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American Makers M - Q

M

Macey Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1896 - 1905 Fred Macey Co. Ltd., 1905 - 1908 Macey-Wernicke Co., 1908 - 1940 Macey Co.

·         stacking or ‘barrister’ bookcases (a.k.a. ‘elastic’ bookcases), davenports, chairs, desks, filing cabinets, bank fixtures; advertised in Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman magazine (1914)

 

Shop Marks:  variety of shop marks depending on model/wood/size/finish; examples:

 

Pre 1908 (identified by the tail from the ‘Y’ underlining Macey)

 

 

 

 

Examples below are post 1908 (identified by the tail from the ‘Y’ not underlining Macey)

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

  

 

Catalogs:

 

 

1899, 1900?

 

  

1900, 1904, 1908

 

  

1912, 1927, no date, catalog #1316, appears to have Mission style bookcase on cover

 

 

1910 and 1915 filing cabinet catalog and flyer

 

Other:

 

Advertising “Gold Medal” from the Pan-American Exposition, held in Buffalo 1901

 

Maddox Table Co. (Morgan, Maddox & Co.)

Jamestown, NY, 1898 - 1919, then sold to Shearman Brothers Lounge Co.

·         tables, desks

 

Catalog: 1911

 

George Washington Maher

·         Chicago, IL, 1888 - 1926

·         early Victorian work evolved to Prairie School, C.F.A. Voysey, and Austrian Secessionist influence in architecture and related furnishings, furniture, lighting, clocks, rugs, metalware

·         pieces are rare; special study required

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Maher

Majestic Furniture Co.

·         Mexico and Herkimer (as of 1911), NY, 1909 - 1914

·         sideboards, dining chairs, tables, arm chairs, rockers, settees, hall and billiard chairs, writing desks, stools

·         high quality line, known for tall back chairs in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, also derivative of Gustav Stickley and L. & J.G. Stickley

 

Shop Mark: rectangular paper label w/rounded corners

Marble & Shattuck Chair Company (later B. L. Marble Chair Co.)

·         Cleveland (Bedford), OH, 1884 – 1895

·         office chairs; early examples of steam bent arms used in office chairs

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

B. L. Marble Chair Co.

·         Bedford, OH, 1894 - 1985

·         office chairs and other furniture, rockers, coat trees; advertised in the Michigan Artisan (1906)

 

Shop Marks:

 

  

 

  

Two examples with and without patent notes

Marietta Chair Co.

·         Marietta, OH, 1800s? per text on shop mark, to early 1900s?

·         rockers, dining chairs

 

Shop Mark:

 

Marshall Furniture Co.

·         Lestershire, NY

Mathews Furniture Shop

·         San Francisco, CA, 1906 – 1921?

·         founded by Arthur Frank Mathews, an important Tonalist Arts & Crafts period painter, and his wife Lucia Mathews in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake to make artistic furniture for many of the great mansions and institutional buildings that were being rebuilt; know as the creators of “California Decorative Style” that also included landscapes, murals, stained glass, carved frames, graphic design and illustrations, and other decorative pieces; also maintained a print shop that published the monthly magazine Philopolis (“published for those who care”) and books and ephemera (note cards, calendars, bookmarks)

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Frank_Mathews

 

Shop Mark: branded poppy

 

Mathews Manufacturing Company

·         Clevland, OH, factory Lakewood, OH, at least 1916 - 1918

·         “Garden Craft” line, garden furniture, arbors, pergolas, fences, trellises, pieces made of cyprus

 

Shop Mark:

 

Copy of the shop mark taken from the catalog shown below

 

Catalog:

 

1917-1918

A.W. McCloy & Co.

·         Pittsburgh, PA, ca. 1904 – at least 1914

·         roll top desks

 

Shop Mark:

 

McDonald Furniture Co.

·         Beloit, KA, early 1900s

·         sideboards

 

Shop Mark:

 

Joseph P. McHugh & Co.

