Just purchased an 1889 Queen Anne full of funiture...where to begin?

First I must say, I tripped over this forum and am so exited about the find (we were looking for information on the master bedroom suite in the house and a picture linked us to this).  I hope to be a very active learner as we've purchased a lovely victorian home and I want to restore it to perfection.  (We can rob a bank if neessary)

So with the lovely home (in fabulous condition) came rooms full of lovely furniture.  I'm not an antiques expert, but do know quality when I see it, as well as reproductions verses authentic pieces.  Many of the pieces are very fine, many typical of the period but less expensive, and several...heck I don't know where to begin to learn more.  So I'm wondering if any of you would share some hints to begin my discoveries?

I'd like to of course itemize the inventory of the home, which I can do room by room.  But as I do this, what do I look for and where do I look?  IE on a bed...is there a normal place it might be signed (three are particularly fine, the other 9 are nice).  Or do I need to go over it with a fine tooth comb?  Sofa's and chairs...would information normally be on the frame?  I do know to look to the back and bottom of tables and drawers as well.  Any hints would be lovely.

I will photograph everything, and then I'll need to insure.  Is Chubbs the best option for antique furnishings or are there others you'd recommend? 

Textiles...some of the lower level curtains (between parlors and dining room) are original to the house.  I am going to reproduce those myself and take down the existing pieces because we have a small child and a dog.  I'd be horrified to have my 3 year old try to swing on 100 year old curtains LOL  Both because I'm a total textile freak, and also because they are special, being original (and still pretty lovely if faded).  Any suggestions for how to store and clean?  We will return them to their rightful place when we don't have small children in the home. 

Many of the pieces are original to the builder of the home.  We're pretty excited about that.  (As you can tell).  We'll be sure that is documented as well, though of course it does not matter value wise, we just don't want them sold by future owners if possible. 

So anyhoo....can you bend my ear on where to begin and perhaps hints on what to look for as I go through all of this stuff?  We will likely sell several pieces (we'll go from ten bedrooms to 7 most likely).  Is this perhaps something I should bring a pro in for (valuation etc?) and if so...gad how do you find a pro LOL

Thank you for your patience with this beginner.  I promise many years of devotion to your site...it's beyond fabulous!!!

Quote from: Igloochic
So with the lovely home (in fabulous condition) came rooms full of lovely furniture.  I'm not an antiques expert, but do know quality when I see it, as well as reproductions verses authentic pieces.  Many of the pieces are very fine, many typical of the period but less expensive, and several...heck I don't know where to begin to learn more.  So I'm wondering if any of you would share some hints to begin my discoveries?

Start acquiring some reference books.  The Schiffer books ("Styles of..." and "American Furniture...") are a good start and the Victorian Details book are good generalist books to get a feel for periods/styles and the Details book is especially good for picking out carving details, identifying what they represent, and dating the furniture.

I'd like to of course itemize the inventory of the home, which I can do room by room.  But as I do this, what do I look for and where do I look?  IE on a bed...is there a normal place it might be signed (three are particularly fine, the other 9 are nice).  Or do I need to go over it with a fine tooth comb?  Sofa's and chairs...would information normally be on the frame?  I do know to look to the back and bottom of tables and drawers as well.  Any hints would be lovely.

On a bed, look at the back of the headboard and on the inside of the railings, but I would recommend looking at every surface as there was no standard.
Unfortunately with sofas, it is usually within the frame/upholstery, which usually requires de-upholstering.
However, don't be optimistic of finding much on the furniture.  Most were not marked.

I will photograph everything, and then I'll need to insure.  Is Chubbs the best option for antique furnishings or are there others you'd recommend?

I just added a rider to my current homeowners policy.  I don't see any advantage to Chubb for decorative arts riders.

Textiles...some of the lower level curtains (between parlors and dining room) are original to the house.  I am going to reproduce those myself and take down the existing pieces because we have a small child and a dog.  I'd be horrified to have my 3 year old try to swing on 100 year old curtains LOL  Both because I'm a total textile freak, and also because they are special, being original (and still pretty lovely if faded).  Any suggestions for how to store and clean?  We will return them to their rightful place when we don't have small children in the home. 

Some of the textiles fans who visit this site may have a suggestion for you on this.

