America's 100th Birthday: Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition 1876

The Centennial Exhibition, was the first major "World's fair" to be held in the United States. The  Philadelphia Centennial opened on May 10th 1876 on a 285 acre tract of Fairmount park overlooking the Schuylkill River. The expansive Fairgrounds were designed by a 27 year old German immigrant Hermann J. Schwarzmann. The exhibition was host to 37 nations and numerous international exhibits housed in over 250 individual pavilions.

 Ohio house

Naturally the states at the time were well represented and Ohio was no different. Amazingly the Ohio House is the only state building left from the Centennial Exposition! The building was empty for years before its careful restoration by the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust. The exterior stone work features 21 different Ohio sandstones with inscriptions indicating the quarries from which they came.

I'll take 10 of everything! Imagine the availability!

For those of us into Victorian design, it would have been an incredible opportunity to have a time machine. Imagine be able to see booth after booth of everything Victorian such as this incredible display of register grates by one manufacturer.

Look closely and you might see some familiar tile designs from Dayton street mansions

Even legendary manufacturers like Minton were on display. One must wonder if wealthy Cincinnatians from Dayton Street perused the Minton booth for the latest "update' for their mansions.

As far as furniture was concerned Renaissance Revival was king of the show and American manufacturers displayed their finest wares. It is also interesting to note that we see the first examples of what would later become the Arts and crafts movement first exhibited here too.

Americas up close exposure to exotic lands seen at this show started a number of revival crazes including Egyptian Revival, Moorish Revival and  the Japanesque styles. If you were around during the bi centennial in 1976 you no doubt saw just about everything in a 'bicentennial edition" the centennial was no different, there were books and magazines and illustration put out about the exhibition. many of the wealthy commissioned special sets of parlor furniture, sideboards sprouted patriotic themes like flags and eagles. The 'fad' was short lived so few examples remain.

Walnut renaissance furniture was in its heyday during the Centennial but you won't find eagle crested chairs in your typical antique mall these days.

Of course we have ways to get the rare of the rare, including this rare pair of carved eagle crested parlor chairs. We haven't been able to 'attribute' this piece, its is similar in size and style to Jelliff and Herter Bros but it could also be one of  the several fine east coast furniture designers.

The carvers art is apparent in the detail shot.

The typical Female figural form that one might expect on a piece like this is replaced with the eagle head carving, Obviously not a high production piece of furniture and one might expect to see this as part of a larger formal parlor set which if intact would be VERY valuable.

This might also be found in the Gentleman's Parlor as well. The price on this rare pair of chairs is 950.00 for the set and you are not likely to run across another pair. If you are interested please contact us at victiques@gmail.com if you'd like to own this rare pair of renaissance 'centennial' chairs.

Antique of The Week: Estey Parlor Organ

Before there was TV and radio, and computers, Wii's and IPOD's and all the other 'stuff' we have to keep us entertained. No self respecting Victorian Homeowner would be caught dead without a Parlor Organ. These were the home entertainment center of the 1800's

This "high style" model would have been found in an prominent place in the formal parlor. This one as Estey is about as high style as you would find. Impressive detailing abounds with numerous carvings, burled walnut and just an exceptional renaissance casework.  8 stops, nice keyboard, just a beautiful display piece for all your "sitabouts". This will need a bellows reseal if you choose to use it for playing purposes but a minor repair. The real value is in this impressive casework and details.

We obtained this piece several years ago, and its been in my private collection ever since. This piece came from  Northern Indiana and had been in a small church for many years so it was lovingly maintained.. I have too many pump organs in my collection (I've been "hoarding" them for years) and we are picking up a  couple of large scale sideboards and dressers so something has to go.

Priced at a very reasonable 475.00, less than you would pay for one that has been sitting in an attic or garage for many years and would need refinishing.  I've sold comparable quality pieces for 750-950 in our shop so this is a great deal. Must be picked up in Indy. We will help you load it. We have several organ stools in a variety of styles and prices range from 75-250.00 if you need one.

With the holidays coming, this might be the perfect gift for your house restoration and its a piece that will only go up in value and rarity. For more information please contact me at victiques@hotmail.com.

