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keeper of the outside garments on the inside of the house. But the
COMMON SENSE limited number of hooks, usually six or so, arranged around the mirror
demonstrate that this was not an annex to the coat closet for long term
ANTIQUES storage. This was simply a stopping point for those outer garments in
transition.
The mirror was used extensively throughout better Victorian homes
By Fred Taylor and reflected the cultural fixation with personal appearance. It was

appropriately placed in the hall to insure a proper appearance for entry to
the inside. Some hall stands had one more feature, the shelf or table for
SPECIALTY FURNITURE gloves, books or a card receiver.
Hall stands reached their zenith in the Renaissance Revival style
Wait In The Hall of the 1870s. The importance of a good first impression translated

to size in a hall stand and the Renaissance period offered a very nice
The 19th century in the United States started out as period of major arrangement of size, convenience and opulence for the Victorian well
political strife with little attention to the development of furniture. Sure, to do at the beginning of the fourth quarter of the century. Hall stands
there was the Federal period and the Empire period but those were of the style, as well as other furniture of the period, made by Berkey &
more adaptations to style than innovation in Gay of Grand Rapids can be seen in Late 19th
form. There were other things to worry about. Century Furniture by Berkey & Gay, published
There was the War of 1812. Then there was the by Schiffer. By the late part of the century the
Mexican War followed by the Civil War. “Golden Oak” period was dawning and the
After the Civil War things settled down a elegance of the Renaissance, as well as the
bit and the population turned inward to social importance of the hall stand, were beginning to
status and function. This was the high Victorian fade. By 1920 the hall stand was all but gone,
period and one of the primary considerations replaced by a common coat rack in the corner
in all subjects was the topic of gender. The by the front door.
urbanization of much of the country no longer But the hall had another function. In addition
required primary emphasis on agricultural skills to being the transition area it was also the
from many of the inhabitants and new role waiting area. One had to be invited into the
models and social functions developed because interior of the house by a resident of appropriate
of the shift. rank. While it was important to be polite to
In proper Victorian society the world was anyone, regardless of rank, there was a definite
divided into two parts, male and female seating priority. Persons of equal or greater
and each gender was assigned a space. The social ranking than the owner of the house were
outside world belonged to the men. It was the invited in immediately. Those of lower rank,
place where commerce was conducted, work especially delivery people and messengers,
was carried out and money was made and were not invited in and waited in the hall.
exchanged. The inside, the interior of the house, It was incumbent on the owner to provide
belonged to the women. This is where food was seating, but it was not required that the seating
prepared, children were born and reared, and be comfortable. They wouldn’t be there that
personal items were cared for and stored. With long. Thus, hall seating took on an especially
two such radically different areas of operation, austere look with flat straight wooden chairs or
the transition from one domain to the next could stools with no padding or the hard plank seat
surely be traumatic, almost to be considered an sometimes incorporated into the hall stand.
intrusion by the principal of the area entered. For more information about quaint Victorian
That is where the concept of the foyer or hall This elaborately carved Eastlake hall stand of the 1880s customs regarding gender and lifestyle look at
came into play in Victorian house design. This provides six coat hooks, two umbrella stands, a storage Death in the Dining Room and Other Tales of
drawer and an appropriately hard, uncomfortable seat.
was neutral territory. It didn’t really belong in (Wooden Nickel Auction photo) Victorian Culture by Kenneth Ames, published
either gender’s domain or was used to prepare by Temple University Press. Ames is Chief
for entry into the next area. Outdoor coats had of Historical and Anthropological Surveys of
to be removed or put on. Gloves came on or off as did overshoes, shawls the New York State Museum and was formerly Chair of the Office of
and hats. But where to put them? This storage problem prompted the Advanced Studies at the Winterthur Museum.
first piece of furniture specifically designed for the foyer, the hall stand
or hall tree. It was a purely 19th century contrivance with no precedent Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or
in form or function other than just hooks on a wall. email them to me at info@furnituredetective.com
Early versions of the hall stand all had the same three components, Visit Fred’s website www.furnituredetective.com and check out the downloadable “Common
coat hooks, a mirror and an umbrella stand. By this time, just after mid- Sense Antiques” columns in .pdf format. His book “HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE” is now
available for $18.95 plus $3.00 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO
century, the umbrella had become a common accessory for the middle Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423
class and the hall was the logical place for its storage since it was an Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE”, ($17.00
“outside” thing but did need to come inside. The coat hooks reflected + $3.00 S&H) are also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377
(9AM-4PM Eastern, M-F only), fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info@furnituredetective.com.
the need for proper attire for both inside and outside and became the All items are also available directly from the website, www.furnituredetective.com