So anyhoo....can you bend my ear on where to begin and perhaps hints on what to look for as I go through all of this stuff?  We will likely sell several pieces (we'll go from ten bedrooms to 7 most likely).  Is this perhaps something I should bring a pro in for (valuation etc?) and if so...gad how do you find a pro LOL

Where do you live?  I may have some suggestions for you.

Thank you for your patience with this beginner.  I promise many years of devotion to your site...it's beyond fabulous!!!

Thanks.  It's good to continue to get good feedback.  I feel that the site is owed a redesign as it is getting clumsy as additional features/content has been bolted onto it over the past 1 1/2 years, so I hope to do that in future.

Thank you so much!  I will look for the books online now.

I did wander through the site more last night (DH and I were both enjoying it) and didn't find it too difficult to navigate, but did have trouble finding articles...could be because I'm new at it though.  One thing I did spot was your appraisal area.  You know, unless we find we have signed pieces that I'll need more information on, there are really only a dozen or so really special pieces that we would want researched in debth and I think you are the perfect source :)  There is a lovely Rennissance (I always spell that wrong) Revival bedroom suite, bed, side table I think would be called a wash stand? a commode and two wardrobes as well as a full legnth mirror and another amoire that might be a match (I have to examine them closer to be sure).  The story was it came off a steam ship (the current owners were told a ship name which is impossible as it's newer than the furniture) but I do know it belonged to the original owner of the home as there is a picture of him in the room with the furnishings in the background. 

Then there is an amazing bedroom set (dresser and bed) that I just can't place in time.  It's oak with amazing carving work done on the headboard and mirror top of oak leaves.  They're done in a very deep relief almost like a back carving...amazingly fine work. 

There is a pretty impressive hall tree and the dining room suite is also pretty darned amazing, gad I think five pieces as well as 10 chairs all matching.  I'm guessing (but the books will tell me more) that they're Elizabethan in style but reproductions done early in the century (veneer was used in some of the inlay). 

A couple other pieces strike me as interesting but I need to learn more to know if they're terribly special or not :)  I think they are lovely so that's probably what matters most.  We're not currently collectors but are looking to invest in furnishing the home with fine pieces.  DH and I have a lot to learn.

As to the rest, the furnishings will likely not be that hard to gather valuations on...I could do much of it myself then document with pictures.  Nice quality turned leg tables, victorian carved sofa's (obviously I need to learn my terms LOL) etc.  I'm studying this site to learn more until we take possession in November.    I'm currently studying player piano's and victorian organs LOL since we now own one of each as well. 

I do look forward to doing business with you :) as well as being a member of this site.  I've looked at many but it's pretty obvious that the quality of many of your contributors is superior in many ways.  Serious collectors that a novice like me can learn from by reading reading reading :) 

The home by the way is in Washington.  In one of the few victorian seaports left in the US.  If you do know a professional who would be of value I'd love to talk with them about a consultation for valuation at the house.  Seattle would be the most likely location for one I'd guess.  I'll admit an honest and possibly rude concern on just picking one myself.  As I said above, I can tell that many posters here are serious collectors with a wealth of knowledge.  In having my jewelry appraised I found that it was a nightmare finding someone who actually could appraise over a broad range of styles and ages of jewelry.  Even the "good" ones I spoke with were not terribly successful at getting a strong appraisal together.  They seemed to have a good knowledge of stones and metals and maybe even periods but not enough to provide strong appraisals I'd want to present to my insurance company (ie one good one didn't even catch a tiffany piece).  I ran across the same issue in trying to buy an antique fowler gun for my husband this year for christmas.  Several that claimed to know "guns" but their knowledge led me down a bad path (fortunately I was saved by a fabulous antique dealer on the east coast from a bad mistake made in the pacific northwest).  Anyhoo, I've spoken to a few antique dealers who claim to do appraisals, but in visiting their stores found easily identified pieces marked incorrectly.  So I've become a skeptic....But I will say this...I know there are great folks out there, I just am leary at trying to figure out who they are on my own due to the above.  (Did I offend?  I hope not). 

Oh on the insurance...thank you so much!  I'll look at the rider idea.  I've used Chubbs for jewelry insurance because it's hard to get antique jewelry covered correctly otherwise, hence the reference but I don't mind not paying a huge bill for the furnishings heh heh.

I've bent your ear to death and am sorry :)  We're kind of excited about becoming stewards of this home and hope to see it brought back to it's full glory (it's pretty wonderful now but needs a bit of work as they all do) in the spirit of the man who built it.

