mid-America - November 2007
Carving and names set prices for mid-Victorian furniture
Hard to believe that before the “less is more” furniture designs of modernism and Arts and Crafts, there was the heavily carved mid-Victorian furniture. Designers such as Joseph Meeks, Alexander Roux and Charles Boudouine were household names beginning in the 1840s offering elaborately carved furniture. They competed with the laminated and carved rococo revival pieces made by John Henry Belter.
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| Alexander Roux huntboard. (photo courtesy of James Julia Maine Auction) |
There wasn’t much interest in huge, fussy furniture that didn’t fit into the small condos and ranch style homes built in the ‘50s, ‘60s and early ‘70s. Who had the room?
Enter the 21st century and “mega mansions.” The huge pieces made a comeback and prices for the finest examples zoomed. At the Sept. 30th James Julia Auction an elaborately carved and labeled Alexander Roux hunt board sold over its $40,000/$60,000 estimate for $172,500. A unique, carved, walnut marble top specimen table realized $3,450. Small pieces sold for modest prices in the hundreds.
Many of the early designers came to America from France and their pieces reflected the French taste. Alexander Roux was born in the French Alps. By 1846, he was in New York where he advertised as “an extensive Manufacturer of Cabinet Work of the finer and generally fashionable description.”
In New Orleans the two finest cabinetmakers, Francois Seignouret and Prudent Mallard were of French descent.
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| Victorian specimen table. (photo courtesy of James Julia Maine Auction) |
John Henry Belter had come to New York from Germany in 1844 where he learned carving and cabinetmaking. Belter’s laminating process relieved the often heavy look of the rococo revival furniture. The ornamental carved work was glued on after the pierced back was made. Never inexpensive, authenticated Belter pieces today cost high thousands when they make a rare auction appearance.
Belter’s pieces were shipped from his New York factory to the wealthy and famous around the country. Mary Todd Lincoln who moved to Chicago after the president’s assassination (1865) ordered a rosewood parlor suite, with frames made by Belter.
CLUES
Many German immigrant cabinetmakers came to America in the 1840s, Belter had 40 of them working as apprentices. After they had learned their trade they went into business for themselves, creating Belter-style laminated furniture. These look-alikes sell for a fraction of the originals. While the labels have often come off of the Belter furniture, authentic pieces had pattern names.
Serious collectors can check the list of patterns in a book written by Eileen and Richard Dubrow, Shiffer Publishing, American Furniture of the 19th century. If it is out of print it can probably be ordered from the publisher or check ebay.
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