Remembering the Fallen

 

QUESTION: Recently, I purchased an interesting medal and ribbon at an antique show that the dealer  told me was from the late 19th century. The medal, made of what seems to be white metal, hangs from a fairly well worn red, white, and blue silk ribbon and says G.A.R. 24th Encampment,  Boston, Massachusetts, 1890. Can you tell me anything about this? What was the G.A.R.?

ANSWER: You have a Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Badge from one of the organization’s annual conventions, known as encampments. These encampments took place in different cities beginning in 1866 and ending in 1949. The First National Encampment convened in Indianapolis, Indiana, on November 20, 1866 while the last or 83rd National Encampment took place in Indianapolis, Indiana on August 28, 1949. Sixteen members attended.

Dr. B.F. Stephenson founded the GAR in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, to advocate and care for Union Civil War veterans, widows and orphans. Brothers, fathers and sons had marched off from towns and cities in July 1861, proud, excited, and dedicated—most without a clue as to what they were getting themselves into. Over one million of them died—more than in all the other wars the U.S. engaged in up to that time. And those who did return were often maimed for life.

The GAR was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, Marines and Revenue Cutter Service who served in the Civil War. Linking men through their experience of the war, the GAR became one of the first organized advocacy groups in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, lobbying the US Congress to establish veterans' pensions, and supporting Republican political candidates. It dissolved in 1956 when its last member died.

Veterans had developed a unique bond during the Civil War that they wished to maintain, a trusting companionship and a sentimental connection they kept by joining veterans' organizations. At the end of the Civil War the individual was inconsequential, and the U.S. Congress needed some prodding to enact legislation to take care of veterans. These veterans' groups were instrumental in getting appropriate legislation passed.

Though many veterans groups organized after the Civil War, the GAR became the most powerful. By 1890, it had 490,000 active members. Five U.S. presidents came from its ranks as well as many senators and representatives. At one time, no doubt due to the political pressure of GAR constituents, one-fifth of the national budget went to soldiers pensions. The GAR founded soldiers' homes for the permanently disabled and was active in relief work.

According to chroniclers of the 24th National Encampment in Boston, in 1890—from which this badge originated—the GAR had, by then, established orphans homes in seven states, preserved Gettysburg as a national battleground and given more than $2 million in charity to veterans and their families whether or not they were members of the GAR. For a time, it was impossible to be nominated on the Republican ticket without the endorsement of the GAR.

Civil War veterans controlled a lot in this country and had a strong political voice. Among other things, they used their political influence to see that Congress adopted May 30 as Memorial Day.

To honor the deceased, veterans would decorate graves of their fallen comrades with flowers, flags and wreaths, so people referred to it as Decoration Day. Although Memorial Day became its official title in the 1880s, the holiday didn’t legally become Memorial Day until 1967. In 1977, Congress moved Memorial Day to the last Monday of May to conform with the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. In December 2000, Congress passed a law requiring Americans to pause at 3 P.M. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor the fallen.

The tradition of having picnics on Memorial Day actually began on May 1, 1865 in Charleston, South Carolina. The Confederates had used the horseracing course there as a Union prisoner-of-war prison. When the war ended and the Confederates evacuated the grounds, a large group of former slaves re-interred the Union soldiers’ bodies who had died there and erected a white fence with a large arched gate, above which they mounted a sign, “Martyrs of the Racecourse.” When they finished, they broke up and moved to the infield to hold picnics. And thus began this national tradition.

Delegate badges from the GAR’s National Encampments have long been a collectible. First created after the 1883 encampment in Denver, Colorado, and handed out annually until the last Encampment in 1949 in Indianapolis—except in 1884 when there wasn’t any badge—these “ribbons of honor” were created and furnished by the city that hosted the event. They reflected the city itself, including local history and state symbols as well as an image of the current Commander-in-chief.

Badges came in several varieties. There were the official ones, commissioned by the host city and given to all delegates, past delegates and members of allied organizations, such as the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the Women's Relief Corps and the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, as well as later, the Daughters of Union Veterans, and there were the semiofficial staff badges and souvenir badges. There were also testimonial badges, given to past Post officers at the end of their service period. These had horizontal rank straps with one or more stars on them and were often made of 14 or 18K gold and studded with diamonds.