·         New York, NY, 1884 - 1916

·         early proponent and the originator of the term “Mission furniture” based on comparison to Spanish mission church furniture from California, but ultimately lacked the design and quality of Gustav Stickley et. al.

·         general line including wicker

·         early successful proprietor of “The Popular Shop” in New York

·         known for the ‘McHugh Chair’, characterized by massive legs and posts

 

Shop Marks:  paper label, decal, or brass tag “JOSEPH P. McHUGH/MISSION FURNITURE”, and as shown, brand: “THE  / McHUGH / (MISSION) FURNITURE / MADE IN NEW YORK / PAX”

 

 

Two examples of the branded mark on different stain colored pieces; on bottom “PAX”, Latin for peace

 

Advertising:

 

1905 advertising post card

McLane Manufacturing Co.

·         Manchester then Milford, NH, 1876 - 1927

·         post office equipment, desks

·         http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McLane

 

Shop Mark:

 

 

Catalog: 1906

 

McLeod Furniture Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1912 - 1919

·         limited line

 

Shop Mark: decal w/”McLeod” in script with office desk in background over “Grand Rapids”

Mersman Bros. & Brandts Co.

·         Celina, OH, 1906 - 1927, then Mersman Bros. Corp.

·         dining tables, library tables, desks

 

Shop Mark:

 

 

Michigan Chair Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1890 - 1938 (combined w/Luce and others in 1926 to form “Michigan Furniture Shops”)

·         Mission chairs as early as 1898, desks, drop front desks, tables, settles, magazine stands, dressers, corner cabinets, tabourets, pedestals, music cabinets, some Viennese, Japanese, and Prairie School design influence, also worked in mahogany

·         1500 chairs in all styles reported in early 1900s catalogs

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

 

 

This mark is also claimed to be for the Miller Cabinet Co.

 

ca. 1911 (facsimile from Carron et. al. 1998)

Michigan Desk Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1907 - 1918

·         general line of desks

Michigan Seating Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, at least 1907

·         Mission style wicker

Miller Cabinet Co.

·         Rochester (and Philadelphia (?)), NY, ca. 1903 – ca. 1956

·         general line, bookstands, tables, library tables

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

Similar examples with different capital M in Miller and different graphic corner/side features

 

Milligan Furniture Co.

·         double post costumer

 

Shop Mark: ? example noted as “signed”

Milwaukee Chair Co.

·         Milwaukee, WI, ca. 1889 – ca. 1940

·         office chairs, institutional chairs

·         made chairs for the U.S. House and Senate

 

Shop Marks:

 

  

 

 

Robert Mitchell Furniture Co.

·         Cincinnati, OH, and retail shops in St. Louis and New Orleans, (1836 ? as noted on catalog cover shown below) 1881 - 1930s

·         manufacturer of general line multiple styles, and reseller of others including Gustav Stickley

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

 

 

Catalogs:

 

 

Catalogue 66 Supplement, 1904?, Catalogue 75, 1908

 

Other: inkwell with company name casting

 

Morgan Woodwork Organization

·         Chicago, IL, at least 1910 – 1920s ((Morgan Company, Oshkosh WI, Morgan Sash and Door Co., Chicago IL, Morgan Millwork Co., Baltimore MD)

·         built-ins and prefab home furniture: bookcases, window seats, radiator covers, bench seats, kitchen cupboards, mantels, breakfast nooks, buffets and sideboards, plus: house plans, millwork, windows, doors, plumbing etc. 

·         advertised in Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman magazine (1910, 1911, 1914)

 

Catalog: “Building with Assurance” 1921 and reprinted 1923 (other dates?)

 

 

Mueller & Slack Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1892 - 1920

·         upholstered line

 

Catalog: 1906

 

Murphy Chair Co.

·         Detroit, MI, ca. 1903 – ca. 1919, then Owensboro, KY

·         general line, chairs, footstools

 

Shop Marks: 1) variations of rectangular decal w/company name and model number, as shown (top refers to Detroit, next two refer to Owensboro), and 2) metal tags at bottom (date unknown, post 1919?):

 

 

 

  

Muscoda Mfg. Co.

