1889 Victorian House Restoration

Dreaming of my dream shower.

2026-04-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends. As I begin thinking about what next project to work on in the house, one thing is certain, the long goal will be to get to the kitchen. But before I can get to the kitchen, I have a few projects that must be completed before this for logistic reasons. One of these that I need to work on is the master bath. Originally when the house was built, it only had 1 indoor bathroom on the 2nd floor. A luxury for the time of course, but not so functional today. At some point, one of the bedrooms on the 2nd floor had been plumbed in for a bathroom, but not entirely completed. It has a nice big clawfoot tub it in, but has room for a stand up shower. I knew I would want a shower and of course with my obsessive desire to have everything old, I knew not any shower would do, but I needed a needle shower.

What is a needle bath or shower you ask? Well it's this device. Sometimes call a rib cage shower. It has these semi circular bars that shoot out jets of water onto your body, allegedly like needles, to stimulate your internal system. Along with the rain fall shower head, these things used large pipes and large amounts of water to spray and cover every piece of you in sensation. You could use it only with the shower head, or just the needles or the whole thing. The ultimate in luxury and cleanliness.

These are absolutely NOT easy to find nor are they cheap, so when I found one for sale in Texas (remember I am in Minnesota), I could not let the opportunity pass me up. I bid at auction and won this exact L. Wolff Shower.

Tiny holes in the horizontal bars spray out water on you. It also came with the marble walls, but sadly no base which is a different problem I am trying to solve.

A similar shower to mine made by Speakman.

The base was made of marble and had a groove for the walls to sit into. Along with that a small lip edge in the pan to funnel water to the drain. I have two options. I have been in touch with some specialized marble fabricators who say they can make the base for me. This is my ideal method so that it's looking as it originally did. This does worry me however because new marble slabs are not as thick as the original so I am concerned how water tight I can get it, with no groove for the walls to sit into.

The other option I could do is this. Just make a tile shower pan. The rest of the master bathroom floor is wood, so I wonder how a tile shower pan would look around the wood floors in the room. I would ideally also like to add a glass door to the shower, since I suspect this was get water everywhere when it's running. So I have some challenges to think of. This is a monumental project to say the least. It will not only require plumbing lines that are 3/4" so supply the volume of water, but apparently these use up the hot water quickly too, meaning my tank could drain quite quickly. Does this mean I need a hot water on demand unit for this too? Oh the joys of owning an old house and having to do things my way. I can't wait to see what I come up with, but for now, the shower is just a dream, sitting in my garage until the day I can bring it back to life, hopefully soon.

Everything you wanted to know about cast iron warming ovens

2026-03-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

I hope today finds you well wherever the world might take you. On one of my last posts, a follower Jim mentioned that I should talk about the warming oven cast iron radiator I had in my kitchen after a very long and painful restoration process. You can read all about the restoration of the radiator here: Warming Oven Restoration Part I and here: Cast Iron Warming Oven Restoration Part II and here: Cast Iron Warming Oven Part III

When Radiators Served Dinner: The Lost Art of the Warming Oven

There are certain objects that stop you in your tracks and not because they are rare or expensive, but because they reveal an entirely different way of living. The warming oven is one of them for me. What sits in my kitchen is not just a radiator to heat the space. It’s a cast iron warming oven, what period catalogs called a “hot closet radiator.” At first glance, it looks like an ornate Victorian heater with a box and decorative doors. But open those doors, and you begin to understand: this was never just about heat. This was about hospitality, essentiality of keeping food warm and also perhaps novelty of a new fangled object.

What Is a Warming Oven Radiator?

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as central heating systems began to supplement fireplaces, something interesting happened. Heat was no longer coming just from a single source. It could be distributed throughout the house and be more controlled, steady, and always keeping the house warm.

Manufacturers began designing radiators that did more than warm a room. Some incorporated shelves, racks, or enclosed cabinets allowing them to function as not only heaters for the room but also as a warming oven.

Here ew can see an advertisement for a panty plate warmer.

A period example of the plate warmer inside a cabinet.

These were most commonly found in dining rooms and butler’s pantries as well as commercial establishments, and their purpose was simple but transformative: to keep things warm in an era of cold buildings.

Today, we hardly think of pulling a plate from a cabinet and setting it on the table. But in a Victorian home, particularly one built for entertaining, temperature mattered. A warm plate kept food hot longer. A properly heated dish elevated the entire experience. Even the act of serving became more refined as we probably know by the endless amount of utensils and serving pieces the Victorians made for a proper table.

These warming ovens allowed meals to unfold in courses without interruption and within the elegance and ritual a meal could be. Food could be held quietly in the background, neither overcooked nor cooling too quickly, while guests remained the focus.

I have often seen the discussions online that these were used to warm mittens, hats, boots and towels and while certainly that could be true, I found no period evidence that that was their suggested use. Only the mentions to use them to keep plates warm or to keep food warm. A multitasking object so to speak.

