The Victorian furniture era had some very specific pieces that were typical of the period. Among the most classic of Victorian pieces was the “etagere” also commonly known as a “whatnot”. These particular pieces were stands with shelves atop them. Many were extremely ornate and highly decorated. Often mirrors would be a part of the backing for the shelves. The “whatnot” was specifically used to show off small artistic pieces known as bric-a-brac.
The davenport also found a place of prominence in the Victorian era. The davenport has become almost totally associated with the era although it piece was originated in the 18th century. The small neat desk became extremely popular during the Victorian era. It became such a common piece of furniture that most homes, even the middle class houses, contained a davenport.
Of course for the more affluent of the Victorian age the davenport bloomed, exhibiting cleverly hidden drawers. Curving cabinet lids on runners were common in the more davenports found in the more affluent homes. These pieces were actually valued much more for their decoration than usefulness. Note the distinctions between the two Victorian davenports.
Interestingly many Victorian funiture pieces are gender specific. We have all seen the pair of chairs, one with arms, the other without. The arm chair was designed for the gentleman’s comfort. The armless chair with the curving sides was designed for the woman who wore the large skirt over crinolines. The armless chair was designed so she could sit and rise from sitting with grace.
We also are aware of the wing-backed upholstered arm-chair called the “grandfather” or the “firesider”. These chairs were designed for the gentleman to relax in front of the fire following dinner, often with a gentleman friend.
During the Victorian period papier mache tables became popular. As shown, tilt top tables were favorites for papier mache tops. There were even chairs and beds made of papier mache. Many of the more colorfully decorated tables, especially the smaller table tops, are done in papier mache.
America had its own influence on the Victorian era. Although it is said that the rocking chair was created in England and in America in the 1760s, it must be noted that classic form of rocking chair is the “Boston” rocker. As a simple rocking chair became a household staple in America, the English, not to be outdone by the colonists began to upholster rockers and add springs. During the Victorian era, American rocking chairs were shipped to England and sold as “American Common Sense Chairs” used to aid in digestion.
During the Victorian era mechanical carving also became extremely popular as a part of the Elizabethan Revival. There were panels with open decoration and interlacing bands known as strapwork. The early Victorian era embraced the designs and the style. The Elizabethan Revival during this era mixed Tudor styling with ornamentation crowning a chair. The purists criticized the style as “an imperfect” imitation of Greek and Gothic styles. Even the criticism did not diminish the popularity.
The Elizabethan Revival was followed by the Louis XIV Revival. Most of the furniture during this timeframe illustrated a French influence on the Victorian era. It became very popular and affordable for the middle class. Although the revival was named for Louis XIV, it must be said it the influence was a much from the Louis XV era or the Neo-Rococo style. In fact, with such a blurring of styles, this influence is often called simply “Louis”.
As the Victorian era progressed, it seems that most of the previous major styles had a revival, some lasting longer and having more influence than others. There were specific influences by major designers of the era that are too detailed for this article. However, of particular note is that manufacturing of furniture became a part of construction near the end of the Victorian era, bringing many types and style of furniture to the middle classes.
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