Smyrna times., 1930-10-01
STYLES Of FURNITURE KEEPS
UP PACE WITH N0DEaE MAN
WOODWORKING DEVELOPED
WITH CIVILIZATIONS STRIDE
Thomas Shearer Given Credit For
Development of Buffet; Sheraton
Brought 1t Nearer to Perfection

DeNelOpnlenU OF Buf1et; sheraton
Brought 1t Nearer to Perfection
Chicago.-Every time the lady of
the house goes forth on q shopping
tour and comes home with some
thing new. a problem is created.
What's to be done with the new ac-
QUESTION when it isn't in use?
That question. which is mounting
to serious proportions in this era
of small homes and smaller apart
ments, is no new hugaboo produced
by the Twentieth century to poster
mankind, according to furniture
manufacturers. In fact. the need
that underlies it was responsible for
many of the pieces of furniture as
we know them today.
Take the buffet. A study of its
history shows that this familiar fea-
ture of the modern dining room be-
came necessary when man first dis
covered that it was in some cases
more convenient, and in all cases
more dignified, to transfer food to
his mouth by means of specially
constructed utensils, instead of by
hand. What was to be done with
the crude forerunners of our plates
and knives and forks and spoons
between times?
Origin of the Buffet.
Today the buffet, after consider
able buffeting through the cen
turies, is fulfilling this special need
in millions of homes.
In the beginning, the research
men found. the first buffet was, in
all probability, a tree trunk-a
handy place where primitive man,
seated on a comfortable rock after
a hard day of hunting, could park
the stone or flint utensils that com
priSed his tableware" while de-
vouring his evening meal. Later
the chest. mans first piece of fur
niture, probably served as a buffet
just as it was used for practically
every other purpose.
The buffet as we know it, how
ever, did not evolve until after the
dining room itself had come into
being. Skipping through the cen
turies and pausing early in the
Eighteenth. we find the division of
the great hall into a number Of
smaller rooms just getting under
way in England. The breakup of
the feudaI system and the preva-
lence of religious persecution at the
time are cited by historians as i'm
portant factors in bringing about
this change.
At any rate, the master of the
house, who had been taking his
meals in the large hall, or house
place" with all his retainers and
dependents, decided to become more
exclusive. A smaller room was
fitted with a "dressOir," a bedstead.
a chair, some benches and a board
on trestles that served as table.
This room was called a "parler" or
"privee parloir" and in it the fam
fly enjoyed a mode of living a bit
closer to our modern ideas on the
subject.
This change was not accomplished
without a struggle, the clergy and
the court party opposing it vigor-
ously In 1926 the new fashion
was the subject of a court ordi-
nance and a special pastoral from
Bishop Grosbeste. The text of this
document pointed out that "sundrie
noblemen and gentlemen and others
doe much delighte to dyne in cor
ners and secret places" and this
practice was greatly deplored.
The Custom Grew.
Nevertheless, the custom of using
common and soon they were di-
vided, naturally enough, into liv-
ing room, dining room, etc. Bar
ret's "Alvearie," published In 1880,
defines ''parler" as "a place to sup
in" and in 1855 JohnsOn's dictfon-
ary gives what is believed to be
the first definition of dining room :
"a room in houses on the first floor
elegantly furnished for reception or
entertainment"
Having provided man with a din
ing room. the way is cleared for
the buffet. The word appeared
during the Sixteenth century, used
to describe continental pieces of
furniture, but just what these
pieces were is difficult to ascer-
tain.
The sideboard, as the buffet was
called, may be said to have been
introduced in England during the
reign of William III, 1650-1702. The
term stately sideboard" occurs in
Millions paradise Regained" (1676)
and Dryden, in his translation OF
"Juvennal" (1693) used the follow.
ing in comparing his own times with
the classic era:
"No sideboards then with gifted
plate were dressed.p
The lack of sideboards is ex.
planned by the fact that architects
of the period had a fondness fol-
symmetry. Since one door into q
room was necessary as an entrance
and exit, they balanced this with
another door, behind which they
placed a cupboard in which was
stored ''glass, crockery and reserve
wine" Examples of this custom
exist today at st. James and Ken.
sington palaces.
BY the middle Of the Eighteenth
century, these extra doors and hid
den cupboards had gone out OF