Page 2 - 1850s to 1860s

Picture Frames My book on Collecting Frames Museum Gift Shop on pages 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d & 6e.

Best - A very unusual and attractive, large American ripple frame varient with a composition repeating ripple pattern from about 1860. This is the first that I have seen of this style of ripple. It is 19 x 24 3/4 inches o.d. and has a 16 x 22 inches pic. size.

A superb 1855 walnut frame with a gold inner crosswork that would hold 4 quarter plates or CDVs. It is 10 x 12 inches od. and has (4) 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches pic. size.

Best - An unusual Mahogany, multi-image frame with crisscross corners, white porcelain beads, and a mirror, that would hold 30 CDVs. It is 24 3/4 x 31 3/4 inches od. and has (24) 2 1/2 x 3 3/4 inch pic. size. The top row is a touch shorter at 2 1/2 x 3 5/8 inches.

Best - A beautiful two-tone mahogany example sized to hold a small, oil portrait or daguerreotype photograph from 1840-1850. 7 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches od.

Best - Rare 1840-50 beautiful birdseye maple veneer in the style of an the more common mahogany mirror frame. It is 22 x 31 inches od. and has a 14 x 23 3/4 inches pic. size. This is the 1st birdseye maple frame like this that I have ever found.

Best - A beautiful three-tone mahogany & maple example with the finest grade mahogany ca. 1840. It is 21 x 29 inches od. and has an 11 3/4 x 19 3/4 inch pic. size.

Better - An nice quality 1840s-50 mahogany veneer. It is 12 7/8 x 15 inches od.	Good - An 1840s-50 mahogany veneer. This type of hanger (on top) was phased out by the mid-1850s. It is 13 1/2 x 16 1/2" od. often called Currier & Ives-type frame.

A pair of ca.1850, beautiful, Half plate, faux tortoise daguereotype frames. Each is 8 3/4 x 10 1/4 inches od. and has a pic.size of 4 1/2 x 5 3/4 inches.

Best - An 1850s English rosewood piece with exceptional graining and a gilded liner. The frame is 15 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches outside and holds an image that is 10 3/4 x 13 inches.	Better - A mid-1850s gutta percha photo frame with an ambrotype of a sign painter. The frame is 5 1/8 x 6 1/2 inches od. and holds an image that is 3 1/4 x 4 inches.

Best - I constantly look for unusual frames and this one is a beauty. An 1860s rosewood piece with exceptional graining, a gilded liner and a birdseye maple outer frame. The frame is 15 1/2 x 18 3/4 inches with a pic. size 11 1/4 x 14 1/4 inches. Thanks to Tom for making it available to buy.

Better - 1860s gutta percha with a mourning drape design. It was made to hold a CDV image. The carte-de-visite was introduced in the very late 1850s. By 1860, it was the photograph format of choice and images were made by the millions.	Better - 1860s gutta percha (also called thermoplastic) with a flower design. It was made to hold a CDV image.

The 1850s brought in a refinement of the earlier styles. You will find that many antique dealers use the term "ogee" too freely when describing wood-veneer frames. Actual ogee pieces have an "S" curve in the wood.

Better to Best - An ogee mahogany and walnut piece made to hold 4 CDV photographs. Made in the late 1850s to 1860s. It is 14 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches od.	Better - An unusual carved walnut example to hold an oval photograph. Made in the 1860s. It is 13 x 18 1/2 inches od.

Better - A gilded, wood frame from the 1850s. These are described as "honey-colored" or "lemon-gilded" frames. They are actively sought by collectors. 11 3/4 x 15 3/4" od.	Better - A lemon-gilded wood example from the 1850s. They often show wear, but this just adds to their honest history. In many cases, these were silver leafed and then colored with a yellow varnish. It is 11 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches od.

Better - A nice wood, outside boarder, cushion-style, with feet, nice site edge. An Amish made piece found in Pennsylvania. Mahogany veneer & faux bois frame from the 1850s. It has nice wood and is 17 x 22 inches od. and has a 14 x 19 1/4 inches pic. size.	Better - An ogee, mahogany-veneer with a tiger-stripe faux bois application on the inner and outer edges from the 1850s. It is 17 x 22 inches od.

Better to best - Ogee pieces can be found in many grades of wood. The better the quality of the wood, the better the piece. A high quality, ogee, mahogany-veneer frame from the 1850s-1860s. It is 20 1/8 x 22 1/8 inches od.	Better - A cushion-style, mahogany and walnut-veneer frame from the 1850s-1860s. It has great wood and is 18 3/4 x 25 1/4 inches od.

Best - A ogee mahogany-veneer frame from the 1850s. It has great wood and is 21 3/4 x 30 3/4 inches od. and has a 13 1/4 x 22 1/4 inch pic. size.

Best - The highest quality, ogee, mahogany-veneer piece from the 1850s-1860s. The wood is richly figured and artfully assembled. It is 14 3/8 x 16 1/4 inches od.

Better - An unusual, fruitwood, ogee piece from the 1850s-1860s. 10 1/2 x 11 inches od.	Better - A nice quality, ogee mahogany-veneer-from the 1850s-1860s. It is 8 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches od.

Better - A heavy piece with gilded flowers from about 1860. It is 14 x 16 inches od. and has an 8 x 10 inch pic. size.

With the coming of the 1860s, American frame makers began to rely upon the more readily available supply of walnut wood for their frames. There is no shortage of good walnut frames available to the collector. They can be found in all sizes. Look for good quality in the gilded finish of the "sight" (the inner edge of the frame that touches the picture).

Good - Walnut with a decorated sight from the 1860s. 11 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches od.	Good - Walnut with a plain gold sight from the 1860s. It is 14 x 17 inches od.

Good - An unusual walnut, arched example from the 1860s-1870s. 11 3/8 x 13 3/8 inches od.	Good - Walnut with a decorated gold sight from the 1860s. It is 15 3/8 x 17 5/8 inches od.

Better - A rustic, branch, mahogany example from the 1860s. It is 11 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches od.	Best - A walnut, rustic piece with a decorated inner molding is from the 1860s. This is a rare frame because of the decoration on the gilded area. A naturalist movement was beginning the art world in the mid-1860s and this design was supposed to represent pebbles at the bottom of a stream. The style was gone by the end of the 1860s. It is 11 x 12 1/2 inches od.

A gilded piece with a decorated inner molding is from the 1860s. This is a slightly more common design than the above "pebbles at the bottom of a stream" on the inner frame because the design was supposed to represent leopard skin. The style was gone by the end of the 1860s. It is 12 x 13 inches od.

Best - A larger, walnut, rustic piece with highly detailed carved branches and a gilded sight. It was probably made at the end of the 1860s to possibly 1870. It is 19 x 22 inches od. with a 12 x 15 1/8 inch pic. size.

Best - Like a 4 tier birthday cake, this beautiful, deep, walnut example is a piece of folk art. It dates to the late 1860s, possibly early 1870s. It is 17 1/2 x 15 5/8 inches od. (outside dimension) and has a 10 x 12 inch pic. size.

Better - Walnut with a gilded sight from the late 1860s. The carved & decorated wood gives it leg up on most walnut examples. It is 12 3/4 x 14 3/4 inches od.	Good - Walnut made up with crisscross pieces with porcelain buttons from the late 1860s-1870s. 15 x 17 inches od.