The vague and mysterious Dr. Victor Ravensmark is as vague and mysterious as his pseudonym. Dr. Ravensmark is a fan of the Victorian era, especially post-1870s American Victorian. Since part of Bryony takes place in upper Michigan in the early 1890s, Dr. Ravensmark kindly agreed to occasionally share some of his knowledge of the time period.
This is the last of a three-post interview where Dr. Ravensmark shared how and why his Victorian interest began and grew: with Victorian furniture.
1) What makes late nineteenth century American furniture significant?
“This was when the U.S. began to industrialize in a major way, and the styles of the time reflect this. Yes, clothes and furniture were being machine made, but they still cared about craftsmanship and quality. I also like their imitation of nature in the styles of the times.”
2) Is that better than modern craftsmanship?
“That’s part of its charm to us, in the modern era of streamlined sameness, cold stainless steel and boxy buildings. When you see an old Victorian house that is nicely preserved, you can’t help but smile and admire the fussiness in the detail and craftsmanship that went into it. That goes for furniture, too.”
3) How does that relate to Victorian furniture?
“The carpenters of the time use machines to carve lines and curves into wood, but they used sold, high quality wood and, importantly, they put style and detail into what they made. The results are beautiful and lasting. Some of the walnut Victorian furniture has lasted over 120 years and, with care, will last hundreds of years more.”
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Showing posts with label Dr. Victor Ravensmark. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Victor Ravensmark. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Getting to Know Dr. Victor Ravensmark Part 2
The vague and mysterious Dr. Victor Ravensmark is as vague and mysterious as his pseudonym. Dr. Ravensmark is a fan of the Victorian era, especially post-1870s American Victorian. Since part of Bryony takes place in upper Michigan in the early 1890s, Dr. Ravensmark kindly agreed to occasionally share some of his knowledge of the time period.
Today, continuing the interview begun last week, Dr. Ravensmark shares his beginning interest in Victorian furniture.
4) Did you buy or simply admire?
“I was a graduate student with a young family, so it was out of my price range, but it was still fun to look. But since I was studying economics and working on my PhD, the open-air flea markets fascinated me in another way, too, with the raw bargaining that was going on all around. Tragically, we would also see furniture that was damaged or worn and, worst of all, painted! The horror!”
5) So you never collected the pieces?
“Later, we would buy a simple piece here and there and more after we moved to Ohio, where it seemed like everything was on sale because prices were much lower than Chicago (law of supply and demand in action—again, an economist thing). Our interest waned as our children got older, and we didn’t have the time or money to buy things. But once in while, like on a business trip, I’ll duck into an antique store and just look. I risk falling in love with something, but I may be a thousand miles from home, so that imposes some discipline.”
6) Why do you lean toward American Victorian?
“Nothing against the Queen herself, but it was a fascinating time in American history, particularly the later years of her reign, after the 1870s.”
Today, continuing the interview begun last week, Dr. Ravensmark shares his beginning interest in Victorian furniture.
4) Did you buy or simply admire?
“I was a graduate student with a young family, so it was out of my price range, but it was still fun to look. But since I was studying economics and working on my PhD, the open-air flea markets fascinated me in another way, too, with the raw bargaining that was going on all around. Tragically, we would also see furniture that was damaged or worn and, worst of all, painted! The horror!”
5) So you never collected the pieces?
“Later, we would buy a simple piece here and there and more after we moved to Ohio, where it seemed like everything was on sale because prices were much lower than Chicago (law of supply and demand in action—again, an economist thing). Our interest waned as our children got older, and we didn’t have the time or money to buy things. But once in while, like on a business trip, I’ll duck into an antique store and just look. I risk falling in love with something, but I may be a thousand miles from home, so that imposes some discipline.”
6) Why do you lean toward American Victorian?
“Nothing against the Queen herself, but it was a fascinating time in American history, particularly the later years of her reign, after the 1870s.”
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Getting to Know Dr. Victor Ravensmark Part 1
The vague and mysterious Dr. Victor Ravensmark is as vague and mysterious as his pseudonym. Dr. Ravensmark is a fan of the Victorian era, especially post-1870s American Victorian. Since part of Bryony takes place in upper Michigan in the early 1890s, Dr. Ravensmark kindly agreed to occasionally share some of his knowledge of the time period.
For the next three Tuesdays, Dr. Ravensmark will share how and why his Victorian interest began and grew.
1) Were you always drawn to the Victorian age?
“Our interest (my wife and I) started back in the early 1980s in Chicago where some friends of ours were antique dealers. They were a brother and sister team that collected and sold glassware and pottery made in the early to mid 20th century, along with anything else that caught their attention. They were very resourceful on their hunts.”
2) How did that affect you?
“We would go with them on occasion to garage sales, flea markets, auctions, and antique malls—anywhere that might have what they collected for sale at bargain prices (something like ‘American Pickers’ TV program on the History channel—see http://www.history.com/shows/American-pickers—but in and around the city of Chicago). I was only mildly interested in the things they collected, but I began to develop an interest in the Victorian furniture we would often see.”
3) Why furniture?
“Some of it was beautiful—solid walnut dressers with machined lines and carvings and ornamentations on top panels that made the piece over eight feet high, marble table tops with curved molded aprons and applied rosettes, balloon backed chairs with carved floral crests—where did this stuff come from? Who made it? With a little research, I found a lot of what I was seeing was made in the 1870s through about 1910. The walnut furniture that I liked was mostly from the 1870s and 1880s.”
For the next three Tuesdays, Dr. Ravensmark will share how and why his Victorian interest began and grew.
1) Were you always drawn to the Victorian age?
“Our interest (my wife and I) started back in the early 1980s in Chicago where some friends of ours were antique dealers. They were a brother and sister team that collected and sold glassware and pottery made in the early to mid 20th century, along with anything else that caught their attention. They were very resourceful on their hunts.”
2) How did that affect you?
“We would go with them on occasion to garage sales, flea markets, auctions, and antique malls—anywhere that might have what they collected for sale at bargain prices (something like ‘American Pickers’ TV program on the History channel—see http://www.history.com/shows/American-pickers—but in and around the city of Chicago). I was only mildly interested in the things they collected, but I began to develop an interest in the Victorian furniture we would often see.”
3) Why furniture?
“Some of it was beautiful—solid walnut dressers with machined lines and carvings and ornamentations on top panels that made the piece over eight feet high, marble table tops with curved molded aprons and applied rosettes, balloon backed chairs with carved floral crests—where did this stuff come from? Who made it? With a little research, I found a lot of what I was seeing was made in the 1870s through about 1910. The walnut furniture that I liked was mostly from the 1870s and 1880s.”
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