Organization and record keeping of your antique collection

We all know if you live in an old house you also have a fondness for "Old Things". For some it's simply 'clutter' for others it may become a collection. At some point you will find yourself needing to "manage' all that stuff.

Right now I am in the process of "decluttering' our Indy House, "The Willows", built in 1895 as a shingled style late Victorian cottage, the house has a major remodel in 1915 to the craftsman style. When we bought this particular home, it had "no style', in fact every piece of woodwork was gone, doorways between rooms a had been closed up and the house suffered the indignity of the room between the kitchen and formal dining being opened up and a "breakfast bar" installed.



Our "high style'  will not translate to the typical buyer so we have to take things "down several notches" to furniture the typical buyer will have.



We elected to take the house back to its 1915 roots. With the brick porch and other changes made during the 1915 remodel it made the most sense to restore to this period as everyone except maybe the most clever of Victorian architectural buffs would recognize it as a shingle style bungalow and this house as well as the other homes on the block all the other houses around it underwent the same high style "Craftsman makeover". We actually never intended to live in this house but rather bought it to 'rescue' it from the clutches of a slumlord who was looking at it to turn into an illegal duplex.. We actually lived in a large Victorian home around the corner which we put on the market during the "real estate heydays' and watched in amazement as it sold in a few days for far more than ( in my opinion) it was worth and we found our self shoehorning 3000 square feet of "stuff' into a 2200 square foot house. Thankfully we had just built a new  oversize carriage house with an office above that was perfect to store the overflow......besides who needs to actually keep a car in a garage anyway? Apparently the house wasn't too bad as it was on HGTV as an inspiration house on the series "Rate my space" and has been the subject of a couple of feature articles. Pictures of the House are here: http://picasaweb.google.com/victiques/Listing# and certainly if you know anyone moving to Indy, send them our way!



We have had the house on the market for while and I finally decided the "restage era' has come so the high style Victorian/craftsman furnishings must go to be replaced with "Ikea Crap" so it will appeal to the 'typical buyer of a 225K house.

So I am going through the packing stage, which is a good thing as it means our final transition to Cincinnati is not that far away. I am sure the City of Cincinnati "spies/employees" who read this blog are probably refilling their Valium prescription's about now with the thought of having to deal with me ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS!



I am not going to talk allot about packing antiques there are plenty of articles out there about that. But rather how you keep things organized. Everything, and I mean everything is listed on an access database I put together. You could just as easily do the same thing in excel spreadsheets and there are even some household inventory control programs out there that you can use too. I use the same program as I use for my antique business but in a different database. Since I keep the 'best stuff' for me I can shift between the two. I keep a copy for my insurance agent so he can update my coverage. I have riders for the antiques and one for the art. It is also a good idea to keep backups and I keep a copy ona secures server off site as well.

So what do I keep track of? Well for example take this wall sconce: I know from my inventory report the following. I bought this in 2001 from an auction house, I know exactly what a paid (surprisingly wasn't much) and I know this piece came from the estate sale of an old building  that was once a small hotel on US40. I've also done some research on just who made it and I acquired a matching one in 2006 (slightly different globe). In addition to  the photo on my database I scanned the original receipt. If you have an inherited piece it is critical to document that, which family member gave it to you , and if  there is a specific family history etc. While it doesn't seem important now, your great, great grandchildren will appreciate it more if they know the story.



Rare pieces, like this open back Rennaisance Revival barrel chair, should always have an independent appraisal done



Why go to all this trouble? Well look around you, how many things are in your room right now? If lightening struck your house, how would you know what you had. Documentation is critical. Also I am already planning where everything in this house will go in our house down there, I know what pieces will go into our warehouse storage and I can figure what pieces will come out of our warehouse and go into our house  down there as well.. Serious collecting is about more than just owning a  lot of stuff, it is about management and knowing what you have , where its at. In my case it is not only antiques I am concerned about but an art and rare book collection as well.

Soooo......someday if the Knox Hill Cottage is landmarked, it can easily become  the Nagele-Merz House Museum  of decorative Victorian design.



Antique of the Week

Our Monday Afternoon series features an antique from our inventory for sale at a special price. Many of these are quality "entry level" antiques or accessories that are great for the Old House restorer who may be a little short of cash but it trying to decorate in Period style. Regular readers have a chance to get a good quality antique at a very attractive price.

