Q: This is a secretary’s desk I have had for about ten years. I would like to know more about it—when was it produced, the price when new, and if it is a rare piece or not. It was refinished about ten years ago; by the time I received it, it had been painted several times, but it still has the original hardware (I think). The desk is 36” wide, 41″ high and 18″ deep. Any information you might provide would be greatly appreciated.
Michael Maag
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Drop-front desks would have to go on my list of most common forms of collected furniture. It’s a form whose design ancestry can be traced back to the 15th century. The popularity of drop-front desks grew in the mid-19th century because new manufacturing methods increased the ease of production. There are many variations to the drop-front during the Arts and Crafts period. Quickly going through the 1906 Limbert catalog I counted five very different models of drop-front desks being offered, including yours.
Unfortunately, Limbert did not include prices in their catalogs. I did look in a 1912 Gustav Stickley catalog that did include prices, and drop-fronts cost between $20-40 depending on the model.
One thing to note is that anytime you refinish, you’re stripping off the patina of the piece, and that affects the value. Also, due to the large number produced, this piece isn’t terribly rare, but it is handsome. And here’s some good news that should add to the enjoyment of your desk—the hardware does look original!
To lend perspective, I’ve included a photo (above) of another Limbert drop-front desk that would be considered rare. I found this image in The Grand Rapids Contribution, written by Don Marek for an exhibit at the Grand Rapids Art Museum in 1987. Don says of this desk, “The interplay of gentle tapers, arches and cutouts gives this Limbert dropfront a strong architectonic quality.” I would have to agree. I find it interesting how some manufacturers stepped away from the norm, creating unique designs while at the same time producing “safe” designs for the consumer. Just as it cost more to produce and to purchase when new, the desk featured in Marek’s publication would certainly fetch more than other Limbert models now.
Q. We recently purchased a set of four old chairs at an antique store. They are in pretty good shape, but need to be cleaned and spruced up a bit. Do we use Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the wood? Then a paste wax to restore the wood? How can we clean and treat the leather? It smells like they have been set somewhere for years. Also, should we purchase new tacks (these looked black originally) or should we leave them as is? We love your magazine and would appreciate any comments on the care of these chairs.
Thank you,
Dana Wright
Meriden, Kans.
Dana, this design would be typical of what general-line furniture manufacturers were producing in response to the growing popularity of the Mission Style. I have seen similar designs without the back-splat upholstered. (I wonder if this was done post production. The photo is not sharp enough to determine.) You may want to take a chair to a certified dealer or appraiser to determine that.
I try not to involve water when cleaning wood. This has a tendency to raise the grain, especially on oak because of the open pore structure. I would use a good-quality paste wax applied carefully with super-fine (0000) steel wool. This will clean and protect at the same time. Try not to rub too vigorously—you’ll want to leave as much of the finish and patina intact as possible. Be sure to use the wax as directed, which will advise using sparingly since you will be wiping all but a very thin layer away. The idea behind wax is to offer a protective coating—it will wear off with use instead of the finish. Areas on furniture that get more use should be waxed more often. Remember to use a wax product that is reversible. Mineral spirits will remove wax and not an original shellac finish.
As for the leather, that can be tricky. I would do as little as possible. I’ve used a slightly dampened cotton cloth to first clean dirt and dust away and then use a micro-crystalline wax as a protective coating. Leather showing varying degrees of deterioration should be addressed in different ways. I’ve reviewed quite a number of YouTube videos about leather care and have found some of them very helpful.
I would leave the tacks alone. I agree they were probably a dark color to begin with but replacing them is not recommended. Removing the old could cause irreparable damage to the leather surrounding the tacks. As an alternative, there are blackening agents or antiquing oxidizers that will turn the steel, brass or copper dark; search these terms on the Internet to research a solution that works for you.
Q: I recently purchased an L. & J.G. Stickley No. 394 footstool from an antiques dealer near Buffalo, N.Y. The dealer said he had just bought it from an estate sale in the same area. As you can see, it has a “Work of L. & J.G. Stickley” metal tag attached. I have never seen one of these metal tags before, nor have I seen mention of them in any of the literature. Have you encountered these metal tags? In what timeframe would they have been used?
James Bargar
Strongsville, Ohio
This metal tag, while not the best-known way, was a legitimate way that the L. & J.G. Stickley Company marked their furniture. As has been written and seen in numerous books on Arts and Crafts furniture, “The Work of L. &. J.G. Stickley” decal came into use in 1912. Sometime later in that decade this “Work of” mark was transformed into a brand. From the furniture I’ve seen that bears the branded mark, I would guess that happened in the mid-to-late teens. Sometime after the brand was introduced, and probably prior to 1920, the metal tag made its debut. I have seen this metal tag on their oak furniture as well as their next period of institutional maple furniture produced into the 1920s. These are not exact dates, but I’ve come to these conclusions by what I have seen surface in the market.
By the way, your stool is cataloged as No. 311 in the first Onondaga Shops catalog, no. 394 in the Handcraft Furniture catalog and The Work of L. & J.G. Stickley catalog as well as a rocking stool No. 389 in The Work of L. & J.G. Stickley catalog. A very close example of this stool was also produced by the J.M. Young Furniture Company between 1911 and 1927. According to the research done by Jill Thomas-Clark and Michael Clark, 358 of these were sold.
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