·         Muscoda, WI, ? – at least 1929?

·         library tables, drink stands

 

Shop Mark:

 

Muskegon Valley Furniture Co.

·         Muskegon, MI, ca. 1913

·         general line

 

N

National Table Ltd.

·         game table and cabinet combination

 

Shop Mark: paper label

M.L Nelson Furniture Co.

·         Chicago, IL, at least 1908 to at least 1920

·         large wholesaler of all styles including Mission, and including W.B. Brown lighting

 

Catalog: 1909 - 1910

 

Nelson, Matter & Co.

·         Grand Rapids MI, branches in Chicago, New York, 1870 - 1917

·         “Modern English” line of bedroom and dining suites in 1905 with Glasgow  and Viennese influence, also bedroom suites decorated with “Dutch marquetry” with Art nouveau influence, also other styles

 

Shop Mark:

 

“NELSON, MATTER & CO. / GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. / GRAND HOTEL, PEUBLO COLORADO” from a custom sideboard

Charles K. Newberry

·         Rochester, NY, early 1900s

·         chairs

 

Shop Mark:

 

New England Furniture Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1881 - 1904

·         introduced Mission line in 1903, very boxy with exaggerated pegged mortise and tenons, dining suites, buffets, sideboards, also stacking bookcases and other styles

·         Mission produced presumably for only one year to 1904 when the company was reorganized as the Grand Rapids Furniture Co.

 

Shop Marks:

 

  

Mark from a stacking bookcase, including the Grand Rapids Furniture Manufacturer’s Association logo, and 1903 presumably only used until 1904 (facsimile from Carron et. al. 1998)

George Mann Niedecken

·         Oak Park/Chicago, IL, ca.1904 worked with Frank Lloyd Wright; Milwaukee, WI, ca. 1907 - 1940 with Niedecken-Wallbridge Co.

·         Prairie style furniture, architecture, and interior design, but also worked in other styles

·         originally subcontracted but established an artisans shop in 1910 for furniture, lighting, and stained glass, and also produced work for Frank Lloyd Wright and George Elmslie

·         pieces are very rare; special study required

H. C. Niemann & Co.

·         Chicago, IL, early 1900’s

·         tables

 

Shop Mark: paper label (?) with shipping information

Northern Chair Co.

·         Cadillac, MI, early 1900s

·         side chairs

 

Shop Mark:

 

Northern Furniture Co.

·         Sheboygan, WI, ca. 1904 - 1916 then sold

·         bedroom furniture, dining room furniture, desks; some pieces with inlay; advertised in the Michigan Artisan (1906, 1907)

 

Shop Mark:

 

 

 

Catalog: 1910

 

North-Western Cabinet Co.

·         Burlington, IA, 1898 – 1971

·         desks, drop front desks, tables, chairs (?)

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

 

(from gustavstickley.com)

Northwestern Furniture Mfg. Co.

·         Minneapolis MN, early 1900s

·         see shop mark picture for list of products

 

Shop Mark:

 

 

Catalog: desk catalog, date?

 

Norwood Calef & Co.

·         Keene, NH, early 1900s

·         chairs, rockers

 

Shop Mark:

 

Novelty Wood Works Co.

·         Union City, PA (also Waterloo, IO, LaCrosse, WI, Grand Rapids, MI, Boston, MA?), 1897 - 1912?

·         drop front desks, smokers cabinet, interior trim and doors etc.

 

Shop Mark:

 

Nukraft Shops Inc.

·         Ithaca, NY

 

O

Oak Craft Shops (Ramsey-Alton Mfg. Co.)