One of the most difficult tasks in restoration is finding proper art for your wall. One of our specialties is antique lithos and gravures form the 1870-1900's. Today's selection is an authentic period gravure called "By the Seaside" by Delobbe. This is a great way to decorate your home at a very attractive price. this print is offered at 24.50. Please check out our other lithos and gravures shipping is 7.50 and we can combine shipping on multiple print orders.

http://www.blujay.com/item/By-the-Seaside-by-Delobbe-ANTIQUE-GRAVURE-FROM-the-1880-s-1040500-2008303&keywords=

Looking for something special? Please let us know chances are we may have it or can locate it for you.

Restoration Resources: Shand Kydd Wallpapers

Shand Kydd Has designed a new late victorian Craftsman designed wallpaper, Most of the designs in this series area little 'off' to use in a period restoration yet this particular design is perfect for a formal entry or a cozy den or a long hallway.

It comes in several different colorways but in my opinion these two shown here are the most historicaly accurate. Its affordable too at 26.95 a roll through Creative wallcoverings website. Samples are available for 5.00 each.

http://www.creativewallcovering.com/wallpaper-shandkydd.html

Victorian Ceiling Medallions: The Art of Decorative Ornamentation

The Victorians believed in the art of ornamentation. They painted, gilded, stenciled, faux finished, marbleized or grained in an effort to get just the right look. Ceiling medallions were no exception.

If you are lucky enough to still have the original plaster ceiling medallions they are painted the same color as your ceiling, probably white. White was a color reserved for linens but not Victorian ceilings.

As part of our restoration we have light that will be over the stair hallway. Because it is a cottage we do not have grand entry hall to play off of, nor do we have a huge ceiling space. Because it is a cottage it is more intimate and was originally just a way to get upstairs at night to the bedrooms, However because we will often use the side entrance this stairway and as a result it will take on greater significance. So we are taking some tricks from the typical Victorian bag of decorating tricks and adding in details. Things like fretwork, stained glass windows elaborate staircase details and of course a proper ceiling medallion. All things Victorians could buy through the mail order catalogs or at their local lumberyard.

Our ceiling where this will be is small, about 3 feet wide and perhaps 6 feet long. We elected on a small scale medallion but in an elongated form which will make the ceiling space appear longer than it actually is. This ceiling will be painted and have a stenciled border. Our desire is to that this small space as almost a 'jewelry box' a small space with details and treasures. Our ceiling medallion selection is actually a reproduction made of fypon and is 18x25 inches in dimensions. It comes of course in "plain jane white".

If you will be painting a medallion it is important to prep it. These factory made medallions often have imperfections and will need minor sanding. I do not use white for base coat but rather a terra cotta color. I find the darker base allows for 'richness of color especially with the gilding.

Color selection is based on variety of factors including other colors and stencils being used in the space . For this project in addition to the gold we used a green (slightly sponged), a red (alizarine crimson), and a dark Thalo Purple. The purple reads as black in most cases in normal light except in the center where we gave it a marble veined look with some additional gold veining. The center section of this will be drilled for the metal rod that will hold the small scale electro-gasolier that will hang here.

THIS OLD HOUSE ROXBURY SECOND EMPIRE

photo courtesy TOH website

This Old House is doing a Second Empire In Roxbury Mass. The duplex Second Empire was severely deteriorated and is the kind of house they would bulldoze In Cincy but there they are bringing it back and the home will be sold to to deserving families. You can follow the progression the This Old House website and of course the TV show:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tv/current-house-project


This project shows that even severely distressed property, in the worst of neighborhoods, can be restored and reused. the goal is to bring homeowners back into the neighborhood. Doing just one house on a block like this will have a dramatic impact on the entire neighborhood and bring others in. This approach works and why we can't get it right here in Cincinnati, baffles me.


You redevelop neighborhoods one house at a time, you bring new people in, you establish community.

You DO NOT redevelop neighborhoods by ordering houses vacant, Demolishing them and creating roadblocks to restoration and new people moving in.

Happy Holidays Preservation Community,ResErection Inc Website Down!!!