In addition to the National Encampment badges, there were two-sided Post badges, with one side red, white and blue and the other in black with the words "In Memoriam," to be used when a member died. There were other unique Post badges as well, including those with a detachable metal top piece from which hung a large metal star or disk. And since Posts ordered new ones every few years, there are many variations in badges from each Post. Veterans wore Post badges to funerals, Memorial Day programs, and Fourth of July parades, among other events.

Some collectors specialize just in Department or state badges. Each state incorporated its flower, animal, or symbol into its badge design. So the Massachusetts badge featured a pot of beans, New Hampshire had a piece of granite on it, and Ohio badges had a picture of a buckeye. Each Department also had special delegate badges arid ribbons. The colors of ribbons, usually made from silk, varied, also. Department badges had red ribbons, Post badges had blue ribbons; and National badges always had a yellow/buff ribbon.

The Stevens Company of England produced the finest GAR ribbon badges, often referred to as Stevensgraphs. These portrait silks have extremely fine detail. Other companies, such as the B.B. Tilt Co.,. the United States Badge Co. and the Son of Paterson (N.J.) all made badges, but these aren’t as easily identified or as finely made.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "Lady Luck" in the 2024 Fall Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

The World in Miniature

 

QUESTION: My great grandfather made a dollhouse for his daughter, who passed it down to her daughter, my grandmother, who passed it on to her daughter, my mother, who then passed it on to me. It’s a grand house, all handmade of wood. He styled it to the Victorian houses of the time. Over the years, each owner furnished it differently using both commercially made and homemade furnishings. When did little girls begin playing with dollhouses? And does my dollhouse have any value?

ANSWER: Dollhouses, in one form or another, have existed for centuries, most likely beginning with the ancient Egyptians. Archaeologists discovered the earliest known examples in the Egyptian tombs of the Old Kingdom, created nearly 5,000 years ago. They placed small clay replicas of their houses and belongings in and around burials to provide the comforts of home to the deceased in the afterlife. Although today’s dollhouses are different from these ancient ones, they include purposes other than play. Over the last five centuries, dollhouses have evolved from elaborate displays for adults, to household teaching tools, to objects of imagination  for children. 

Today's dollhouses can be traced back to the 16th century’s German baby house display cases, later found in The Netherlands and England. Known as a “dockenhaus,” meaning miniature house, “cabinet house,” or “baby house” (because of its size), these handcrafted items were not initially made for children to play with—they served as display cases for wealthy adults to fill with miniature furniture, fabrics, and artwork that reflected their own taste and lifestyle. 

One of the earliest examples of a dollhouse  was the Munich Baby House. Albrecht V, Duke of Bavaria, commissioned it between 1557 and 1558. It consisted of a cabinet display case made up of individual rooms. Dollhouses of this period showed idealized interiors complete with detailed furnishings and accessories. Artisans built cabinets by hand with architectural details, filled with miniature household items. The baby moniker referred to the scale of the houses rather than them being for babies. They were off-limits to children and were meant to house trophy collections of wealthy women. 

In the early 17th century, baby houses took on a more practical purpose. Nuremberg houses and Nuremberg kitchens, named for their primary place of manufacture in Germany, emerged as educational tools to teach young women how to decorate and care for a household. These versions of baby houses were less ornamental than their predecessors, typically made entirely out of metal and sometimes consisting of just a kitchen. But they were no less meticulous, featuring tiny handcrafted brooms, kettles, copper cooking pots, and mini masonry hearths at the heart of the kitchen. 

Between 1686 and 1710, gentlemen often possessed "cabinets of curiosities" to hold collections of various objects they had acquired in their lives and travels: indeed such a cabinet would often reside in a small reception room. In the Amsterdam of the Dutch Golden Age, their wealthy wives similarly created dollhouses as status symbols. 

By the 18th century, baby houses had become popular in England. The term “baby” in the baby house came from the Old English word meaning doll. These structures commonly had detailed and realistic facades, including doors and windows, informing what we commonly think of as the classic Victorian dollhouse. Craftsmen often modeled them after the owner’s home, and although they still functioned as displays of opulence, caring for them and decorating them also became a beloved hobby for women. Until the mid-18th century, dollhouses were unique, one-of-a-kind creations.

