This Victor model RC-3 radio was built in the 1920s. Is it an antique?

A topic that invariably generates a lot of heat and a lot less light is the question of what qualifies as an antique. The use of the word itself is a little odd in that it is one of the few words we use to describe an object that doesn’t have anything to do with the physical characteristics of the object.

There are some diehards who stick to the “one-hundred year” rule no matter what. That little bit of foolishness is brought to us by the U. S. Customs Service and has little or nothing to do with the real world, in keeping with a long standing governmental tradition that itself is now well beyond its own definition of “antique.” The Customs Service uses 100 years as the definition of an antique solely to determine if import duties must be paid. So, in fact, that definition is nothing more than a “revenue ruling” pertaining to imported artifacts and has nothing to do with the quality, collectability or value of an individual item. In my case, I have a reproduction of a Federal over mantle mirror dated on the glass as 1903. Does that mean that on Jan. 1, 2004 it suddenly became an antique?

So what is the definition of an antique? There are as many definitions of “antique” as there are “experts” on the subject. One of the primary considerations in determining if something is an antique is who wants to know and why. Is it someone trying to justify or increase a price or an appraisal by tacking on the word “antique” to its description? Is it someone trying to lower a price by using the word “antique” in a derogatory manner to denote something worn out or no longer useful? Or is it someone just looking for another word for “old”?

The definition and use of the word “antique” must always be dependent on the context of the usage and the category of the item being described. Let’s examine a few specific cases:

In the case of radio receivers, I doubt there are any in existence today which would qualify as “antique” by the 100-year rule. But I am sure that antique radios exist. So, how old does a radio have to be to qualify? The earliest working wireless voice transmission was officially recorded in 1906, but it probably happened earlier than that. However, radio as a social phenomenon, did not occur until the 1920s, when it entered the living room. Yet, none of these units would technically qualify as antique. But you would have a major problem on your hands if you tried to tell that to a member of the Antique Wireless Association.

This 1941 Model T Ford is not yet 100 years old. So does that mean you can't call it an antique?

Automobiles fall in the same category. A relatively new invention, as these things go, the automobile, as a practical matter, has been around for just about a hundred years or so. But saying that a 1914 Ford Model T is not an antique defies reality. Some states even issue “antique” license plates for cars when they reach a certain age, sometimes as young as 25 years.

The same holds true for many of the things invented in the 20th century, such as computers, stereos, microwave ovens, etc. Have you ever seen the original Amana Radar Range? It’s about the size of an upright freezer and has its own power supply. If that’s not an antique then nothing qualifies! And a Commodore 64 computer certainly is archaic enough to be antique.

If you asked 10-year-olds about this Commodore 64 computer, don't you think they'd call it an antique?

So what about furniture? How old does a chair have to be to be referred to as an antique? Furniture is a little more difficult to get a handle on than radios, cars or computers because it has been around for so long. With the other objects we know the history of the genre with certainty and are familiar with the technological developments that accompany them. But a basic chair hasn’t changed much in design or function in several hundred years. Sure, styles have changed, as have construction techniques and materials, but isn’t a chair still a chair? For some people, antique furniture has to be from the 18th century. For others it just has to be before the Industrial Revolution or before the Civil War or before the turn of the 20th century or before World War II or before or after some other arbitrary date or event which is significant only to the people discussing it.

For some people, furniture has to be completely handmade to be an antique, although the amount of handwork involved in the 19th century American factory system might surprise a lot of experts. “Factory made” from 1850 is not the same as “factory made” in 1970. And craftsmen in England continued to do a lot more handwork than was done in America until well into the 20th century, so there has to be room for discussion on that point.

Perhaps in the end the definition of antique for furniture, as well as the definition of antique for almost everything, else hinges on three points: The artifact, whatever it is, must derive some of its value due primarily to its age; it must be a genuine artifact of the genre; and it must represent the original period of the invention, development or introduction of the object.

A Queen Anne chair from 1720 certainly meets all those criteria, but so does a Queen Anne chair from 1925, if the changes in technology are taken into account. A chair from 1925 incorporates some of the new ideas of the period in wood usage, glue technology and finish composition, very few of which were used in period Queen Anne chairs and very few of which are still in use today. Thus it is as unique in its category as the chair from 1720. And to a collector born in the third or fourth quarter of the 20th century, it is relatively quite old.

Is it an antique? Who wants to know?

Fred Taylor is a antique furniture Worthologist who specializes in American furniture from the Late Classicism period (1830-1850).

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Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com. His book “How To Be A Furniture Detective” is now available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “Identification of Older & Antique Furniture,” ($17 + $3 S&H) and a bound compilation of the first 60 columns of “Common Sense Antiques,” by Fred Taylor ($25 + $3 S&H) are also available at the same address. For more information call 800-387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

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Let’s start with one of North America’s oldest furniture styles, the so-called Pilgrim or Puritan style, beginning in the early 1600s. Most of the folks of this period were VERY recent arrivals and the furniture they crafted for themselves had a very familiar look to it. After taking into account what might be called “regional influences”—meaning the Colonies—the style itself is essentially “Jacobean,” that catch-all Latin term referring to England in the time of King James I, Charles I, the Commonwealth, the Restoration, Charles II and James II. In other words, most of the 17th century until William and Mary came along, circa. 1688. The furniture was blocky, big, solid, dark and ungainly, mostly made of oak—just like at home. The Colonists were true to their heritage.