The ResErection Website that had been marketing historic and landmark properties for sale for dis-assembly and relocation, is, for the moment, closed down. http://www.reserections.com/

All the ads are gone replaced with "ResErections, Inc. We are on a Strategic Retreat To Florida For the Season !!" so, for the moment, there are NO properties being "pimped' for sale!

As regular readers know we "exposed" ResErections Inc. as recently advertising the Landmark Ouerbacker Mansion in Louisville, which according to the owner, he had neither authorized or spoke with the owner about marketing the house and had NO intention of selling it.

So for the moment, Cincinnati's architectural treasures are not being "hawked" to out of state, or country buyers!

A minor, if only temporary Victory, but a Preservation Victory Non-the-less!

Merry Christmas Preservation Community!!!!

Preservation Day Trips: Piatte Castles

This will be an occasional series on Historic places of note that will make a good day trip for Old House lovers or Historic Preservationists.

Ohio has its own Biltmore! Well, while not as big as Vanderbilt's Biltmore, the Piatte Castles are certainly two of the finest examples of the grand elegance of the "Gilded Age' of Victoriana. Located in West Liberty Ohio at 10051 Twp. Rd. 47, the castles are in the middle part of the state closer to the western side. Complete information and directions are at their website: http://www.piattcastles.org/index.htm There are upcoming event this month and in December so check their website for more information.

In the 1820's, Judge Benjamin M. and Elizabeth Barnett Piatt moved their family from Cincinnati to Logan County.Two of their children, Abram Sanders and Donn later built their own homes, Mac-A-Cheek and Mac-O-Chee in the country-side they knew as youths. These unique structures have become a private, family-owned museum that interprets over 200 years of history of the Ohio land and Ohio people.
What makes a visit worth the trip are the incredible high style interiors and stenciling done by artist Oliver Frey. Both Piatt families were lovers of art and it is believed that Abram’s son Charles met the skillful Swiss-born artist Oliver Frey in Mentone, France where Charles was in the diplomatic service. Oliver Frey came to Ohio to stencil seventeen rooms in Donn and Ella’s home Mac-O-Chee. When finished, he painted the ceilings of several rooms in Abram and Eleanor home, Mac-A-Cheek. While Frey and his group of artisans traveled all over Ohio, these are perhaps the finest surviving examples of his art. The museum foundation has an ongoing restoration of the stenciled rooms but it is most interesting to see them in their current unrestored condition. Do you know of a Historic "day trip getaway? If so send me the information at victiques@gmail.com and we may feature it here.

Victorian Garden Tips: Fall is Bulb Planting Time

Fall is here, even if I hate to admit it, and it is time to start thinking about planting those bulbs for spring of next year, so I thought I'd pass along some tips and reminders.

Most of our bulb species prefer a well drained , not soggy , soil, and the location should have at least six hours of sun a day from spring through summer. You need to plan ahead and look at what your light levels will be in summer when the trees have leafed out. You want to make sure the bulbs will not be in the shade when the leaves still need the sun to make energy for next year's flowers.

I find that digging up the whole bed makes the bulb spacing, layering and soil amending easier. The depth of your holes should equal three to four times the bulb height, but pay attention to the bulb supplier's recommendations.

Set your bulbs in the planting bed or in separate planting holes with their roots or basal plate downward. If it's not sure which way is up, lay the bulb on its side. Fill the planting hole with soil and tamp it gently.

You want to plant a variety of bulbs to extend your flowering season. I like daffodils and Tulips, and you should include some early-flowering bulbs - such as grape hyacinths, crocuses, snowdrops and scilla - to herald the start of spring. Late-flowering alliums will continue to show into early summer.

Now, we are planting on our bulbs being on our front hillside, therefore we want to leave space so we can plant our groundcovers in the spring. Our goal is to have an attractive front yet keep it as low maintenance as possible as the rest of the garden areas are more 'designed' and require more maintenance.

Victorian Society: The elusive green thumb

Victorians loved everything 'green'. The "Fern Craze" of the Victorian era is a good example. Ferns would be on display EVERYWHERE in the parlor. On tables, in elaborate Urns set on the floor, on Fern stands. Elaborate wooden stands with ornate incised carving. Ferns were a "status symbol" in the day and Victorian often coveted the exotic hard to grow varieties. Outside cool shade gardens filed with rocks and ferns provided a restful place on a warm day.

