Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-10-25
FAKE FURNITURE.
HOW BOGUS ANTIQUES ARE
MADE TO ORDER.
Tho Counterfeits Arc SIado Abroad
and Sold TO Gullible Americans
Initiating Worm Holes
With II Shotgun.
r Ew WORKERS spend thou
sands of dollars every year

L v Oh genuine antiques that
G have never celebrated oven
SO much as their first birthday.
The frauds in this limo OF goods nre
wonderful to look upon. Tho old
time furniture is copied so oleverly
and with such attention to detail that
it would deceive any but an expert.
According to the statements of several
New York antique dealers, there nre
ut present for talo in this city three
carved oak clocks which chimod away
the passing hours to blind Milton, and
no less than five chnirs on which Crom-
we'll sat. Of course, ho signed tho
death warrant of Charles ]. whilo sit
ting in each of them. There IS also
SO much OF Shakespearc's furniture in
tho market that ORC might DO forgiven
for suspccting that poet of having run
q furniture store. Tho fraud is prnc.
ticed i'll the first instance on American
importers abroad, and they, in turn
some of them-tako it out on tho
curiosity fanatic in New York.
American dealers 60 to Europe ovcry
year and buy largo stocks Of these
goods, for wooden nutmeg" furni-
tnro cannot be bought wholesale at
home. Tho reason for this is not fnr
to seek European countries, and
England especially, arc SO rich in his.
toric objects that it is an ensy matter
Tor tho "fako" furniture dealer to get
correct copies of old timo furniture.
This has bccn timplilicd since tho
Kodak became so common. Tho little
black camera is tho furniture fallir's
best friend. When new design is
required the dealer visits tho various
museums and sends his assistants to
nll tho auction sales whero choioe col
lections nro being offered, and snaps
of every design he desires to COPY.
In order to get tho dctnil perfect
the negatives aro enlarged and prints
nre made the exact size OF the origi-
nal These copies are handed to tho
wood carvor. Special mon aro on
gagged 10 do the carving. Thoy nro
men who hnvo devoted their whole
lives to this branch of thor handi-
craft. Their principal requirement.
to DO successful is the ability to keep
their mouths shut.
One of the principal reasons why il
is so difficult to detect these antique
frauds is that nenrly nll tho articles
are made from old wood. Cnrtlonds
of wormeatcn onk BOWS arc bought
dnily by the furniture fakirs, who
haunt tho cities and towns whoro old
churches are being torn down or reno.
waited.
drandfathcrs' clocks, in fino curved
onk cases, arc in great demand. AS n
matter of fact. only ono OF two genuine
ones arc known to exist. This fact
does not phase tho antique dealer !;
old, carved clocks arc called for and
ho supplies them. There aro plenty of
ancient clocks with plain cases to he
had. but these are of little value until
tho fakir has put in his fine work Ho
renovatcs the works which nre seldom
looked Mt, after which ho proceeds to
add some beauty spots to tho case. A
figure of some dead and Como monarch
or celebrity liz carved on tho door.
The date of 1912 onrvcd underneath
the figure will add ut lenst $50 TO the
vnluo OF tho article. Tho rost of tho
case Is usually ornamental with con
vcntional designs takon from tho chr.
ver's big stock
Ii tho oak has not tho necessary
wormeaten appearance the energetic
dealer will load up his shotgun and
iiren charge Mt the wood. Tables,
bureaus and heavier pieces of furni-
ture get shot ut moro thnn clocks.
Great care is taken that mono of the
lenden pellets shall be exposed to view.
In some cases they nro extracted, and
II i'll this processa panel should happen
to crack tho purchaser is informed
that Oliver Cromwell or some other
we'll known gentleman had caused tho
damage while on spree.
Tho process of ancient clock making
does not stop with tho carving. The
wood is rubbed down with sandpapcr
md artisticnlly stained. French pol
ish is then applied, coat after coat, 40
that the stain cannot possibly he
washed awny. Tho glossy appear.
anco produced by the polish is taken
away by brushing it over with powdered
pumice stone. A final brushing with
boeswax and turpentine produces the
softness to the the touch that is "only
to BIO found in extremely old wood
work" A clock treated in this man
ner is often sold for 5000; tho en-
tire cost to tho dealer here is never
over $50, including purchase price,
freight, packing and duty.
This method of manufacturing is
confined to England. The cheaper
class of goods is made in Belgium.
The antique merchant there believes
in turning out quantity rather than
quality, and carries his frauds even
further than tho Englishman. All the
furniture is mndo with new wood,
which is softened with stoam and
stamped to the required design by
steel dies under hydraulic pressure,
which leaves the carving" in relief.
The wood is afterward immersed in n
solution of potassium bichromate,
which hardens and dnrkens it ut the
Same time. After this it isput through
the usual process Of wax polishing,
and eventually finds its way into the
American parlor. New York Press.
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