Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-22
GOLD" FURNITURE NOVELTIES.
Fittings, &C., Of Ancient Times Pri-
vately Exhibited in London.

From the London Telegraph.
"Old lamps for newt" "Old furniture for
household goods of the latest pattern"
There was q time when. in the desire for
novelty, people were prepared to part with
the family chest and oak treasures that
had been handed down for generations
That was, II they had them. Then came
reaction. and the remorse OF ALADDIN
princess was scarcely more poignant than
that Of those who had bartered antique
armchairs and crude carvings for modern
creations in bent wood and cretonne. Even
In remote villages venerable sticks are
carefully preserved. If not from a growing
love of the beautiful or the quaint. at least
because the market value Of such COM
modities has been recognized.
So the furniture manufacturer has had
to set his wits to work. and the result has
been the production wholesale of tables and
chairs. wardrobes and bedsteads, which,
while admittedly new. have marks upon
them that the rolling years might have
left They supply the reversed demand Of
the new for the ancient. and. Indicating
the extent to which this has been carried,
the seventh annual furnishing trades ex-
hibition and market at the Royal Agricul-
tural Hall, London is full of interest and
instruction. 1t has only one drawback
are not admitted. Whatever business trans
actions are carried out from the 18th to
the 18th of April must be strictly between
members of the trade" Big firms of up
hoisterers find there the latest patterns,
BUY frames and put on finishing touches
Others contract outright for certain GUAM
titles OF whatever they desire to retail, and
their customers are apparently developing
to an astounding degree the taste that has
already been mentioned.
Going step further sOmethipp ic die
covered of how these musty cabinets and
half-rusted fittings are brought into exist
ence. Emphatically, necessity has been in
this as in every other case, the mother of
invention. All sorts of marvellous machines
are exhibited for cutting and planning, mold
ing, mortising and dovetailing. According
to report the American COW walks into GER
tain apparatus In its natural form and
comes out sausage, timed meat and glue;
so a tree put amid the whirling wheels at
the Agricultural Hall might be expected to
emerge as household embellishments vary
ing In date from the Roman period to Louis
Quatorze. If this point has not yet been
quite reached 1t is not far distant and it
only needs an intelligent combina ton Of
certain of the apparatus at present in the
great lslington show place. Then there is
than the forest-grown. and is twice as
light" Wonderful varnish foundations
made from powdered rock half mica nalf
marble. are on view. which give a resplcn-
uent poHsn 10 any surface. In upholstery
the difficulty of finding suitable springs is
solved by a mechanical arrangement of
the most ingenious type. that makes the
wire "corkscrews" as fast as copper or
steel can be run through. Locks bolts and
bars. presumably from the neighborhood of
birmingham are shown. which, Judging
from their appearance. might have been
furnished up after passing centuries in
dungeons forgotten and unused It is all
very remarkable. and leads one to the final
conclusion that the production Of furniture
is not, after all. trade. but a science