Victorians took their love of plants to another level with the Victorian terrariums. Elaborate "eco systems' in large glass jars or elaborate table top mini conservatories where Victorians not only grew ferns but also exotic plants.

Among the "upper crust of Victorian society, private greenhouses were all the rage. Perhaps the best known is the greenhouse at Biltmore shown in this photo I took a few falls ago. Biltmore was working farm and some plants were sold for market but a huge quantity was grown in order to provide year round fresh flowers for the Mansion.

Today, thanks to mass production it is possible to have your very own Victorian greenhouse in kit form. This very popular model is available through most online garden stores. Prices vary WIDELY for this same greenhouse. Best price I've found for the 8x10 foot model is around 3500 at Sam's club online. They also ofter a much simpler version of this with polycarb panels for around 650.00. I have built some of these for clients over the years and its a good do it yourself for an advanced ability homeowner. Personally I think these are best on a poured foundation. You can attach these to a house for a conservatory effect but you need special heating/cooling and humidity controls to make these work.

The ultimate in Victorian Luxury is the Conservatory which truly brought the outside world in year round. Conservatories were often off a main parlor and were the ultimate status symbol for the Victorian era home.

These are not "sun rooms' that we associate with modern day tract homes, but rooms for the serious garden enthusiast wishing to recreate the grandeur of the Victorian Era, Costs on these elaborate structures can start as low as 25,000 but can quickly exceed 500,000.00. If price is no object then this is the ultimate however for most of us it will be 'just a dream".

Victorian Period Design: Egyptian Revival

Egyptian Revival is perhaps the 'rarest of the rare' in terms of Victorian Period Interior design. Egyptian Revival ran concurrent with Renaissance Revival. In may ways Egyptian revival was "fad" but it was typically a fad reserved for the very rich. Manufactures like Pottier & Stymus, Marcotte and Herter Bros. Cabinet makers Kimbus and Cabell and the Allen Bros produced high end pieces as well.

The opening of the Suez Canal really inspired people to acquire "things Egyptian" the style found its way into jewelry, and stained glass and art. Today Egyptian Revival pieces are the most sought after and coveted by serious collectors. The style was an "American Thing" and did not catch on in Europe.

Stylistically most pieces follow standard Renaissance revival forms but with Egyptian ornamentation. The Richard Ruetlinger House in San Francisco may have one of the best Egyptian Victorian parlors in the country. The style featured a resurgence in 1922 when Tutankhamen's Tomb was discovered.

Now most will never own a Pottier and Stymus Egyptian parlor set or chairm but it is possible by mixing Renaissance revival furniture with Egyptian busts, Tapestries and Egyptian reproduction accessories to recreate the "look" of the Egyptian Revival.

Victorian Egyptian Style was the rarest of the rare, just like the Egyptian artifacts that inspired it.

Annual Antique Sale a Sucess

Comfortable 'Non rainy" weather, brought out people to attend the annual Woodruff Place Flea Market and we therefore had a good turnout for our annual antique sale. It was allot of work lugging things in and out for the two day sale (we worked on the Cincinnati house on Sunday) and I could have easily brought out more merchandise. We offered a variety of merchandise antique furniture, art and estate jewelry.

Of course I am looking forward to the day when we can get some shop space and get open in Cincinnati and I need to redouble my efforts to locate the right building for our purposes.

Class Action Lawsuit could result in Drywall Recall

A class-action lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Miami against a manufacturer of Chinese drywall, follows at least two others and may result in an eventual drywall recall.

This high-sulfur Chinese drywall installed in homes during 2005 and 2006 has been linked to more than 100 complaints at the Florida Department of Health Complaints include an odor of rotten eggs, sickness and metal corrosion in air conditioners. The drywall 'outgases" the sulfur and causes major deterioration to electrical wiring and electronics in the home.

One consumer agency has stated that this drywall has been found in 41 states. America's Watchdog, has said that 250 million feet of the drywall came into the United States from China. The drywall entered into ports located along the West Coast - including Long Beach and Oakland, California, and Seattle, Washington. It also entered from ports in New York, New Jersey and Florida, the group said.

This drywall appears to have been sold in Ohio.

