As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, October, 2003

Q.    We have a piano stool with a back on it. It has claw feet, a seat that goes up and down by turning and a spindle back. We've never seen another one with a back - have you? It was given to my great grandfather when my grandmother was a young girl (late 1800's). We'd like to know more about it. Can you give me any information to help me in my search?

A.    Your stool is of course from the late 19th century. Most from this period were made of maple or birch but had a dark aniline dye stain on them to simulate mahogany or walnut, If your stool has the original finish it probably looks black from the oxidation of the organic shellac used at that time for a finish. There should be a patent date or maker's mark on the iron swivel mechanism or the cast feet but will only identify the foundry and the earliest possible date of manufacture - not the manufacturer or the actual date. These stools were mass produced by factories all the country but particularly in the mid West - Grand Rapids and similar manufacturing centers. Stools with backs similar to yours can be found in "The Marketplace Guide to Victorian Furniture" by Peter Blundell, Collector Books and in both Volumes I and II of Kathryn McNerney's excellent series "Victorian Furniture, Our American Heritage", also from Collector Books.

Q.    I have a rocker that has the name Hunzinger and a patent date of 1876 on the back leg. I can't find any information of this manufacturer. Have you heard of this company?

A.    You have a chair designed by one of the most famous cabinetmakers in American history, George Hunzinger. He was a German immigrant who settled in Brooklyn in the 1850's and opened his own shop there in 1866. In 1870 he moved to the more upscale Manhattan where he lived and worked until his death in 1899. His sons continued the business until the 1920's. Hunzinger was famous for innovative chair designs and held more than 20 patents. Most of his work was in the Eastlake or Renaissance Revival styles which were dominant in his time. Any good book about Victorian furniture (see the previous question and response) will at least have a reference to Hunzinger and many will have an entire section dedicated to his unique body of work. You should have your chair professionally appraised to determine if it is one of the older made under the auspices of George himself or reproduced later by his sons. You are fortunate to have such a chair.

Q.    My husband and I are restoring an old oak roll top desk we found in an old family warehouse. It was mostly in pieces but apparently all the pieces are here. So far we have solved all of our problems but one. The roll top itself is in bad shape. Some of the slats are loose and the old canvas is cracked in many places. We already have the new canvas to repair it but how can we get the old canvas off the slats? We have tried scraping and sanding. We have tried razor blades and paint scrapers - everything short of a blow torch. Can you help?

A.    Must be nice to belong to a family that has an old warehouse with antique furniture stashed in it. The roll top itself is called the tambour by the way. I think you might be working too hard. You don't really need to remove the old canvas to apply new canvas. If the old stuff is that stubborn then it is doing at least part of its job so let it remain. Install the new canvas directly over the old but be very careful with the alignment of the individual slats. If some are loose or unattached you need to work on a flat surface with a straight edge such a board clamped to one side. This will give one side of the square you need to align the tambour. Using a framing square, mark the 90 degree side and clamp another guide along it. Using your guides lay out the tambour on the square then clamp it to the table using thin strips along the edges. Apply your new canvas directly over the old backing using a good grade of contact cement. Be sure to leave an inch or so along the edges for the tambour to ride on bare wood in the grooves in the desk sides.



Fred and Gail Taylor's video, "IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE" is available for $29.95 (includes S & H) from Fred Taylor, P.O. Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423, phone 800-387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, e-mail fmtaylor@aol.com. A bound compilation of the first 60 columns of "COMMON SENSE ANTIQUES by Fred Taylor" is available for $20.00 (includes S & H) at the same address.