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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: 1783caz on July 09, 2014, 05:10:27 PM

Title: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 09, 2014, 05:10:27 PM
hi i have a wardrobe with the name George Rolph on it ...
it has a single hanging rail and about 4 shelves to the right ...
i have looked up this family on ancestry and it appears they had a shop in hemel hempstead old town in mid 1800s ...
they had a nephew named George rolph also the name of the uncle ... junior george was born in Berkhamstead in 1852 and went to school there ...
after leaving school he joined his aunt and uncle in Hemel Hempstead by 1871 and was a shop improver for their Drapers ....
by 1901 younger George seems to be running the shop ....as he is noted as the employer ...

i cant seem to find anything about this wardrobe ...would any of you know anything ?
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 09, 2014, 05:14:33 PM
it has a little metal plaque inside that reads ...George Rolph Ltd ...House Furnishers ...Hemel Hempstead ...Founded 1837 ...Boxmoor 70 .

Boxmoor is an area in Hemel Hempstead the other side of town from where the shop was ...
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 09, 2014, 07:17:13 PM
When it says "House Furnishers" they usually do not make the furniture themselves !! Its similar to being a "Decorator/Designer" today !! Usually they contract and purchase from others according to what the client wants !! And the metal tag is the same as is done today !! The decorator just puts his tag on it because it was sold through his shop !!~
Furniture is not usually marked by the mfr. !!

Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 10, 2014, 04:07:19 AM
oh i see ...  yes ive just seen by 1891 he was a draper and furniture dealer ...
how would i know how old the wardrobe is and would you know if it has any value ? 
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 10, 2014, 11:41:40 AM
Can you post a pic of it ??
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 10, 2014, 01:51:22 PM
i have tried but it wont accept as it says file is to big ???  its only a  wardrobe piccy lol ...
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 10, 2014, 02:11:31 PM
Just reduce the size !! Phones and such are always too big !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 10, 2014, 02:46:01 PM
i used my camera ....not phone ...i will try and crop it ...im not very good at this sort of thing ...i noticed earlier there was another post on this draper man ...but theirs read founded after 1900s ...where mine reads founded 1837 ...
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 10, 2014, 05:00:11 PM
nope it wont work cropping it ... i can email it ...if an email adress provided ?
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 10, 2014, 08:31:45 PM
If you are using a digital camera, then use your computers photo imaging program !! It will have a way to resize the pic !! 2000kb should be about right !! To resize go to "photo editing" then at the top somewhere there is usually a box to resize, just click on that and you should get another box with the current size !! Just change the numbers and click "ok" !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: cogar on July 11, 2014, 03:44:47 AM
i used my camera ....not phone

Change the "size" setting on the phone itself.

No one needs a photo that's 24" by 36".
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: KC on July 11, 2014, 09:52:44 PM
cogar, think they used a REAL camera! You know, the thing that does one function!  LOL   :)  Gosh, my cameras just sit in the closet anymore.  My phone camera does just as good a pic for what I need.

Found a note on the official site  http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43272 (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=43272)
"In 1893 George Rolph by his will left £2,000 for the endowment of the Reformed Episcopal Church, known as Christ Church. The legacy is represented by £1,800 consols with the official trustees. By an order of the Charity Commissioners of 17 October, 1899, trustees were appointed for the administration of the charity."

So the Senior of the them passed in 1893.  Trying to find more information.
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: cogar on July 12, 2014, 04:12:19 AM
OOPS, .... right, KC, ... I read what Mart said about a digital camera and blurted out my silly response.

Well then, if 1783caz used a film camera then he must have scanned the photo in ..... which infers he/she has a photo program and should do as Mart said.

 Either crop it, ..... resize it ..... or "Save a copy" for E-mail or Web and then upload the "saved copy"

Or, E-mail it to him/her self  ;D ..... and then upload the E-mail copy.
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 12, 2014, 09:08:08 AM
OOPS, .... right, KC, ... I read what Mart said about a digital camera and blurted out my silly response.