·         Portland, MI, 1905-1915

·         general good quality line, matched suites for living room, library, hall, and den; chairs, “Monarch” push button Morris chairs, rockers, settles, bookcases

 

Shop Marks:

 

Mark suggested as ca. 1905 (in Carron et. al. 1998)

 

 

Brand mark suggested as ca. 1912 (in Carron et. al. 1998)

 

 

Two variants of the paper tag with minor text spacing differences and letter thickness; one tag glued and one tag is tacked

Oak-Worth Shops

·         Gouverneur, NY, early 1900s

·         general line

 

Shop Mark: “OAKWORTH”

Old Hickory Chair Co. (renamed 1921 to Old Hickory Furniture Co.)

·         Martinsville (then Shelbyville), IN, 1880s - present

·         general good quality line in rustic style

·         advertised in Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman magazine (1914)

 

Shop Marks:  

 

ca.1895 and later, brand and paper label

 

 

 

Post 1921 mark includes “Furniture” in the middle of the oval

 

 

ca.1939 American Provincial line in chestnut and pine, and copper “Bruce Tag” used ca.1930s and later; this one marked 40 for 1940

 

Contemporary tag

 

Catalogs:

 

  

1901, 1902 (from Craftsman Auctions Catalog, Sale #11, May 15, 1999) and ca. 1905

 

 

1937 and 1939

Onondaga Shops – see L. & J.G. Stickley Furniture Co.

Oregon Chair Co.

·         Portland, OR, ca. 1915

·         side chairs, Morris Chairs “King Craft” brand

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

 

Branded mark “King Craft”

Ottawa Furniture Co.

·         Holland, MI, 1887 - 1931

·         dining, breakfast, library, bedroom, and apartment suites in Mission and other styles

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

First example ca. 1917 (facsimile from Carron et. al. 1998)

 

Catalog:

 

July 1916, Supplement No.46 of Catalog No. 43

 

P

C.S. Paine Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1900 - 1924

·         upholstered chairs and settles, caned panels and cushions, assumed general line in Mission style, also other styles

 

Shop Mark:

 

ca. 1914 (facsimile from Carron et. al. 1998)

Paine Furniture Co. (manufacturer and retailer)

·         Boston, MA, 1835 - 2000

·         general line; contracted pieces from Leopold Stickley ca.1902; also a reseller of Lifetime, Berkey & Gay, and Old Hickory (would add Paine tag to Lifetime pieces and/or over-stamp Lifetime tag, example below)

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

Two variations of brass tags, with slight differences in spacing

 

 

Embossed variants

 

Brass tag with unknown paper tag (maybe Lifetime) found on a rocker

 

 

Early mark, and celluloid example

 

 

 

Over-stamp of Lifetime

 

Date unknown, possibly 1920s?

Paris Mfg. Co.

·         South Paris, ME, late 1800s – 1989

·         started out producing winter sleds and maintained production through its history, and eventually numerous other winter and child’s toys

·         Mission style child’s chairs, trestle base desks, child’s and full size roll top desks

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

Parkersburg Chair Co.

·         Parkersburg, WV, early 1900s

·         chairs, footstools, rockers

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

Parlor Furniture Manufacturing Co.

·         Cedar Rapids, IO, early 1900s

·         reclining Morris chairs

 

Shop Mark:

 

Peck & Hills Furniture Co.

·         New York, NY, branches in Boston (?), Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Oakland, San Francisco, late 1800s? to at least 1934

·         manufacturer and wholesaler, maybe retailer (mail order?)

·         general line, tall case clocks, rugs, also other styles than Mission; advertised in the Michigan Artisan (1906)

 

Shop Mark:

 

 

Catalog: 1915

 

Peru Chair Co.

·         Peru, IN, ca. 1911 – ca. 1931

·         mahogany rockers

 

Shop Mark:

 

Peterson Art Furniture

·         Faribault, MN, 1905 – 1960s?

·         mainly produced oak and slag glass lamps, but also some furniture e.g. library tables, piano benches, desks, all under the ‘Daisy Line’ brand name

·         bought the Faribault Furniture Co. and others (Daisy Woodcraft, North Star Furniture Co., Waterville Furniture Co., prior to 1914?)