Early in the 18th century the effects of the William and Mary reign became felt in American furniture thought. It took a few years to get here, but the Colonies always lagged behind, transportation being what it was. The Dutch craftsmen employed by William introduced a new, lighter, more comfortable form with bun—or Spanish—feet, elegant turnings and decorations and teardrop pulls, and they influenced Colonial furniture in turn. Some of America’s most prized antiques are Colonial interpretations of William and Mary.

This William & Mary highboy shows the verticality of the new form in the late 17th century.

After William’s death in 1702, Mary’s little sister Anne became Queen of England and the Colonies dutifully imported (belatedly of course) the newest style named after the new queen. The QA style was slim and elegant with graceful curves, subtle decoration, slipper or pad feet and valanced skirts, all in all a very feminine form. This English style also created some of America’s most cherished works.

Just as Thomas Chippendale borrowed the QA style in 1750, adding dog ears, pierced splats and heavy acanthus carving and calling it his own, the Colonies borrowed the new style from Thomas and used it right into the Revolution, being careful not to call it “Georgian,” as the later version of the style was known in England.

A Philadelphia chair circa 1776 shows the rococo changes Chippendale made to the basic Queen Anne chair.

At long last, the Revolution! Surely, this called for a new American styling and so it was called “Federal,” in honor of the new country based on federal, rather than royal principles. So who were the great designers and builders of America’s new furniture? Among the strong stylistic influences were George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton, respected English designers of the period. Also prominent were the Adam brothers, Robert and James, Scottish architects greatly influenced by first century Roman architecture.

The end of a D-end Federal period banquet table shows the influence of Thomas Sheraton in the tapered legs.

On this side of the Atlantic, the best known practitioner of Federal was the Scotsman residing in New York named Duncan Phyfe, whose work was influenced by the early traditional English designers, but also by the Directoire and Empire of France and the Regency of England. Phyfe’s contemporary, Charles-Honore’ Lannuier, recently arrived from France and worked in the Directoire and later Empire field as his contribution to Federal furniture.

By the end of the first quarter of the 19th century, the facade of Federal had fallen to the unabashed Europhile Empire style; Napoleon’s only lasting positive contribution to the world. He had directed his architects to develop a new style for his “Empire,” which they enthusiastically did, combining classical motifs from Egypt and Greece with animistic additions such as carved animal feet and wings. Napoleon of course didn’t make it, but his style survived in England, modified only slightly, as Regency, and in America first as Empire and then in later versions as “Late Classicism” or “Restauration” as late as mid-century.

This classic Empire chair was made by Duncan Phyfe, circa 1820. (Daytona Museum of Arts and Sciences photo).

Victoria became queen of England in 1837, and that started a 60-year binge of digging up and recycling styles of the past, politely called “revivals” under the umbrella label of “Victorian,” and America joined the bandwagon. Major revivals of style included Rococo-Louis XV, the revival of a phase of European art of the 18th century featuring rocks (rocailles) and shells (coquilles), Renaissance, a revival of 15th and 16th century Italian styles, Gothic, a revival of 15th century styles which was itself a revival of the 9th century as well as other lesser known revivals.

This chair by Belter illustrates the decorative flavor of the Rococo Revival of the mid 19th century.

A Renaissance Revival bed, circa 1875, reflects the architectural element of the style.

It also included a newer form based on the architectural concepts of an Englishman named Charles Locke Eastlake, whose idea of linear simplicity was driven to absurdity by American factory designers.

A reaction to all this elaborate revival erupted in Europe in the late 19th century, led mainly by William Morris in England and produced the Arts and Crafts movement, quickly embraced in America by Elbert Hubbard who started the Roycroft colony in Aurora, New York, by the Stickley family and by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Thus, it appears that for most of America’s existence, we have mooched our styles from abroad. Then, at last, came the great American contribution to American furniture: In the latter part of the 19th century we started to reproduce our own borrowed history and in the process accidentally produced the one true American style—Colonial Revival.

This 1930s table shows the creative redesign of Colonial styles in this Colonial Revival Depression era interpretation of the Jacobean style. This was our new style.

Fred Taylor is a Worthologist who specializes in American furniture from the Late Classicism period (1830-1850).

Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com. His book “How To Be A Furniture Detective” is now available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “Identification of Older & Antique Furniture,” ($17 + $3 S&H) and a bound compilation of the first 60 columns of “Common Sense Antiques,” by Fred Taylor ($25 + $3 S&H) are also available at the same address.

For more information call 800-387-6377, fax 352-563-2916, or e-mail info [at] furnituredetective [dot] com.

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