Quote from: Igloochic

Textiles...some of the lower level curtains (between parlors and dining room) are original to the house.  I am going to reproduce those myself and take down the existing pieces because we have a small child and a dog.  I'd be horrified to have my 3 year old try to swing on 100 year old curtains LOL  Both because I'm a total textile freak, and also because they are special, being original (and still pretty lovely if faded).  Any suggestions for how to store and clean?  We will return them to their rightful place when we don't have small children in the home. 

Congratulations! Original period curtains are probably even more rare than original period upholstery, so you may have a real find... Please take the time to thoroughly document them photographically in situ before de-installation - depending on how elaborate the curtains are, such photos may be of real benefit when you re-hang in the future. (And I would love to see any photos, from a study perspective, as curtains and especially portières of the period are something I've been researching... you may be interested in an essay on the subject that I cross-posted here on the message board and on my poor, neglected blog.)

<pedantic textile person>

Rule Number 1: Most historic textiles should not be wet cleaned except by a qualified and experienced professional conservator. "Dry cleaning" isn't dry, rather it is a wet chemical process that can damage or even destroy a fragile historic textile.

To clean and store historic textiles in a home environment, I recommend the following:

Cleaning:

Tools-
Large, flat, clean surface (a table is preferable to a floor, for the sake of both your back and the ability to closely examine the work at hand)
A large, soft brush
A hand vac with hose attachment, like an old-skool Dirt Devil "classic" model
An upholstery brush for the vacuum
A piece of nylon window screening, prepared as below

The screening should be washed in hot soapy water, well rinsed and then allowed to air dry in order to remove any surface dirt, then the edges should be bound with cotton bias tape or seam binding to protect the textile to be cleaned.

Lay the textile item out flat on the flat, clean surface.

Brush the item very gently with the soft brush to remove/loosen any surface dirt. Make note of any damaged or weakened areas that may require conservation/repair, such as loose trim or passementerie, open seams, fallen hems or detached rings.

I should mention that I work with a legal pad and pencil at hand, and sketch out a labeled drawing of the textile; i.e. "Drapery 1, left panel: front", adding notes as I work. I usually take some photos of any issues, and then of any repairs - a photo log helps keep track of what image is what. All the documentation created during the cleaning and repair process, along with measurements and any other research information, will go into a file for future reference. It is also helpful to label the actual textile object at this point so the drawing/notes and object can easily be matched to one another. There are several methods of labeling but in a domestic situation I recommend paper tags (the little white shirt-cardboard with string attached kind used once upon a time for price tags). The string can be attached to a curtain ring, looped loosely through a button hole or around a button, tacked down to a seam, etc., without altering or damaging the textile.  I generally do not make repairs or attempt conservation while cleaning, since the tools for the tasks are not compatible and my workspace and habits are more suited to an "assembly line" approach of 'vacuum everything' 'clean space' 'repair/store everything'.

Lay the clean, dry screening on the textile, and vacuum through the screen, using the hose and  brush attachment, thusly: place the attachment on the screen, and then lift it. Replace it, overlapping the area already vacuumed. Lift and replace, lift and replace, etc. When the area covered by the screening has been completed, re-position the screening to continue vacuuming. Again, make note of any issues or needed repairs...

Vacuum one side of the textile entirely, then remove it from the table.

Clean the work surface, and place the textile with the already vacuumed side down.

Brush the reverse side, and vacuum as before. The textile may require a second go-round of vacuuming, both front and back.

=========

Storage:

Supplies-
Acid free storage boxes, sized appropriately to house the object
Buffered acid free tissue, or yardage of muslin (pre-washed)
A climate controlled area for storage (if possible)

Textiles should be stored in acid free boxes, and can be obtained from one of several suppliers. The box should be large enough to accommodate the textile + padding, but not so large that the textile "rattles around" in it. Most textiles benefit from being folded as little as possible, but since it is inevitable that large, flat textiles will need to be folded to some extent, padding the folds is imperative. Acid free tissue paper is malleable and can be crumpled or formed into "snakes" to provide padding when laid into a fold, and is available from the same suppliers as the storage boxes. However, it is relatively expensive, and becomes acidic over time due to transference from the textile, at which point it needs to be removed, discarded and replaced with new tissue. The replacement cycle is relatively short... every year or so. Many conservators and museums now also use cotton sheeting or muslin, which is non-acidic, can be manipulated to provide customized padding, and can be re-used after washing every year of two to remove acid build up.

