February, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



XI 



Collectors* Department g 



Readers of American Homes and Gardens 

 who are interested in old furniture, silver, prints, 

 brass, miniatures, medals, paintings, textiles, glass, 

 in fact in any field appealing to the collector are 

 invited to address any enquiries on such matters 

 to the Editor of the "Collectors' Department," and 

 such letters of enquiry will receive careful atten- 

 tion. Correspondents should enclose stamps for 

 reply. Foreign correspondents may enclose the 

 stamps of their respective countries. 



M.E. Ladder back chairs are those deco- 

 rated with supports arranged horizontally 

 in ladder fashion. Various types of this 

 style exist but fine examples are uncommon 

 and are well worth the collector's trouble 

 in searching for them. Those of superi- 

 ority in the matter of design may be deter- 

 mined by the well-balanced proportion that 

 should be in evidence in the arrangement 

 of the ladder rails. Ladder back chairs 

 often exhibit a combination of styles — 

 Sheraton. Queen Anne and other lines 

 being suggested in their design. Just as 

 the home of the 'Windsor chair appears to 

 have been almost confined to southern Eng- 

 land, so was the ladder back chair evolved 

 in the northern countries. However, chairs 

 of this sort are not confined to England, 

 they being native to the Continent as well, 

 though these Continental chairs have lines 

 peculiar to themselves, certain of the 

 French ones, for instance, being strongly 

 influenced by the vogue of the Empire 

 style. 



L.S.G. Warming pans are not the particu- 

 lar product of any country. They seem to 

 have evolved from the dictates of climatic 

 necessity in countries experiencing the 

 severity of decided Winter seasons. We 

 find examples from the Netherlands. Bel- 

 gium, Russia, Germany, the Scandinavian 

 countries, England and elsewhere. Col- 

 lectors should look carefully into the mat- 

 ter as Holland has been somewhat prolific 

 in the production of modern imitations of 

 antique examples, or. more unfortunately 

 still, has fabricated modern spurious "an- 

 tiques," bearing ancient dates, but still 

 strongly impressed with the earmarks of 

 the modernity of the end of the nineteenth 

 century and the beginning of the twen- 

 tieth. Many fine old English warming pans 

 found their way to America in Colonial 

 times, and in the early post-revolutionary 

 period. Collectors may still hope to come 

 across good examples in uninspected places. 

 In passing it is interesting to note that 

 Shakespeare makes it clear to us that 

 warming pans were in use in Elizabethan 

 days, and that thev were continued to the 

 earlv Victorian period is again vouched for 

 by Charle- Dickens. With so long and 

 honorable an existence it is safe to assume 

 that the world has produced a goodlv num- 

 ber of warmine pans, many of which are 

 extant to add zest to the collector's zeal 

 and to record those days of discomfort 

 which afford delightful reading, but were 

 attended with precarious livine from the 

 point of view of the twentieth century 

 partaker-tenant of Mother Earth's. 



N.R.R. The piece of fabric which you 

 forwarded for examination is a bit of very 

 early English printed calico of the late 

 Seventeenth Century, with contemporary 

 portraits in the pattern. The vogue of 

 chintz was originally brought about by the 

 need of a material to take the place of the 

 silk3 and tapestries of persons of wealth 

 materials those of lesser means could not 

 afford. Fortunately ancestral generations 



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OJOOD FURNITURE should not 



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only be an indication of good taste but 

 of careful choice. 



Your home is an expression of your self; 



your furniture, wisely selected, makes your home harmo- 

 nious. You no longer buy furniture for today, you buy it for the future. 

 Berkey & Gay furniture expresses the thoughts and principles which are 

 known to be lasting, for the simple reason that they represent those which 

 have endured through centuries. Our master workers think and feel and 

 work as did the great furniture designers and makers of the historical periods. 

 With them, the wood is a medium for the expression of truth in design and 

 in construction. Quality with them is above price — they make a piece so 

 because it cannot be right unless it is so. For this reason, when you buy 

 Berkey & Gay furniture you are buying 



For Your Children 's Heirlooms 



EACH piece we make bears our shop- 

 mark. It is not a mere label; it is 

 inlaid — made a lasting part of the 

 piece. Ask the salesman to show it to you. 

 It is an enduring guaranty of material, 

 design, workmanship and value, and sym- 

 bolizes the principles which have formed 

 our policy for over half a century. 



Our dealer, 1 with the displays on his 

 floors and our portfolio of direct photo- 

 gravures, will enable you to select from 

 our entire line. 



The choosing of one or two pieces, or 

 furniture for the entire home, is made 

 simple and pleasant. 



ONE splendid way to know and under- 

 stand our furniture is to read our 

 de luxe book, "Character in Fur- 

 niture." We cannot issue a catalog, 

 because we do not make catalog furniture. 

 "Character in Furniture" informs you of 

 the reasons for period pieces, gives you the 

 history of their development. We will 

 send you a copy for fifteen two-cent stamps. 

 Also, if you wish, we will send you, free, 

 "The Story of Berkey & 

 Gay," which tells how 

 the ambition of two 

 young men established 

 America's furniture cen- 

 ter in Grand Rapids. 



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Berkey \£ Gay Furniture Co. 



1 78 Monroe Ave., Grand Rapids, Michigan 



'this inlaid mark of 



nor identifies to you each 



Berkey £f Gay piece 



t^iAMMA^^^M^^^MJ™? 



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WE wish to call attention to the fact that 

 we are in a position to render com- 

 petent services in every branch of 

 patent or trade-mark work. Our staff is 

 composed of mechanical, electrical and 

 chemical experts, thoroughly trained to pre- 

 pare and prosecute all patent applications, 

 irrespective of the complex nature of the 

 subject matter involved, or of the specialized, 

 technical, or scientific knowledge required 

 therefor. 



We are prepared to render opinions as 

 to validity or infringement of patents, or 

 with regard to conflicts arising in trade- 

 mark and unfair competition matters. 



We also have associates throughout the 

 world, who assist in the prosecution of 

 patent and trade-mark applications filed 

 in all countries foreign to the United 

 States. 



MUNN & CO., 

 Patent Attorneys, 

 361 Broadway, 



New York, N. Y. 



Branch Office : 

 625 F Street, N. W. 



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kT^ FREMCH PLATE GLASS ^Jfl 



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 PASSES V^^== ^"^^P USED ON 







Servette is a revolving domestic serve-self arrange- 

 ment whereby you help yourself without disturbing 

 and interrupting others. 



Servette stands in the center of your table, and eliminates 

 waste motion. 



It enables tb. diners to eat without double-crossing, thwarting 

 and blocking each other's movements. It promotes peace in the 

 household, and puts a premium on sociability. 



It has no nights off, no "off days," receives no " genlemen 

 friends," and never basely deserts you in a pinch. 



Servette solves the waitress problem effectually, decisively and 

 for all time. It is a most useful and necessary table-appoint- 

 ment, one that will grow in grace and favor as the days pass. 



Each Servette comes in two parts, top of French Plate glass, 

 (Sterling Silver or Solid Gold filigree, if desired), and base of 

 nickel. For Wedding, Anniversary, Birthday or other joyous 

 occasion, Servette makes a specially beautiful, ornamental and 

 serviceable gift, one that will not be duplicated. 



Try Servette for ten days, then if you are not more than 

 satisfied with your investment, your money wilt be refunded 

 without question. Shipment prepaid on orders from points east 

 of the Mississippi River. Write for interesting booklet about 

 Servette. Prices on application. 



THE McGRAW MANUFACTURING CO. 



Hemlock Boulevard, McGraw, N. Y. 



