As seen in The Antique Shoppe Newspaper, August 2008

Q. I am trying to research a piece of Heywood-Wakefield furniture I own. The consignment store I bought the piece from about five years ago sold it as a Heywood-Wakefield piece. I was wondering if you would be willing to help me find the value of the item.

It is a sofa bed. There is a trundle type piece that slides out, then one of the pads that are used to sit on is put on the slide out piece. It makes into a bed that is slightly larger than a standard double bed. The only mark I can find on it is an inked number that reads " '708". Any clues? Thanks for your help. Sharon R.

A. I could find only one convertible sofa in my Heywood-Wakefield reference material. It is the M937-84 Davenport Sleeper made between 1954 and 1956. Unfortunately it doesn't look anything like the photos of the sofa bed you sent me. In fact it doesn't look a Heywood-Wakefield piece at all. The inked number you found is not the famous H-W eagle brand and according to the author of one of the most authoritative books on the subject, all H-W pieces are marked somehow. Even the upholstered pieces are usually branded somewhere on the frame.

Your trundle bed/couch looks like a "modern" piece from the 1960's or 1970's. It doesn't really matter if it has served your needs well the last five years but I hope you didn't pay extra at the consignment shop for the Heywood-Wakefield name. It's just another case of generic labeling like facial tissue or laundry bleach. A lot of modern looking furniture gets called H-W by those who don't really know just as any dining table with curved legs is called "Duncan Phyfe" and almost anything made in the 19th century is called "Victorian". Nothing like the facts.  

Q. Dear Fred - I have noticed that most of your columns deal with late 19th and early 20th century furniture. Why don't you devote more time to real antiques from the 18th and early 19th centuries? Just wondering. Tom E., St. Petersburg, FL

A. Remind me to debate you sometime about what constitutes a "real" antique. Not surprisingly I do have an opinion on that subject. This column is not about scholarly discussions. I merely attempt to provide factual information on items that readers have bought/seen/inherited, etc. It seems that a great deal of what is out there, in malls, in shops and at auctions is of late 19th and early 20th century origin. There is an amazing lack of documentation on American furniture from 1880 to 1950, with a few notable exceptions, and that is why there are so many questions about that period. Of course there are good references on most of the major movements like Arts & Crafts, Art Deco, the Larkin phenomenon and such as that. However, most of the regular old "stuff" that regular old people had, passed down, sold or gave away is virtually anonymous. And that's what folks are asking about. 

Q. My wife picked up a chair at the local dump station. Someone had tried reupholstering it, not good by any means and apparently decided it was too much work and tossed it. It has a sticker on the bottom of the seat that says "Phoenix Chair Co, Sheboygan Wis." and has the number 369-38. We can't tell what's in front of that because that corner is the only part that is not ripped off or faded. When taking off the seat covering we excitedly found the old stuffing intact, straw seeds etc and cotton covering the springs. The frame is intact and even had the original arm coverings with the cotton mat padding.

We started taking off the "new" fabric and found a very sturdy, intact chair underneath. It has no embellishments other than nicely turned front legs and hand knobs. I am interested in finding what else I can about this nice American wooden chair. Thanks, Lennie.

A. The Phoenix Chair Company was established in Sheboygan, WI by a group of local businessmen immediately after another furniture company, the Crocker and Bliss Chair Co, burned to the ground in 1875. At its peak it had several factories and a sawmill and was a major employer in the region. The company went out of business in the 1930's, a victim of the Depression.

 In the 20th century its niche was smaller apartment sized breakfast sets and dining room sets but it did have a line of upholstered chairs such as yours. Cotton batting was the interior upholstery material of choice in the 1920's and there should be a layer of burlap between the springs and the cotton. Horsehair was frequently used in the automotive industry as well as Spanish moss from the South later in the Depression but these fillers were less often used in consumer upholstered goods. While it is possible that the stuffing material is original it is also possible that the "straw and seeds" were installed by a rodent looking for a nice soft warm place to camp. In any event get rid of all of that material and start with all new poly filler from an upholstery supply house.

"American Manufactured Furniture" by Don Fredgant, Schiffer Books, 1996, shows part of the company's catalog from the late 1920's as well as displays of its furniture in decorator settings. Your chair was probably made in the late 1920's. The closest I can find in the 1928 catalog is model #361-381 shown in tapestry. It is essentially the same chair as yours but with slightly different turnings and is called a "hall or fireside" chair.

Since you are stripping the upholstery, go ahead and refinish the chair while you are at it. Phoenix used mostly birch in their chair frames rather than the gum used by many manufacturers of the period so you have a good foundation.

**NOTE: ANTIQUE SHOPPE NEWSPAPER DOES NOT SELL ANTIQUES OF ANY SORT. WE ARE STRICTLY A PUBLISHING COMPANY AND PRINT ARTICLES ON VARIOUS ANTIQUES**

Visit Fred's website at www.furnituredetective.com.  Fred's book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available for $18.95 plus $2.00 S & H. Send check or money order for $20.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

      Fred and Gail Taylor's video, "IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE", ($29.95 includes S & H) is also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377, fax (352) 563-2916, or e-mail fmtaylor@aol.com.