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1900 Armchair Not So Valued Today

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By JAY MOORE, Tribune correspondent

Published: September 15, 2007

I inherited my armchair from my grandparents. I know absolutely nothing about it.

It is made of dark wood with an upholstered seat and back and is in good condition.

What can you tell me about it?

A.S.

Tampa

It is an American-manufactured armchair dating from about 1900 or a few years later. I am sure that it was part of a parlor suite that may have included a sofa, side chairs and perhaps a platform rocker.

It is made of hardwood that originally was finished with mahogany stain, top-coated with lacquer or varnish. It probably was originally covered with mohair. It has been refinished and reupholstered.

This style of old furniture is not very popular today. It would retail for $75.

I don't know if my chest of drawers is considered antique, but I do know when it was made and who made it. I made the chest of drawers about 1940 when I attended high school in Ohio.

It is made of solid mahogany. The drawer fronts are cut from solid wood (they were not bent), and I also hand-carved the ball and claw feet.

Does my old handmade piece have any value?

H.E.C.

St. Augustine

I hope that you received an A+. If you did not become a professional cabinetmaker, you may have missed your calling. This reproduction Chippendale chest is of high quality.

Bench-made reproductions of Early American furniture were popular between 1915 and 1940. These pieces differ greatly from mass-produced Depression-era furniture made during the 1930s.

This chest today would retail for at least $400, which means that its maker probably netted about 10 or 15 cents per hour. If interior construction were true to period, it would sell for more.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear digital image (.jpg file) to athome@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (plain-paper prints or Polaroid

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