Many U.S. drywall manufacturers could also be affected because Knauf Plasterboard - the Chinese company that manufactured the drywall - sold the material to U.S. companies through a "private label" program, America's Watchdog said. Under such an agreement, Knauf supplied drywall would be re-labeled and distributed under the U.S. manufacturer's name.

This could potentially affect contractors or even home remodelers who purchased drywall. Often there have been complaints of a rotten egg smell on humid days. Some of this drywall was stamped KNAUF on the back. Signs of a problem will include black 'smudging" on electrical wiring. Exposure to the Chinese drywall has also been reportedly linked to potential health problems, like insomnia, nosebleeds, headaches and breathing difficulties and estimated 300,000 homes built or remodeled between 2005-2007 could contain this product.

In addition to the smell of rotten eggs, these are other signs that your home may be defective:

Frequent replacement of A/C system or refrigerator components (such as air coils)DANGER: If you have experienced loss of "Freon" or refrigerant from your A/C system, it may have leaked into your home from sulfer eaten pinholes in your equipment. Wiring that has turned black and/or is corroded. Piping that has turned black and/or needs replacing. Silver jewelry turning black.Electrical problems. Respiratory problems

This is just the latest of a series of issues with Chinese manufactured products

Urban gardening: Spring is coming!!!

It is not far away! We have already experienced that occasional warm day. Now is the time to be planning your spring and summer gardening projects. Urban gardeners face unique challenges from those in the burbs. Gardening space is smaller and you need to get the most bang for the buck. One thing you should do now, in preparation for spring, is look at your gardening tools. Clean shovels, make sure the tires are good on that wheelbarrow. If you have a wrought iron fence or picket fence use those first warm days to scape and paint it. It is much easier before your plants go in and much cooler than the dog days of summer.

Now while we all might like that grand Victorian estate garden like this one at Biltmore, most of us have to deal with a small lot and planning is the key. Urban homes usually have small front yards. Think of your front yard as a "entry way". Long before your guests are at your front door they have really already entered your home. Your front garden should be bright and inviting. If space allows consider an arbor over your front walk. Flower boxes are great for those who have no front yard and you should look for low maintenance plants.

Many homes in an urban setting often are by busy streets, consider using water to create" white noise". Fountains are great and can take the shape of a grand fountain like this Victorian 4 tier or a smaller urn with a bubbler.

Done in phases, most people can achieve low maintenance attractive garden and while you neighbor is out mowing the grass and trimming, you can be relaxing in your garden. Most urban homes have two, sometimes three "outdoor rooms" The front, the back and sometimes a side garden. By treating these as separate projects it is easier to get a sense of satisfaction in a hurry. Gardening is a great "Urban Revitalization" tool. You will find when you fix up your yard the neighbors become a little jealous, gardening is infectious and don't be surprised when that neighbor whom you thought didn't care at all starts keeping their place a little cleaner.

Don't forget that your porch can be an enjoyable outside room, Today there area variety of Victorian era furniture, Wicker is a great option and the new resin based products are very durable to the elements. Consider using an outdoor "rug" on your porch space, especially if you have a concrete floor that you would like to hide. Porch swings are "very victorian" and you can even find them at your local "big box" home depot or Lowes. Hanging baskets add a colorful accent.

Whether its a small "vignette" or a grand garden space. A garden can be a relaxing way to slow down at the end of a busy day. Soon we will begin our series on the Gardens at Knox Hill. We have extensive plans for our double lot that includes ponds, a sunken garden, a side formal courtyard with fountain and an outdoor gazebo space with formal gardens. It should be an exciting summer at Knox Hill.

The Restorers Library " Pallisers New Cottage Homes 1887"

From Time to time I like to recommend reference books that may be of interest to Old House restorers, Palliser's New Cottage Homes 1887 is a reproduction of the rare catalog that originally was published in 1887. It includes 1,500 detailed drawings of floor plans, elevations, perspective views, architectural details, and interior ornamentation and is has designs for villas, farmhouses, town and country places, barns, and city brick block houses; and fine-lined illustrations of windows, eaves, and other architectural elements.

I have found this to be a great reference source in designing period details for old homes. This book is available from Dover Press for 14.95. http://store.doverpublications.com/0486428168.html But you may be able to locate a used copy on Ebay for less.