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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: TNJChris on August 07, 2014, 08:41:30 AM
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Hey all, I was hoping to find out more about a Secretary I have from the late 1800's. It has Knapp joints so from what I have researched it would have been made between 1871-1900. It separates into 3 pieces. The top and bottom cabinets, and the crown. It's also, not a very large piece. Maybe 50" high. It has 2 pretty cool locks on it as well.
What I would like to know is would it be considered Renaissance Revival or Eastlake? I was leaning to Renaissance Revival because of the knights featured on the hardware. However, I have been known to be completely off. :)
Thanks!
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More photos...
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Eastlake, because of the incised vertical/ horizontal lines
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Is it a walnut veneer?
Is there anyway to determine the date it was made?
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Looks to be solid walnut with walnut burl veneer drawer fronts/ panels. I would date it 1880-1890
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That would also be my opinion !! Since styles lasted over a period of 20 or more years,, close date is about all you can hope for unless it is written on the piece !! And that doesn`t happen often !!
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Thanks! Any idea about a price range?
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Sadly the Eastlake style and because it is a secretary (they are not used much anymore) do not bring much !! I would say yours would be around $200. to $250. depending on condition !!
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It's also, not a very large piece. Maybe 50" high.
That helps it, could be a lady's desk, the smaller the better for sales. Mart would know value of this era better than i would but, desks in general are going for a song at auction as they don't fit modern requirements for desks (think puters) you can get a period 18th century slant front desk in good condition for 1k or less these days. Yours still has the gallery on top and that helps it to as they were often lost over the years.
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Its difficult to sell any kind of desk these days simply because people do not use them !!
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They use computer desks! am posting this from one on my desk top!
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These sell for around 350.00 -500.00 here. They use them as bars. I had one very similar to that one when I was younger. You have me a flash back. Late 1800s is right.
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Naturally, there are exceptions to the antique desk rule, here is a pic of probably the most famous american desk known, found in Brooklyn NY, C 1690-1720
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Good morning Jacon4,,you are up early !! Do not think I would attempt a value on that one !! Out of my league !!
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Hey Mart, yep, is always up early. Let's not forget the most expensive desk/bookcase, 12 million, a record for any single piece of american furniture. Built by goddard/townsend in Newport C 1760-70
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A stunning example !! I used to keep a pic of the Goddard/Townsend shell front desk on my computer just to remember what fine quality antique furniture looks like !!
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Yeah, KILLER desk no doubt! The interesting thing about goddard/townsend is, they took the block front concept which Boston furniture makers had been building for decades and added those carved shells and BAM! a new masterpiece was born.
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Good thinking on their part !! Don`t know why but that one desk just grabbed my attention !! Not that the other pieces are not stunning as well !! Wonder what these sold for during that time period as opposed to the prices now ??
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They were expensive even then, the Brown family brothers were their patrons. The Brown's were merchants in Newport and among other business ventures had an exclusive franchise from the british govt. to make candles. The Brown brothers were VERY competitive about EVERYTHING, including who had the best furniture! As is usually the case, it takes a bunch of different circumstances that come together at the right time & right place for a masterpiece to be created.
The desk that sold for 12 mil was the only one of 10 known that was in private hands. It was sold by a Brown family member to fund a restoration project in Newport. That desk had been in the family mansion from the time it was built and delivered by goddard/townsend in 1760 to when it was sold in 1989, it went to a good cause.
You can buy a line by line hand made copy of this desk for about 50k, the Brown family were the first customers that had one built to be placed where the original had stood in their house for over 250 years.
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Really ?? Didn`t know all that !! Something tells me that piece would look a bit out off place in this little 50`s ranch style,,not to mention slightly above my budget ??
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LOL, yeah, I hear you! Another thing is, no one knows who built that desk, it's not signed. They know it came from the goddard/townsend families that were cabinetmakers in Newport who were related by marriage.
Hey Mart, maybe you could add on an addition to house one of these little guys!
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WOW! Those are serious pieces. If I stare long enough will those images burn into my retina for future reference? ;D