 

Shop Mark:

 

 

Catalog: 1914 facsimile

 

Phoenix Chair Co.

·         Sheboygan, WI, late 1800s – ca.1949 (St. Paul, MN – factory)

·         office chairs, rockers, armchairs, some models similar to Harden

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

(second from gustavstickley.com)

 

 

 

Upholstery tags

 

Catalog: 1918, No.43

 

Phoenix Furniture Co.

·         Grand Rapids, MI, 1872 - 1920, then Robert W. Irwin Co. but Phoenix name still used

·         major manufacturer but evidence of producing significant Mission/Arts & Crafts furniture is lacking; known for designer David Kendall’s development of innovative stains and work in Celtic, Byzantine, Japanese, Moorish and Arabic decoration and carving, and considered contemporary to Charles Rohlfs

·         known for Kendall’s “McKinley” chair design (a chair owned/used by President McKinley) in 1894 - often copied by other companies like Joseph Mc Hugh, Paine Furniture, Come-Packt, Leavens, and Ford and Johnson

·         often confused with Phoenix Chair Co.

 

Shop Mark:

 

Pre 1920 (facsimile from Carron et. al. 1998)

S.K. Pierce & Son Co.

·         Gardner, MA, New York, NY, early 1900s

·         office chairs “Pierce craft’

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

Piqua Tables

·         Piqua, OH, early 1900s

·         Desks

 

Shop Mark:

 

Plail Brothers Chair Co.

·         Wayland, NY, 1906 - 1933

·         general line, known for steam bending and barrel chair design

 

Shop Mark:

 

Plimpton Scofield Co.

·         Boston, MA, early 1900s

·         school desks, chairs

 

Shop Mark:

 

Plymouth Chair Company

·         Plymouth, WI, early 1900s

·         ”Puritan Mission” rocking chairs for hospital use

Portland Furniture Co.

·         Portland, MI, ca. 1900  - ?

·         advertised in the January 1903 edition of the “Grand Rapids Furniture Record” as one of the earliest active companies making Mission furniture; more research required

·         chairs

Posselius Bros. Furniture Mfg. Co,

·         Detroit, MI, late 1800’s – 1919 (sold)

·         dining tables, sideboards

 

Shop Mark:

 

Frederick Post Co.

·         Chicago, IL

·         drafting tables, drafting and engineering supplies

 

Shop Mark:

 

Prairie Grass Furniture Co. – see Crex Grass Furniture

Premier Mfg Co.

·         Fayetteville, NY, 1905 - 1911

·         a.k.a. Knaus Bros. & Arvine Co. (founder names)

·         copied Gustav Stickley designs; many of the principals formerly worked for Stickley

·         general line “Craftstyle”

 

Shop Mark: “Craftstyle”

Premier Mfg. Co. (?)

·         Grand Rapids MI

Pullman Couch Co.

·         Chicago, IL, at least 1903 - 1951

·         ‘Davenport’ sofa beds, upholstered chairs

 

Shop Marks:

 

 

 

 

 

Q

Quaint Art Furniture Co.

·         Syracuse, NY, 1909 - 1916

·         general good quality line

 

Shop Mark: 1) oval paper label w/oval black outline around company name, and 2) rectangular paper label w/company name, style number and finish, and the following:

 

 

Shipping Dept. tag and Upholstery Dept. tag

Quaker Mission Craft

·         rockers, foot stools, Morris chairs

·         chairs with the Quaker Mission Craft logo have been found co-marked with the Sikes Chair Co. mark; QMC is assumed to be a Sikes ‘brand’ name

 

Shop Mark: white decal w/white lettering (?), and:

 

 

Two examples with slightly different background colors; possible color fade, lighting affect, or variants

 

Slightly different shape and layout than variant shown above.

The Quaker Shop (possibly a retailer)

·         Philadelphia, PA, early 1900s?

·         tall case clocks, bookcases, bookstands, library tables, side chairs, rockers

 

Catalog:

 

 

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