Most people know dollhouses as toy houses made in miniature. Since the early 20th century, dollhouses have been primarily for children, but the collection of them is for  adults.

Originally, dollhouses weren’t made to scale. By the time manufacturers began to mass produce them, the scale of 1:12 or 1" scale became the standard.

Germany produced the most prized dollhouses and doll house miniatures up until World War I. The doll houses were produced in Nuremberg, Germany; which, since the 16th century, was coined as the 'toy city.' Their baby houses were thought to be the origin for the basic standards of contemporary doll houses. Notable German miniature companies included Märklin, Christian Hacker, Moritz Reichel, Rock and Graner, and others.

The Bliss Manufacturing mass-produced the first dollhouses in the United States in the 1890s, even as the U.S. imported them and miniature furnishings from Germany. Despite becoming more mainstream in the early 1900s, dollhouses didn’t become affordable for most families until after World War II. The postwar economic boom, along with increased manufacturing materials and abilities, made them fixtures in playrooms throughout country.

The TynieToy Company of Providence, Rhode Island, made authentic replicas of American antique houses and furniture in a uniform scale beginning in about 1917. Other American companies of the early 20th century were Roger Williams Toys, Tootsietoy, Schoenhut, and the Wisconsin Toy Company. 

After World War II, manufacturers produced dollhouses in factories on a larger scale with less detailed craftsmanship than before. By the 1950s, the typical dollhouse was made of painted sheet metal filled with plastic furniture. Such houses cost little enough that the majority of girls could own one.

In the United States, most houses have an open back and a fancy facade, while British houses are more likely to have a hinged front that opens to reveal the rooms.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "Lady Luck" in the 2024 Fall Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

The Machine That Revolutionized the Way Clothes were Made

 

QUESTION: Recently, I was admiring my grandmother’s sewing machine. I think it was probably her mother’s. Amazing that a mass-produced tool like this was not only useful, but in the early days, beautiful, too. Who invented the sewing machine and when?

ANSWER: Most people probably think that Isaac Merritt Singer invented the sewing machine, but actually there were many inventors who all invented their own versions of this iconic machine. 

Historians consider Englishman Thomas Saint as the inventor of the first sewing machine in 1790. While it wasn’t as robust as today’s industrial machines, it did improve the efficiency of making leather clothing, as well as saddles and bridles. but it was also capable of working with canvas, making it useful for sewing ship sails. Although his machine was very advanced for the era, the concept would need steady improvement over the coming decades before it was practical enough to enter into wide use.

A skilled cabinetmaker, Saint included many practical features on his machine, such as an overhanging arm, a feed mechanism for shorter pieces of leather, a vertical needle bar, and a looper. His goal was to reduce the amount of hand-stitching on leather garments.

Saint’s sewing machine used the chain stitch method, in which the machine uses a single thread to make simple stitches in the fabric. A stitching awl would have pierced the material, and a forked-point rod would have carried the thread through the hole, where it would have been hooked underneath and moved to the next stitching place, after which the cycle would be repeated, thereby locking the stitch in place. 

In 1804, Thomas Stone and James Henderson built their own version of the sewing machine. And John Duncan constructed one for embroidering material.

An Austrian tailor, Josef Madersperger, began developing his first sewing machine in 1807 and presented his first working machine publicly in 1814. Having received financial support from the Austrian Government, he worked on the development of his machine until 1839, when he built a machine imitating the weaving process using the chain stitch.

 Thimonnier, a French tailor, invented the first practical and widely used sewing machine in 1829. His machine sewed straight seams using a chain stitch like Saint's model had. He constructed his sewing machine of wood and used a barbed needle which passed downward through the cloth to grab the thread and pull it up to form a loop to be locked by the next loop. In 1830, Thimonnier signed a contract with Auguste Ferrand, a mining engineer, who made the required drawings and submitted a patent application. He received the patent for his machine on July 17, 1830, and in the same year, he and his partners opened the first machine-based clothing manufacturing company in the world to create army uniforms for the French Army. Unfortunately, their factory burned down—reportedly by workers fearful of losing their livelihood, following the issuing of the patent.

