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Page 30 The Antique Shoppe February, 2017 factory system and his designs were taken to such extremes that he publicly
Questions & disavowed them later in the century.

Your type of dresser is called "cottage Eastlake" because it is simpler

Common Sense Answers than most and made of less desirable wood. More expensive examples of
the period are made of walnut. Yours appears to be poplar and maple. This
piece was probably made in the mid to late 1880s somewhere in the East. The
with Fred Taylor drawer joinery is called a "Knapp" joint, one of the first machine made drawer
joints ever made. The Knapp joint was in use from 1870 to about 1900 but
disappeared with the rise of the Colonial Revival in the late 19th and early 20th
century. The joint is most commonly found in furniture made in the East. The
Q. Dear Mr. Taylor- I am enclosing pictures of a dresser that came down to factories in the Midwest were reluctant to adopt the new technology and very
me from my grandmother through my father. My grandmother died 58 years few of the major makers in Grand Rapids, with the exception of Berkey & Gay.
ago when I was only 10 so I did not ask her for While I would not replace the cracked marble.
the background of the piece. I would be very It is original to the piece and certainly is causing
interested in knowing the approximate age, value no problems in its current state. It might reduce
and any other information that you might give to the ultimate resale value of the piece in the
me. long run but I don't think you are ready to sell
I enclose also pictures of the unusual joinery it anyway. As it stands the dresser probably has
of the drawers. As you can see the marble top a modest auction value anyway, in the range of
has a large crack. The crack happened when my $300-$500.
daughter's boyfriend sat on it. I have resisted my
husband's suggestion to replace the marble top Q. What is the best way to treat old wood? I
with a new one. I feel the crack just makes a good have many old pieces of furniture, some as old
conversation piece. I enjoy all the information as 1850's. These need to be cleaned and waxed
you give to readers. or oiled. One piece has dried out and cracked
A. The overall style of the dresser is Eastlake, severely. Please help! Thanks for your advice in
named after the English designer Charles Locke advance. —Jody.
Eastlake. His book "Hints on Household Taste" A. Jody- The first thing you have to realize is
was a big hit in both England and the US in the that you are not treating old wood! You are
late 1860s and 1870s. His tastes ran to the very dealing with old finishes. The finishes, if they are
simple and he was an early proponent of the The unusual joinery in the drawer (left) is called a Knapp joint, original, are most likely shellac on pieces made
Arts and Crafts movement that took the world by originally put into use in 1870 in Massachusetts. The dresser is before the 1920s. After that the finish is most
a simplified "cottage" version of Eastlake styling.
storm 40 years later. His linear style was easily likely lacquer.
adapted to the American mechanized furniture For the piece where the finish is severely crackled you need to have it
evaluated by a professional. If it is open down to bare wood, anything you can
do will make it worse. A professional may be able to reamalgamate the finish
Orange Park + Fleming island + Flagler Beach and then recoat without having to strip the piece, preserving the original finish.
On pieces where the finish is intact my recommendation is to clean the
pieces well with mineral spirits, also known as paint thinner. It will not hurt an
We’ve Expanded! ANTIQUE MALL & UPSCALE CONSIGNMENT intact finish because of the chemistry involved. However, if it is an oil finish
Now & Then Mall TWO LOCATIONS TO ENJOY mineral spirits may strip it but in reality oil finishes are very rare. Do not use

2177 Kingsley Ave, #19 1560 Business Center Drive any oily substance such as oil soap or citrus cleaners. They leave a residue that
Orange Park, FL 32073 Fleming Island, FL • 904-644-7162 is difficult to remove.
――

After a thorough cleaning with spirits use a good paste wax such as
904-375-0454 2505 Moody Road Howard's, BriWax. Most of these also come in colors to help brighten up older
(Across from Orange Park High School) Flagler Beach, FL • 386-693-4952
Seeking Quality Dealers! dull finishes. Then rewax only once a year. Be sure to remove all hardware
Multi-Dealer Mall Contact us for details before cleaning and waxing or you will leave shadows around the knobs
Antiques - Collectibles junqueinthetrunkflemingisland@gmail.com and pulls. Do not use any products that contain silicone such as that heavily
Furniture - Jewelry advertised famous spray polish. They will hasten the crackling of the finish in
Home Decor - Fine Gifts the long run . And do not use any oil based products that contain mineral oil.
New & Old Merchandise & Whatnots Several of the better known brands sold in grocery stores fall in this category.
www.nowandthenmall.com
Open: Mon 12-6, Tue-Sat 10-6 The same holds true for citrus oil based polishes. The oil never evaporates and
19 15 accumulates dust, leaving an oily dirty smear.

I have used this approach on my own antiques, which range from the mid
1700s to the late 1800s, and have been doing so with great results for over
thirty years. I will be happy to answer any further questions you may have.

Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL
34423 or email them to me at info@furnituredetective.com
Visit Fred’s newly redesigned website at www.furnituredetective.com and check out
801 Blanding Blvd. the new downloadable “Common Sense Antiques” columns in .pdf format. His book
Orange Park, FL 32065 “HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE” is now available for $18.95 plus $3.00
904.272.5995 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal
River, FL 34423
Vintage to Modern, Antiques to Fred and Gail Taylor's DVD, "IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE

Collectibles & Everything in Between FURNITURE", ($17.00 + $3.00 S&H) are also available at the same address. For
5,000 sq.ft. Multi-Dealer Mall more information call (800) 387-6377 (9AM-4PM Eastern, M-F only), fax 352-563-
4 mi. south of I-295 on Blanding Blvd. 2916, or e-mail info@furnituredetective.com. All items are also available directly from
Always Buying ~ New Arrivals Daily ~ Estate Sales Coordinator 18 the website, www.furnituredetective.com