Q: I read your article about elastic bookcases. We have several stacks of these bookshelves, which have been in the family for many years. Some of the sections have both a Macey label and a Globe-Wernicke label inside.
All three of those have the scissor mechanism, and all three of them are broken (scissor no longer attached everywhere). Most of the Macey shelves are in much better working order; perhaps the geared mechanism was a better design. I’m going to see if I can get a handyman to repair the broken ones using parts like the ones you recommended in your article.
Was there some manufacturing agreement between the two companies? Or does this mean that we have Frankenstein shelves that were cobbled together from two different sets of shelves? A: There was no cross over between Globe-Wernicke and Macey. In fact, they were locked in a lawsuit for many years over patent rights. Otto Wernicke first patented the system in the early 1890s and produced bookcases under the Wernicke name in Grand Rapids. He formed a partnership with Globe in Cincinnati in the early 20th century (1904) and Globe-Wernicke used his patents.
He then left Cincinnati to return to Grand Rapids where he acquired Fred Macey’s company in 1905 and began to produce cabinets based on his original patent. Globe of course sued but after many years Wernicke won and was awarded all the patents.
You appear to have mixtures of the two. However, the main difference is not the label, it is the door mechanism. G-W doors slide on a thin metal track and use a scissor like equalizer mechanism. Macey doors work on a geared track that is easily distinguishable from the G-W track and do not have an equalizer. Most other parts are interchangeable. You can get replacement equalizers and other G-W hardware at www.rufkahrs.com/hardw8/bkcase.html Q: What can you tell me about this chair?
A The basic chair is a Colonial Revival reproduction of a Federal period Klismos dining chair of the early 19th century of no special virtue, made in the 1940s of a secondary wood, probably red gum or poplar. The company moved to Owensboro, Ky. in 1919 and apparently was unrelated to the Murphy Chair Co. of Detroit, founded by C. H. Dunks and purchased in 1872 by Michael Murphy.
I have seen drawers like that under sewing rockers, but frankly have never seen one under a dining chair. Was it perhaps added later? The extra hardware on the front leg looks like a “homeowner’s special.” Q: Can you tell me what they call this type of chair? It has swinging leg rests that hide under the arm rests and then swing outward so you can kick up your heels on them. What can you tell me about it and what do you think it’s worth? I want to purchase it, but don’t want to overspend for it.
A: That is a “planter’s chair.” It is a 19th century British colonial development for rubber, sugar and rice plantations in India and the Caribbean. The chair is designed for the plantation master to semi-recline in the chair and support his legs on the swing out leg rests while a servant pulls off the thigh high riding boots.
One sold at auction in 2009 for $300.
Period 19th century chairs like this in good condition with cane seating or upholstery sell for between $500 and $1,000. Your chair is pretty rough and has all board seating. It would need extensive restoration work and cushions made for it. It would sell at auction in the $100 range. Q: I thought I would ask how much you thought a seven piece dining room set would cost in today’s economy. In the china cabinet there is a stamp with “Limbert Furniture by Van R…(?) Craftsmen, Grand Rapids Holland Mich.” In the drawer and on the back there is a label that says Flints Fine Furniture-Flint & Horner Co.. The china cabinet and server are in pretty good condition and the dining room table is not that great and the four chairs are not stable.
A: Limbert was formed in Grand Rapids in 1894 by Charles P. Limbert, a sales agent for other manufacturers. The original emphasis of the company was on Arts & Crafts/Mission style furniture. Limbert traveled extensively in Europe to learn about European Arts & Crafts and focused on Dutch designs. His most famous line was the “Dutch Arts & Crafts” line beginning in 1902.
In 1916 after the Arts & Crafts phase was on the way out Limbert began to make revival styles. In the words of Chris Carron, author of “Grand Rapids Furniture – The Story of America’s Furniture City” the revivals were “indistinguishable from similar pieces by other manufacturers.”
The missing word you can’t read on the label is “Van Raalte.” D.B.K. Van Raalte was one of the salesmen and took over the company when Limbert died in 1923. The label was changed to include his name in 1927. Your set is a Colonial Revival reproduction of Federal era pieces of the early 1800s. Flint’s Fine Furniture was the retailer in New York who sold the set originally, probably in the mid 1930s. Your set, because of the Limbert name, would sell at auction in the $500 - $750 range. Thanks for the great photos. |
