Antique Kroehler Duofold Sofa Bed, circa 1915

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This is an antique sleeper sofa. Typical of the Arts & Crafts style, this Duofold Sofa Bed was produced about 1915 by the Kroehler (pronounced Cray-Ler) Manufacturing Company of Naperville Illinois. Kroehler began producing sofa beds in 1909, and for nearly 50 years was a primary supplier of home furnishings. It is made of quarter sawn golden oak wood. It is a very solid, sturdy piece of furniture in remarkable condition. The seat and back cushion are the original “Imperial Artificial Leather”, which is in impressive condition. There are no rips, tears or stains, except the binding strip along the front, lower edge of the seat. (See in photo above.) Small wooden casters, typical of the period, are not present in these photos, as they dig too deeply into carpet, but the originals are included with the sofa, and insert into the bottoms of the legs. Overall dimensions are 60” from side to side, 36” from floor to top of back, and 32 1/2” from the front of the curl on the arms to the back. This sofa was given – at that time, second hand – to my mother’s parents as a wedding present. I remember sleeping on it in the mid 1950’s when we would come to visit. The foot board folds down for storage, and is held in place when open by springs. Those springs creak ominously when the foot board is raised or lowered, and it reminded me of a giant mouse trap! My siblings and I slept like wooden soldiers, imagining that any move could bring it snapping down, and result in the bed folding up with us inside! Naturally, there is no such danger. That foot board shows prominently in the two photos below. My grandfather died in the early 80’s, and his furniture was left in the old house for a number of years until family members could face the prospect of parting with it. Opening out the bed requires that the back cushion first be pulled forward and then rotated up, to allow the seat to rise. Then the seat raises, and unfolds to make a 47" X 72" bed. The back cushion then lowers into place as a headboard. The arms on the sofa are high and there is a solid, smooth back rail that extends from one armrest to the other. The seat rail is solid and smooth as well. The back of the sofa is open. Just look at the beautiful grain of the wood on this piece! As reflected in the photos below, in 1914 Kroehler embarked on a massive campaign, sponsoring ads to reach an unprecedented number of potential customers, in support of individual dealers. Ads such as those from McClures in May, 1914, and the Ottawa Citizen newspaper from September, 1915, represent both the manufacturer, and retail promotion of the product, respectively.Over the years, the mattress for this sleeper was damaged by mice, and has been removed. There is a label on the rail that reads “Duofold Sofa Bed”, as you can (barely!) see in the picture below. Some of the letters are missing, but using your imagination, and a little 'gestalt' interpretation, you may be persuaded it resembles the inset, lifted from one of the ads, above. As an antique, it is not perfect. As the weight is nearly 200 pounds, shipping will be something to consider carefully. This sofa is located near Port Townsend, Washington. I am open to negotiating delivery to a radius of about 100 miles of there. For greater distances, we will have to explore options to determine the best solution. Please feel free to call (360) 899 – 5002 to ask any questions, or discuss delivery arrangements. Your payment through PayPal is welcome, with which you may use Mastercard, Visa, Discover or an electronic check.This sale is contingent upon Buyer arranging shipping, COD from the seller's location, in Mount Vernon, WA. Accordingly, there is no freight or shipping charge in this sale. read more

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