To store large, flat textiles, I use a combination of tissue and muslin. First, I like to line the box with sheets of tissue laid into the bottom and extending sufficiently to fold over the top of the textile before the lid is placed on the box. (Does that makes sense?) Pieces of muslin will work just as well as tissue. Set the box aside to begin folding the textile.

Lay the textile flat on a large, clean surface. Use the box or box lid a "template" to assess how best to fold the textile. A rule of thumb followed by most museums and conservators is to avoid folding in halves/quarters/etc. since that is likely where the textile was folded in the past, crating a weakened or stress point. (This is especially true with something like a quilt. Fold the textile, padding all folds with crumpled tissue or muslin "snakes".
Sheets of tissue or muslin can also be placed to provdie buffering between the planes of the folded textile, if it is especially delicate, acidic, rare or important.

Once the textile has been folded to fit the box, place the box on the table. Sliding both hands underneath for support, lift the textile and then lower it into the box. (If the textile is large or heavy, a helper working on the opposite side of the table to lift-and-lower can be a real benefit.) Settle the textile in the box, but do not compress it.  If there is room in the box for a second item (quite likely with something like flat curtain panels or portieres), lay a sheet or two of tissue or a piece of the muslin on top of the first textile, again to provide buffering. One the box is full, fold the excess tissue  over the textile, and cover with the lid.  The periodic replacement or renewal of the padding material also provides an opportunity to re-fold the textile at a different point, and to evaluate it for any deterioration or other issues (such as insect infiltration). When boxing a textile that has any wool content, I like to place a few insect repellent herbal sachets (wrapped in small muslin bags) in the box.

To identify what is stored in the box, I affix either a label or an index card with brief description of the contents. A photograph can also be attached to the box as well.

Textiles fare best in a climate controlled environment, away from excessive moisture. If you can live in a space comfortably, then textiles will usually be content, too.

</pedantic textile person>

I can put together a list of suppliers, and maybe one of some suggested reading, and will of course be happy to clarify any of the above babble.

~ Cheryl

Cheryl thanks so much for the detailed information.  I have collected vintage (typically 30's and 40's gowns) clothing for some time so the acid free storage and lack of folding was already going through my head, but you provided so much more, and I did have a big concern about storing them "dirty" as often they end up being eaten by bacteria or permanently stained during the storage process (worse with clothing because the once invisable body odor area or spilled and cleaned wine come back while in storage).  I am also quite comfortable with silk and satins, but haven't been exposed to these types of fabrics (heavy tapestry, almost like a chenille??? Definately cotton verses silk because silk wouldn't have held up to my knowledge).  Two sets appear to be basically as they were back when they were hung, faded (more so in the music parlor which gets more sun) but still whole from what I saw aside from fringe which is missing in areas.  I'd leave them alone aside from cleaning.  I do plan on almost immediately removing them because we have a cat, small child and small dog and I understand how rare they are, but I'll document them in place via photo.  They're somewhat elaborate in terms of the fabric, but the construction is actually fairly simple and will be easy (a bit expensive but easy) to duplicate. 

The other set appears to have had a lining on the formal parlor side but again and it would be my guess it was silk because there is nothing left of it but unseamed fabric on the hall side.  I wouldn't think they would be hung in that fashion, unless they were hemmed and the tread rotted, but if that were the case I'd have thought that they would also be falling off their rods since that is the area of stress which would normally give first. 

The house was designed by a man and you definately get that feeling when you see the things he collected and the design (it's less your gingerbread victorian and more a bulky substantial home on the inside and outside).  I think that's why the textiles are not as fussy as some I've seen...and yet they're still gorgeous.  I will share the pictures and details with you when we sign on the dotted line (I don't like to post since it's currently a business...just in case I'm run over by a bus). 

I can't wait to discuss wallpaper with you LOL  I want to do something appropriate in the dining room and have only begun to think about it. 

I'll read your blog to learn more about your study :)  Thanks again...I really appreciate the details on cleaning and will follow them to a T.  Fortunately it's a large home.  I can store them  in a safe location that is climate controlled so that while in storage (during our children's frightening years) they'll remain beautiful.  I'd leave them in place...but just don't want to risk it with small kids, or gad forbid to see a dog or cat toying with a tassel!.