Featured Bartram Family Joiner

Discussion in 'Furniture' started by James Conrad, Jan 12, 2019.

  1. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Christopher Storb has written an interesting post on a anonymous english joiner who operated in Philadelphia in the 1st quarter of the 18th century.
    pt1.jpg

    Pook & Pook Inc. Americana and International Sale Day Two, January 12, 2019, lot 364.

    On January 12, 2019, Pook & Pook Inc. will be auctioning a hard pine chest, 1720-1730, that can be attributed to the Bartram family joiner. In previous blog posts I highlighted furniture attributed to this shop including an oval table and a dressing table made for James and Elizabeth Maris Bartram who were married in 1725.

    The large turned feet from this shop are distinctive.
    pt2.jpg
    Dressing table, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1940-16-28.
    pt3.jpg
    Chest of drawers, attributed to the Bartram Family joiner.

    On the largest spherical shape of the turning, a deeply scored line is flanked by two thin scribed lines. Pronounced scoring lines are also added to small elements that other turners left unadorned, such as the top element of the feet shown above. The turned feet on the chest at Pook & Pook Inc. share both the design vocabulary and turning details found on the other objects attributed to this shop.
    pt4.jpg
    Chest of drawers, attributed to the Bartram Family joiner.

    pt5.jpg
    Spice box, attributed to the Bartram Family joiner.

    The base moulding on the Pook & Pook chest is identical to that on the chest of drawers and spice box discussed in previous posts. The cornice of the spice box is the same profile inverted.
    pt6.jpg
    Chest of drawers, attributed to the Bartram Family joiner with wedged dovetails.

    The dovetails at the corners of the Pook & Pook Inc. chest appear to be similarly angled and spaced to the dovetails of drawers seen in other objects attributed to the Bartram family joiner. The chest will need to be examined to determine if the dovetails are wedged, as the dovetails in other forms attributed to this shop are
     
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  2. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

  3. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    NO! I saw it! I read the post as i remember but, i really have very little knowledge of english furniture which is why i didn't post on that thread.
    The reason i find this recent/latest research on early Philadelphia furniture interesting is, SO MUCH has been written & researched on early German/american immigrant furniture in Pennsylvania, it's LONG past time for furniture scholars to give a little due to the limeys during this period. Don't get me wrong, the german stuff is fabulous and it has the paint decoration which crosses over into the folk art world so i get it why there is so much interest.
    Still, to almost totally ignore English furniture (research wise) in america during this period is scandalous.
    Indeed, the most opulent & complex piece of furniture ever made in Philadelphia in the the 1st quarter of the 18th century was this dressing table built by the "Bartram Family Joiner", an anonymous englishman who, we don't even know his name.

    1724 dressing table built by "bartram family joiner" Philadelphia Museum of Art

    1940-16-28v1-pma2015 (1).jpg
    _1940-16-28det-pma2015.jpg
     
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  4. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    What's really odd is, the most celebrated (and researched) joiner in america in the 17th century was Thomas Dennis, an english immigrant from Devon England. We probably know more about Dennis's life and work in america than Dennis himself knew!
     
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  5. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Absolutely.
    That dressing table is gorgeous.:)
     
  6. kyratango

    kyratango Bug jewellery addiction!

  7. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Yes, It's Americana week in New York City! Everybody who is anybody in americana will be there.
     
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  8. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Looking, if not buying. Not my thing personally, but designers are using brown wood again so the market may pick up a bit.
     
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  9. patd8643

    patd8643 Well-Known Member

    My DS and DIL are getting ready to leave for Americana week. They love the auctions and have made many friends. Thank goodness DS inherited his grandfather's eye for furniture and DIL does the research. They have found some treasures.
    Patd
     
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  10. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Exactly, looking for sure. I have my eye on this table, it's an early hi-lo stretcher table which are rare, probably eastern Mass with some nice provenance but the top is replaced. Estimate is 3-5k which i think is rather ambitious with a structural repair (replaced top), but, we shall see.
    http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions...erick-vogel-iii-n10003/lot.822.html?locale=en

    table.jpg
     
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  11. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    Beautiful!
    And you will keep us posted?
     
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  12. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Sure, if i remember!
     
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  13. kyratango

    kyratango Bug jewellery addiction!

    William and Mary chest sold, I hope to you, James :)
    Price Realized Including Buyer's Premium
    $2,318
    01/11/2019
     
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  14. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

  15. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

     
  16. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Given the provenance on that table, I hope someone bids it up. It used to be in a museum less than 10 miles from me.

    Wallace Nutting Collection, Framingham, Massachusetts;
    Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut;
    Sotheby’s, New York, Fine Americana, October 26, 1991, sale 6227, lot 250;
    Donald P. White III, Woodstock, Connecticut, July 2007;
    Vogel Collection no. 786.
     
  17. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    Agrees on provenance & nooooooooooooooooooo on someone bidding it up! Easy now, poor ol' dad needs to win every now n then, hopefully!
     
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  18. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    It's Mine!

    All i got to say to @evelyb30 is :p:p:p:p I finally broke my Ruth jinx, maybe! :joyful:
     
  19. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    Go James Go !!!!!
    good 4U !!!
     
  20. James Conrad

    James Conrad Well-Known Member

    I stole it, $800 hammer + $200 BP + $200 est. ship = $1200. total
    Nobody wanted it because of that structural repair (replaced top), I TOLD YOU RUTH! It does have a very nice provenance, no doubt, plus it is a period pilgrim piece so i am happy with it. Early Hi-Lo stretcher american tables are rare so i think i scored. I have only seen them in museums & all of them have condition issues as well so i am fine with the Sotheby's crowd turning their nose up on this piece, I'll take it!
    http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions...nne-h-frederick-vogel-iii-n10003/lot.822.html

    table.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2019
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