How to Identify 20th Century Furniture

So you stumble upon your families old furniture and have no idea of the worth or age.  Chances are it is manufactured furniture and a bit of detective work will help to confirm your hunches.

Sears and Roebuck sold furniture around the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.  Much of this assembly line furniture is even revered today as “antique.”  It does meet the most commonly accepted definition for an antique, but you must still measure construction techniques and quality. 

Names like Biggs and Nutting have long been recognized and respected for their methods of reproducing period furniture.  It is important to recognize names of the furniture manufacturers proud enough of their product to brand, mark the pieces with a decal or place a medallion on the piece attesting to their quality. 

In the last half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, many furniture manufacturers were located near the Grand Rapids, Michigan area.  The furniture industry worked hard to counteract any negative image of factory made furniture.  Designers and skilled craftsmen were hired.  Furniture was often mahogany and well marked. 

Over the last ten or so years, information on many furniture manufacturing companies has been compiled.  You may find their method of marking on the left side of the interior of the top left hand drawer or on the back of a piece of furniture.  Get out your flashlight as you might be lucky enough to find a faint pencil signature on the inside back of a piece of case furniture. 

Start looking for marks on your older furniture.  Some decals or marks may not be complete but with a little sleuthing you just might come up with the name of the manufacturer.  Documenting your furniture’s manufacturer is interesting and can add to the overall value of the piece.

Logan Adams is a Certified Personal Property Appraiser who owns The Specialists of the South in Panama City, Florida.  The Specialists provide Furniture Refinishing and Furniture Repair as one of their Services.