In 1832, Walter Hunt invented the first American lockstitch sewing machine. His machine used a needle with the eye and the point on the same end carrying the upper thread, and a falling shuttle carrying the lower thread. The curved needle moved through the fabric horizontally, leaving the loop as it withdrew. The shuttle passed through the loop, interlocking the thread. The feed was unreliable, requiring the machine to be stopped frequently and reset up. Hunt eventually lost interest in his machine and sold individual machines without at first patenting his invention. In 1854, he finally applied for a patent. 

However, John Greenough beat Hunt to it by patenting his sewing machine, the first one in the United States. His British partners, Newton and Archibold, had introduced the eye-pointed needle and the use of two pressing surfaces to keep the pieces of fabric in position, in 1841.

The first machine to combine all the disparate elements of the previous half-century of innovation into the modern sewing machine was the device built by English inventor John Fisher in 1844, a little earlier than the very similar machines built by Isaac Merritt Singer in 1851, and the lesser known Elias Howe, in 1845. However, due to the botched filing of Fisher's patent at the Patent Office, he didn’t receive recognition for the modern sewing machine because of legal disputes of priority with Singer, enabling   Singer to reap the benefits of the patent.

Elias Howe, born in Spencer, Massachusetts, created his sewing machine in 1845, using a similar method to Fisher's except that the fabric was held vertically. An important improvement on his machine was to have the needle running away from the point, starting from the eye. After a lengthy stay in England trying to attract interest in his machine, he returned to America to find various people infringing his patent, among them Isaac Merritt Singer. He eventually won a case for patent infringement in 1854 and was awarded the right to claim royalties from the manufacturers using ideas covered by his patent, including Singer.

Singer had seen a rotary sewing machine being repaired in a Boston shop. As an engineer, he thought it was clumsy and decided to design a better one. The machine he devised used a falling shuttle instead of a rotary one; the needle was mounted vertically and included a presser foot to hold the cloth in place. It had a fixed arm to hold the needle and included a basic tension system. This machine combined elements of Thimonnier, Hunt and Howe's machines. Singer received a patent for his sewing machine in 1851. He adapted the foot treadle, used since the Middle Ages, to convert reciprocating to rotary motion, to drive his machine, leaving the both hands of the user free.

When Howe learned of Singer's machine he also took him to court, where Howe won, forcing Singer to pay a lump sum for all machines he had already produced. Singer then took out a license under Howe's patent and paid him US$1.15 per machine before entering into a joint partnership with a lawyer named Edward Clark. Together, they created the first hire-purchase arrangement to allow people to purchase their machines through payments over time.

Meanwhile, Allen B. Wilson developed a shuttle that reciprocated in a short arc, an improvement over Singer’s and Howe's machines. However, John Bradshaw had patented a similar device and threatened to sue, so Wilson decided to try a new method. He went into partnership with Nathaniel Wheeler to produce a machine with a rotary hook instead of a shuttle. This was far quieter and smoother than other methods, with the result that the Wheeler & Wilson Company produced more machines in the 1850s and 1860s than any other manufacturer. Wilson also invented the four-motion feed mechanism that’s still used on every sewing machine today. This had a forward, down, back and up motion, which drew the cloth through in an even and smooth motion. Charles Miller patented the first machine to stitch buttonholes. Throughout the 1850s more and more companies tried to sue the others for patent infringement. This triggered the Sewing Machine War.

In 1856, the Sewing Machine Combination was formed, consisting of Singer, Howe, Wheeler, Wilson, and Grover and Baker. These four companies pooled their patents, with the result that all other manufacturers had to obtain a license for $15 per machine. This lasted until 1877 when the last patent expired.

In 1885, Singer patented the Singer Vibrating Shuttle sewing machine, which used Allen B. Wilson's idea for a vibrating shuttle and was better at the lockstitch than the oscillating shuttles of the time. This was perhaps the world's first really practical sewing machine for domestic use. It was in use until rotary shuttle machines finally superseded it in the 20th century.

