Sent to me by Lynn in Rhode Island, this table seemed well suited for her purpose. With little space available in an open corner, she was browsing around to find a small table on which to use her laptop.
She and her husband were looking in a consignment store when they spotted this table lost over in a corner with stuff piled all around and on top of it.
She says, "What caught my eye was the legs are not straight, they curl outwards. I thought the style of the legs was called "lion feet", but the person at the store referred to them as "crow feet". The feet tips are brass, and the top folds in half. The expandable top is great!"
She remembered her grandmother having one like it that was placed against a wall with a lamp set upon it. As a child, she wasn't allowed near it. Her grandmother told her it had belonged to her mother.
After clearing the stuff away from the table at the consignment store, she noticed that the draw pulled out, and the top folded out to be completely open. On the underside, there's a tag which reads, "Mersman 7380" inside a triangle. (The marking pictured to the right is not from Lynn's table, but for those interested, it offers an idea of what it looks like.)
In doing research online later, she found that the maker most likely designed it as a game table. Similar tables were used as decorative accent tables.
In reading further, she learned:
What Lynn is curious about is the value of the table. From what I've found online, although known for excellent construction and innovative styling, Mersman tables may have little collector value today due to their overwhelming availability. She paid $125.00 for hers.
She and her husband were looking in a consignment store when they spotted this table lost over in a corner with stuff piled all around and on top of it.
She says, "What caught my eye was the legs are not straight, they curl outwards. I thought the style of the legs was called "lion feet", but the person at the store referred to them as "crow feet". The feet tips are brass, and the top folds in half. The expandable top is great!"
She remembered her grandmother having one like it that was placed against a wall with a lamp set upon it. As a child, she wasn't allowed near it. Her grandmother told her it had belonged to her mother.
After clearing the stuff away from the table at the consignment store, she noticed that the draw pulled out, and the top folded out to be completely open. On the underside, there's a tag which reads, "Mersman 7380" inside a triangle. (The marking pictured to the right is not from Lynn's table, but for those interested, it offers an idea of what it looks like.)In doing research online later, she found that the maker most likely designed it as a game table. Similar tables were used as decorative accent tables.
In reading further, she learned:
In the 1920's the company was producing an extraordinary line of dining and occasional tables. One of its strongest sellers was the "davenport" table, the company name for what is now known as a sofa table. In 1928 alone it offered 139 varieties of davenport tables ranging in price from $12.00 to $80.00, a princely sum in 1928.
Based in Celina, Ohio, The Mersman Bros. Corporation had warehouses located in major metropolitan areas including New York, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles and Minneapolis.
The product offerings in the 1920's and 1930's included a number of lines of dining tables and bedroom furnishings, but the concentration was clearly on occasional and special purpose tables. A sample product listing in 1929 includes library tables, davenport tables, davenport extension tables, console tables with or without mirrors, gateleg tables, coffee tables (among the very first) and radio table cabinets. The construction techniques and materials used by Mersman during the 20's, 30's and 40's were typical of the period.
What Lynn is curious about is the value of the table. From what I've found online, although known for excellent construction and innovative styling, Mersman tables may have little collector value today due to their overwhelming availability. She paid $125.00 for hers.
To read more...
MERSMAN TABLES: THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!
Visit Fred Taylor's website: www.furnituredetective.com.
Fred's book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is available for $18.95 plus $2.00 S & H. Send check or money order for $20.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.Fred and Gail Taylor's video, "IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE", ($29.95 includes S & H) is also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377, fax (352) 563-2916, or e-mail fmtaylor@aol.com.
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1 comment:
Great article. Yes it is true it is very difficult to find information on Mersman furniture but it is very beautiful.
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