More so than in other periods, furniture in the Classical period was grand furniture for grand houses, where the style of the furniture reflected its architectural surroundings.
This mahogany sideboard c.1825 by John Needles combines classic and gothic elements. The Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, MD.
The 1820s-1840s (now commonly called the “Classical” period of furniture) marked the tail end of an era when furniture was made by hand, usually by the same craftsman from beginning to end, and was generally influenced by a particular designer or style (i.e. Chippendale furniture created during the time of Thomas Chippendale). During this Classical period, Baltimore was a town with a blossoming population growing wealthy off its busy port and booming railroad system. It quickly surpassed Annapolis as the region’s cultural center and became home to prolific cabinetmaking shops. Although furniture produced in Baltimore during this period, which came on the heels of the popular Federal style, was often looked down upon by collectors because of its relative newness, it is now rising in popularity because of its availability and comparative affordability.
“The more recent a period of furniture, the more recently it’s been accepted as legitimate,” explains Timothy Naylor, owner of Naylor Antiques. The furniture from this period borrowed predominantly from English and, to a lesser extent, French design books. These European sources were in turn being influenced by classical Greek and Roman designs, which were inspired by archaeologists’ rediscovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii. Unlike early period furniture, these ancient discoveries appear in Classical furniture’s form, not just in its ornamentation. For example, a wine cellaret takes on the shape and volume of a sarcophagus, and a table pedestal borrows its form from a Grecian urn. In Baltimore, furniture makers took these design motifs from abroad and made them their own. In her book Classical Maryland, 1815-1845: Fine and Decorative Arts from the Golden Age, Gregory Weidman states : “The Classical designs that were coming into Maryland through this variety of sources were interpreted by craftsmen in a variety of ways. In veneered wood furniture, for instance, one seldom finds pieces of purely neoclassical design, with the exception of certain seating furniture. Baltimore case pieces very often bring in elements of the Regency Gothic taste…the word ‘classical’ with regards to Maryland furniture must also be used quite broadly to include both ancient Egyptian and modern Turkish motifs.”
More so than in other periods, furniture in the Classical period was grand furniture for grand houses, where the style of the furniture reflected its architectural surroundings. “There was a lot of money made and people wanted to show it off,” states William Voss Elder, former Curator of Decorative Arts at the Baltimore Museum of Art. In the early to mid-19th century, England (particularly the Regency style) set the rage for America, and Baltimore furniture makers capitalized on that interest. “Classical Baltimore furniture looked like the country’s counterparts on steroids,” Naylor explains. Furniture from this period is identified by its high-quality veneers; bulbous vase turnings and multiple ring turnings on the pedestal bases of tables; triple beading on tabletop edges; and heavily reeded table legs, often ending in a tapered trumpet foot.
Gregory Weidman, noted Maryland furniture authority and currently the Furnishings Project Coordinator at historic Hampton House, explains that, “All late neoclassical pieces have a type of ornamentation on the legs called ‘reeding’ that refers back to the ancient Roman technique of tying bundles of reeds together. In Baltimore, it [reeding] gets very bold and heavy, and in a cross-section, the reeding comes to a point rather than being rounded. That is probably the single most distinctive feature.”Many of the furniture makers of this time were producing furniture in the Federal style before moving into the heavier Classical style demanded by customers. One of the most successful furniture makers spanning this period was William Camp, a New Jersey native who settled in Baltimore in 1801 and quickly established one of the largest factories in the city. He was considered the leading cabinetmaker in Baltimore until his death in 1822. His competitors included Edward Priestly and John Needles. Needles, who was born in Easton, apprenticed with Camp before starting his own operation. His designs often reflect a certain restraint that stemmed from his Quakerism. Needles also had the unusual habit of labeling many of his pieces, so that there are well over 100 documented pieces credited to his shop.
Baltimore cylinder desk, c.1820. Possible attribution to William Camp. The Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, MD.
The late neoclassical taste in furniture did not become widely recognized until the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s, when the renovation of the White House under the Kennedy administration and a series of highly acclaimed museum exhibitions brought the style to light.
But it has been slow to take on the élan of some of the early styles such as Chippendale or Baltimore painted furniture. “I started working at the museum in about 1960, and I used to think that something made in 1820 was only 140 years old,” says Elder. “Now it’s almost 200 years old, so we’re progressing.” In addition to its age, more scholarship has been produced recently on the subject of Classical Baltimore furniture, creating a more educated consumer public.During this prolific period of furniture making, a lot of furniture was made. More importantly, a lot has survived. The industrious nature of this era’s cabinetmakers is good news for would-be collectors. “Without question, this is the last vestige of affordable Maryland furniture,” says Naylor. But as demand for period furniture increases, these pieces may not remain a bargain for long. “As we speak, the market for the best stuff is going crazy…if you want to buy it before you need to mortgage the house to get it, buy it now.” While the high-end pieces are less attainable (a Baltimore piece that sold for $14,000 at auction in 1983 is currently on sale by a retailer in New York for $200,000), the middle-of-the-line furniture is very accessible to collectors. A quick review of recent sales indicates that a John Needles mahogany china press sold in 2003 for $3,290, and a circa 1820 sideboard attributed to Needles sold for $4,140 in 2001. It is still possible to find a Classical chest of drawers with nice ring and ball feet at auction for about $500. With $500 worth of restoration, you can own a piece of period Baltimore furniture for about $1000. “This stuff is a little less old, they made a little more of it, and it’s not as ornate as some of the early periods,” explains Naylor. “That keeps the prices lower.”
Christianna McCausland is a Contributing Editor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Baltimore Museum of Art: artbma.org or 410-396-7100
Hampton National Historic Site: nps.gov/hamp or 410-823-1309
Maryland Historical Society: mdhs.org or 410-685-3750
Naylor Antiques: naylorantiques.com or 410-484-0133
