The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-16
FURNITURE OF THE
ANTIQUE DESIGN
CONTINUED From First Page

manner OF antique furniture. complete
line OF Colonial styles In everything
In the way of furniture. Sheffield sill
verware, mirrors in rare frames.
prints bric-a -brac. lamps, etc, all OF
these being reproductions of the ar
ticles just as they were In the olden
days. and so perfect are the reproduce
tons that the most artistic and best
read-up expert could not tell the diff
florence. and nothing Is offered for
sale under false cloak. The custo-
mer knows the. goods were made in
this twentieth century, but made Just
exactly as it was In the period to
which tho particular article is as
signed That Is what is called repro
duction.
The second floor As given over en-
tirely to the interior decorating de-
partmcnt, wherein the company carries
complete limo OF Colonial fabrics. in
cluding exact copies of the old broca-
tclles, tapestries. damasks. English
tints. cratons. old EngnSb nets, etc,
and all OF this means furniture cover
inss, curtains, draperieS and hangngS
OF the exact material, colors figures
and styles in use and in vogue In the
Colonial days--in fact, just as they
were in the old Jamestown and Tide
water homes I'm the days before George
Washington or Thomas Jefferson were
born. and afterwards. too.
Long String of stores.
In connection with this department.,
contracts are made and carried out
for the entire interior decoration OF
the Colonially modelled home including
the paper!nc OF the walls, putting in
mantels. hardwood floors and making
such change and Arrangements as
may be necessary in order to carry
out complete decorative scheme &C
c0rdinC to the period adopted by the
builder III No nial
home. Each branch OF the decorative
department is under the supervision
OF an expert designer and decorator
who has made n study of this peculiar
work. and has taken years In the
study OF tho STYLES and customs OF
the various periods OF We ancient
time This is indeed work that re-
ouires long experience and years OF
hard study and research.
Tho third floor Is most interesting
workshop, that has been arranged.
properly laid on iiehted and fvr-
nished for tho proper making of the
draperics. curtains. hansings eto
The company conducts string OF
antique stores all through the South.
the most OF them being season"
stores. but two being permanent es-
adjustments and practically counter
parts of the Richmond store and all
are kept stocked with reproductions
of the antique, made in the Richmond
factory. The two permanent stores
are in Atlanta and Birmingham, and.
like the Richmond store. they are To-
Gated on the most Fashionable thM-
ouEhfares OF those cities. the one in
Atlanta being on PeaChtree Street and
tho one in Birmingham on Fourth
Avenue. The season" stores are scat
tered from Tampa. Fla, TO the noun
tains of North Carolina and Tennes-
see in the winter season tho COM
! pany has stores IN full operation IN
Jacksonville and Tampa Fla. and in
various Georgia and South Carolina
| cities and towns that are resorted to
by the winter tourists from the North.
/ and in these antique stores immense
/ sales arc made every winter TO New
| England and other Northern tourists
| who have a weakness for the antique
| The goods are then shipped either from
! the season" stores or direct from
tho Richmond factory In the summer
] time season" stores are scattered
| through tho mountains, at Ashevlle.
| Knoxville. Chattanooga and other
| points. and there again tho tourist
| trade proves TO be n hlg thing
The Immense Factory.
This long string Of stores. together
! with the Richmond store. keeps the
| factory at Twcnty-fourth and Frank
| lin Streets busy SIS days in tho year
! and never week passes but that car
loads OF antique furniture made in
| Richmond In the twentieth century
go out to all parts of the country,
The factory occupies q fourth Of
/ the square at Twenty fourth and
! Franklin Streets. and is a busy place
/ to look in upon. IT would be I'M
| possible to tell on paper just what the
! factory Is. one will have to visit
/ 1t, and see its operations to form a cor
/ rcct Idea Of just what il Is
| The establishment Is properly equip
| ped for business, having ample ma
chincry. etc. hut in the nature OF the
case comparatively little machinery is
required. for he il understood hand
work is absolutely necessary In the
/ reproduction OF the antique. for no ma
! chine has ever been invented to do the
carving and the jointing and the fin
| ishing required in this kind OF work
/ The machinery in use is purely and
/. soicly for the saving up. planning and
! rough shaping OF the mahogany tim
bcrs that are exclusively used in the
making Of antique furniture. All the
! balance is hand work. and something
4 like a hundred skilled workmen are
/ employed all the year round in this
, Way ana each man is an artist, other
! wise he could not do enc work.
The factory is equipped with steam
DRYING roomS ana apartments neces-
Sary In order 10 keep up with TWEEN
tioth century buildings and have the
furniture NJ to date rs we'll as ancient
In short, the factory is complete and
as II stands and as T Is operated it
is the result of years of study and cx-
periencc on the part OF its owners and
designers. As an Industrial proposi-
ton the antique furniture factory and
lts UNIQUE business - a big advertise
ncnt for Richmond. and Is an cstab-
lishiheut that brings TO this city a
good pile Of outside money every
month in Tie year
II VIII lie 81 interest TO the Rich-
mona reader 10 know that the Riggs
Antique Company handles every year
some 'nighty large contracts for in
terror decorations all over tho coun-
F.. try, not only OF private Colonial