Well then, if 1783caz used a film camera then he must have scanned the photo in ..... which infers he/she has a photo program and should do as Mart said.

 Either crop it, ..... resize it ..... or "Save a copy" for E-mail or Web and then upload the "saved copy"

Or, E-mail it to him/her self  ;D ..... and then upload the E-mail copy.

LOL !! Glad I am not the only one that does it !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: KC on July 13, 2014, 03:33:12 PM
It's usually me!  LOL   

Still looking....
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 25, 2014, 12:55:26 PM
wardrobe
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 25, 2014, 01:01:22 PM
thing on wardrobe
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 25, 2014, 01:21:21 PM
inside wardrobe door ...
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 25, 2014, 05:33:54 PM
http://www.haringey.gov.uk/investigating__the_past_-_the_harris_lebus_factory.pdf

You should find this interesting !!  Lebus made the wardrobe,, George Rolf sold it through his shop as a "furnisher" same as decorator or designer today !!  This could be a very good piece !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 26, 2014, 01:12:57 PM
hmmm its still a matter of knowing how old it is ...what era it comes from ...and if its of any value ? im looking to sell it as i need the space in my tiny home ... but not sure how much to sell it for ...
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 26, 2014, 05:10:09 PM
Can`t get a good look since the pic is not a good square pic that shows all !! From what I can see it appears to be Art Deco style (1930`s) which was part of Harris Lebus` heyday !! He made some of his best pieces during the Craftsman and Deco period !! They do seem to have value but how much is difficult to say !! My opinion is somewhere between $500. and $750. USD if in excellent condition !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on July 28, 2014, 12:37:37 PM
thankyou .....
so thats roughly £300.00 - £400   british pounds .... omg ! i only paid £30.00 from a 2nd hand junk place ... glad i didnt paint it up as i was going to ....
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 28, 2014, 01:46:08 PM
That is correct !! They made some very good furniture that seems to hold value well !!  Only bad thing is that it is a wardrobe !! They do not sell as well as other furniture does because no one uses them anymore !! Google Harris Lebus wardrobes and you will see a range of prices !!  I am sure glad you didn`t paint it too !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: KC on July 28, 2014, 07:22:13 PM
Mart, I believe they are across the pond where wardrobes are still very much used.

Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on July 28, 2014, 07:28:49 PM
Yes I knew they were in the UK,, but didn`t think about the use there !!   You mean closets are not as common there ??
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: 1783caz on August 03, 2014, 03:54:51 AM
we still use wardrobes in Uk lol .... infact people are very much into the ornate style to paint up as shabby chic ...
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on August 03, 2014, 08:31:06 AM
That would be a shame to see it painted !!  And no value after that !! It would be worth about what you paid for it !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: KC on August 03, 2014, 08:56:29 AM
Mart, the one thing I do like about people painting items these days is that they use chalk paint...and the chalk paint can be stripped off and the item restored at some point in time.  It does very little harm to a piece like spray paint (which is now the big craze) and other paints.  I like it also because the item doesn't become kindling! 

This is a beautiful piece and I am sure it will only increase in value over time.  Such a wonderful piece of the past!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on August 03, 2014, 09:47:09 AM
Well,, after all the paint I have had to strip,,I just have a problem when someone takes a piece that has value and could possibly increase in value and paints it !! No matter what you do you can not reverse the damage completely !! I do not mind if an ordinary type is painted !! I have done a little of that too !!  But looking at the pics above and imagining it painted is just sad to me !!
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: Ipcress on August 03, 2014, 01:37:24 PM
Sorry, but it would be worth nowhere near that price in the UK.
Title: Re: George Rolph gents wardrobe
Post by: mart on August 03, 2014, 03:15:44 PM
The two sites I checked were in the UK !!  What are they bringing in your area Ipcress ??  See what happens when you leave ??  ;D