Antiques prove that tradition didn’t always rule
Sometimes, people like to think of the past as a steady, stable time where tradition ruled the day. Ironically, learning about antiques can prove that notion wrong; and some of the best lessons can come from 19th-century furniture. Technological advances made complicated furniture designs more accessible, and the growing nouveau riche meant more customers in need of furniture, often with more extravagant tastes. The Merklen Brothers of New York, active between the 1880s and 1900, were among the furniture makers taking advantage of new tools and catering to new tastes. The chair ...
