Antique furniture

This article describes the functional antiques that are among the furniture and furnishings in the Folger building. These pieces are genuine antiques, but they are primarily decorative and functional, not objects for research and study as part of the Folger's collecting mission.

Parmelee furniture

Many of the antiques in use at the Folger came through wealthy Washingtonian Alice Maury Parmelee (1862-1940), a friend of Mrs. Folger. Some were loaned or given during Mrs. Parmelee's lifetime, many others were left to the Folger in her will. This antique furniture was intended to be decorative and functional rather than to be museum pieces. Some of the "Jacobean" items, for example, are made up from several pieces of Jacobean-era furniture, plus new material, in order to make something attractive and useful. Other items have no connection to Shakespeare or Shakesperae's era at all, and were purely decorative, such as the "Antique bed spread with Bokhara floral embroidery...used as a rail hanging" that hung in the Librarian's Office for many years. See the "Parmelee Furniture" file under "Furniture" in the Curatorial Files for more information.

Antiques conserved and repaired in between 1999 and 2002

See Curatorial files under "Furniture" for treatment reports and photo documentation. Conservation and repair was done by Bruce Schuettinger, with re-uphostery by Junius. The quoted descriptions, below, are from Schuettinger's treatment schedule and treatment reports.

• "A group of American manufactured William and Mary style slipseat side chairs consisting of two armcharis and 11 side chairs; primary wood mahogany, secondary wood unknown; circa 1920"
• "A pair of English James II Period Tudor style oak splayed leg stools; circa 1620"
• "An English Elizabethan Period oak court cupboard with inlaid elements, dated 1584"
• "An English Elizabethan Period oak refectory table; circa 1580 to 1620"
• "A pair of English Jacobean oak carved benches"
  • These benches are currently under the south windows in the Founders' Room
• "A group of four American-manufactured Elizabethan style upholstered armchairs"
• "A group of three colonial Revival Period American manufactured oak plan seat Jacobean style side chairs by Westing, Evans, and Egmore"
• "An English Jacobean period triangular form gateleg table"
• "A group of seven American manufactured Elizabethan style uphostered armchairs"