The Singer Sewing Company developed the first electric machines in 1889. By the end of the First World War, Singer offered hand, treadle and electric machines for sale. At first, the electric machines were standard machines with a motor strapped on the side, but as more homes gained power, they became more popular, and the motor was gradually introduced into the casing.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "Lady Luck" in the 2024 Fall Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

Managing Your Collections

 

QUESTION: I’ve been collecting antiques and collectibles for the past 30 years. Now that I’m getting older, I’m looking to sell off some of my items but I have little information on items in my collections. What is the best way to document my collections?

ANSWER: Failing to document their collections is more common than you may think. Many people enjoy the fun of collecting antiques and collectibles but don’t take the time to manage their collections. And many seniors, seeking to downsize, all of a sudden want to sell some of their items. They often try in vain to get valuations for their items online. But without previously documenting their collections, this can be a challenge.

Those who are just starting collections should record a description and history of each item, as well as the date purchased and the price paid. Those managing their collections years after purchase may have a harder time of gathering information, but with today’s technology, it’s easier than ever. One thing they may not have is the date of purchase and price paid—two very important facts when determining current value.

Collecting is a personal thing and most people do it for sheer enjoyment. They choose some objects carefully to build or enhance their collections, acquire others to use everyday, and inherit still others. While collectors treasure each item in their collections, many don’t understand the appeal or the value of it. 

Over the last couple of decades, the value of some antiques has fallen while that of some collectibles has risen. What many collectors lack is a comprehensive record, with supporting documents, of objects they own. As antiques increase in value, it’s important to know their provenance. While most people don’t think of their prized objects as part of their tangible financial assets, the IRS, insurance companies, banks, and courts do.

"To document" means to create a record that thoroughly describes an object and which also contains related documents about it, and keep together this record and supporting information on each object. 

A collector may already have some types of documents or can easily acquire them, such as a bill of sale, a note accompanying a gift, a snapshot, a printed description, a program from an exhibit, biographical information on the artist or maker, a description and picture of a similar object perhaps from a newspaper, magazine, or the Internet, a copy of a mark on the object, and others.

The objects in specialized  collections— furniture, dolls, quilts, kitchen utensils, guns, tools, even sports and music memorabilia—are prime candidates for documentation. Museums document each object in their collections. So it’s only natural that collectors do the same for insurance purposes, family heritage, preparing for appraisal, tax benefits, and connoisseurship.

At the very least, a collector should know what he or she paid for each object in their collections. Some insurance companies require that jewelry and fine art be placed on a special schedule. Often they also require an appraisal for the most valuable pieces. 

In case of theft, loss or damage by fire, flood or national disasters, a collector needs to prove ownership of any object claimed and provide descriptions with supporting information in order to be compensated or to help the police identify and recover the stolen valuables. If a collector cannot do this, there’s a risk of losing compensation in addition to being permanently separated from the treasured object. The more adequate the proof is, the greater the chances that will be satisfying. It’s more difficult to document after a loss occurs, and perhaps it cannot be done at all.

Every home has objects of value—whether monetary, sentimental or family-related. Documenting can help people decide which objects they wish to give to certain heirs. Recording the provenance and capturing the family history associated with a particular object provides a more complete picture for both the collector and the heirs. 

If certain pieces have been handed down through the family, they may have family stories associated with them. It’s important not to depend on those stories being passed down verbally. They should be written down. Additionally, heirs often carelessly sell off family pieces or give them away because succeeding generations are unaware of their actual or sentimental value. This is often done in the haste to clear a house after a loved one’s death. Documenting can assure that certain pieces  remain in the family, or at least that someone will make an educated decision before selling or giving away a special object.

Insurance companies usually require that a collector or an heir provide them with a professional appraisal. However, not every object in your household needs to be appraised. Documenting can help decide which objects need to be appraised, plus it can also provide the appraiser with valuable information, thus saving time and reducing the cost of the appraisal. The appraisal then becomes part of the object’s documentation.

And If an object is sold or given to a museum or other institution, its documentation can provide detailed information from acquisition to sale or gift, providing a factual basis for tax benefits. Museums look upon documentation as a benefit, as it provides valuable family and cultural history about an object for its visitors. 

If not documentation exists, it’s important to begin with a simple search for it on the Internet. While it’s possible to get results using a simple keyword search, that may not reveal anything. An alternative would be to conduct an image search. Using the same keyword(s), click on the Images tab in the search page. This will result in photos of objects related to search words. Clicking on one or more that look like or similar to the object being researched will bring up the Web site associated with it. 

Patience is required when searching. It may take several different keywords to obtain any useful information. 

To get an idea about value, it’s possible to search for online antique auction sites and there search for an object using the same keyword(s). By searching several auctions for the sold prices, then averaging them, it’s possible to get an approximate current value for the object.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "In the Good Ole Summertime" in the 2024 Summer Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

Furniture on the March

QUESTION: My great grandfather was an officer in the British Army. He owned a chest that has been in our family ever since. The unusual thing about this chest is that it comes apart into several sections. We’ve always wondered why. What can you tell me about his chest?

ANSWER: With the rise and expansion of the British Empire in the 19th and 20th centuries the demand by the military for portable furniture increased. People referred to any furniture specifically designed to break down or fold for ease of travel as campaign furniture, specifically designed to be packed up and carried on the march. 

Campaign furniture has been used by traveling armies since the time of Julius Caesar, known to carry elaborate furnishings on his month-long military campaigns.

From foldable work chairs and desks to portable wooden mosaic floors, the interior of a Roman general’s tent would have been lavishly decorated. In order to simulate the comforts of home while on the move, those furnishings needed to be easy to pack up and transport. A prominent example was the curule seat, the traditional chair of Roman magistrates and field commanders, which could be folded up for transportation. But in modern times, it came to be associated with British Army officers, who sought to create a palatial feel while on the road. 

The most common type of campaign furniture was the chest of drawers, often referred to as a military chest or campaign chest. Most often made of mahogany, teak,  camphor, cedar, or pine, it broke down into two sections and had removable feet. This type of chest also had brass corners and strapwork to offer some protection while traveling. 

Some pieces of campaign furniture also had brass caps on the tops of legs, hinges in unusual places, protruding bolts, or X-frame legs depending on the functionality of the piece. However, some pieces were designed to be up to date and fashionable, looking much like domestic furniture. Ross and Company of Dublin were innovators of campaign furniture design and much of their work is obviously Victorian in period.

Campaign furniture came in a variety of forms, from portable beds to collapsible candlesticks. The numerous items specifically made for travel include a variety of types of bed from four poster or tent beds to chairs that would extend for sleeping; large dining tables, dining chairs, easy chairs, sofas and couches, chests of drawers, book cabinets, washstands, wardrobes, shelves, desks, mirrors, lanterns and candlesticks, canteens of silver, cooking equipment, toiletry equipment, and box-seats for chamber pots were all made to be portable.

There seemed no limit to the number of items an officer would take with him if he could afford to. How well his tent was outfitted could indicate his social standing.

By the mid-19th century the demand for campaign furniture encouraged manufacturers to invent unusual and interesting pieces that offered ease in dismantling or the compactness of their storage. Makers produced tables cleverly hinged to fold down into a box the size of a briefcase. Chess board boxes would contain tripod legs and a telescopic column to convert into a table. Chairs would break down to a minimal size, and often converted into a sedan-chair. The need for each piece to pack up quickly into a portable package with minimal complication drove innovation. By the late 19th century, over 85 manufacturers were producing campaign furniture in the London area alone. That period also saw campaign furniture growing increasingly unique and opulent.

Much of the early portable furniture would have been made to order. Soldiers often asked their local cabinet makers to take a domestic design and adapt it for travel. As demand grew, a number of well known designers, including Chippendale, Sheraton and Gillows, considered portable furniture. The end of the 18th century witnessed the rise of specialist makers, with Thomas Butler and Morgan & Sanders being the most recognized. The number of such specialists increased during the 19th century.

The beginning of the 20th century saw changes in the way armies conducted war. During the Boer War in South Africa, the British realized that their adversaries could move quickly and discovered that their own mobile units weren’t quite as mobile as they had thought. The early 20th century also saw the rise of the motor car which meant that travel was faster, making it less of a necessity for officers to equip themselves for a long journey, creating less of a demand for campaign furniture.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "In the Good Ole Summertime" in the 2024 Summer Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.