So how do they work? Well above is a photo of my radiator when it was being taken apart to be restored. Typically a radiator has a top section and a bottom section that connects it to the other fins which allows the water to flow through and heat up the unit while letting the colder water leave. My rococo radiator actually had 3 places to connect since it had a big metal box in the middle. Essentially the bottoms were connected to the supply and return, in the top of the middle sections you can see they connected to the taller end sections to keep water flowing and then the last few sections on the ends also connected at the top. This allowed water to flow through the whole radiator itself, but the warming box itself does not contain any water.

Radiator before restoration and before I discovered all the leaks.

In fact the box section simply sits on the radiator and the bottom of the box is a decorative grill which allows the heat from the lower section of the radiator to rise and get into the box. The box then has the closed top and doors to keep heat within it, while also heating the room.

Decorative top of the warming oven box.

I do find the warming oven does get warm, but certainly not hot enough to cook anything. However leaving things in there for a bit, especially China dishes, does indeed get them quite toasty. I would LOVE to have one of these in a master bath for towels, but there is one quark with these. Since all my other radiators are plumbed on one side (inlet on bottom and return at the top) and these warming ovens require inlet on bottom and return on the other side bottom, it would be impossible to re-pipe my existing bathroom for another one of these without tearing out finished work. Additionally these are so very hard to find, even if I could find a second one. So for now I will be happy with my one in the kitchen and when my kitchen gets restored, it will take a pride of place in it.

I hope you feel this covers everything ever wanted to know about these warming ovens, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will answer them best I can. Until next time and next project my friends!

The Parlor Transformation

2026-03-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends,

You might have noticed that I am trying some different things on my blog. Trying to organize posts here on blogger and trying to increase my visual presence online through Instagram: The Vintage Dandy Instagram Page , Facebook: The Vintage Dandy Facebook Page , Pinterest: The Vintage Dandy Pinterest Page hopefully at some point some other spots. I love what I do so much that I want to share it with everyone who has interest and maybe even turn it into a little more of a passion project than it already is. Today I thought I would do a retrospective of the parlor to show what I've done with it over the years.

Before:

When I moved in this is how the parlor fireplace looked. Still original but surrounded by not shining like it should be. I would say it was the most intact of the rooms in the house, but that does not mean it was devoid of work. It had a blue carpet covering the hardwood floors, a little wallpaper border and a popcorn ceiling. It had much of its original woodwork and luckily the fireplace was in great shape, but it was missing its stained glass windows, pocket doors and to the left of the fireplace, where you can partially see a wall, was a closed in opening to the library, which I had no idea was there. The parlor wasn't first on my list, but it was high. I think the first thing I did to this room was to tear out the carpet and wallpaper and paint the room to make it comfortable. You can see some more photos of the room and the house when I bought it here: The Parlor Before

One of the first things I did to the room to restore the character was to put back in some of the stained glass. Since it was missing, I had no idea what it would have first looked like, but I hired the best stained glass company in the cities to recreate mine based off a neighbors windows. I love how it turned out and this was a very expensive project at the time! You can see a little more about the stained glass for the parlor here: Parlor Stained Glass

When I was ready to get into bigger projects in the room, it was BIG. Firstly I found some pocket doors that matched the original missing pocket doors and put those in. This required opening the doorway up to it's original size which meant some plaster removal (since drywall was glued over plaster) and opening up the opening between the parlor and library. In the process I discovered a very early wallpaper pattern which was in the room.

Here you can see where I opened up the pocket door opening back to it's original size and the doors are in the pockets. This was BIG job but really opened up the room to its correct portions. You can read more about this 1st big project I did in the room here: Start of the Parlor.

Here you can see to the left the pocket doors back in looking from the foyer towards the front door. Very annoyingly however, when I put the pocket doors back in, a radiator was blocking the full opening. That was a project for another day:

As this continued I don't believe I used the parlor for some time. I skim coated the walls, removed the popcorn ceiling and decided to hang some crown molding the in the room and then began the process of cleaning all the woodwork in the room. The wood was in OK condition, so I really just needed to clean it and then I did put one light coat of stain on it and shellacked it all so that it was all the same tone color.

The room slowly coming together. This was one of the only rooms that still had its original windows. Sadly the rollers for the weights in the windows had been cut out so I had the windows modified so they could be tilt out, weathertight then put new wood storm windows on them. Another pecky replacement radiator you can see that while it functioned well, it was off center and clunky in the piping. That was another discussion much later. You can see more about the parlor work here: Putting The Parlor Back Together

The next thing I did in the room to get it ready was to put in some Lincrusta above the picture molding. You can see a bit more about that here: Parlor Lincrusta

I got the Lincrusta in which was NOT easy and pained a gold color. I, at the time, decided this parlor would be a bit over the top and period inspired. If I had to do the parlor today, I might not have chosen the same designs of Lincrusta and wallpaper, but it still works well and I still love it today. You can see more about the hanging of this indestructible wall covering here: Hanging Lincrusta

After hanging the Lincrusta, I put up the picture railing, wallpaper, ceiling medallion and chandelier. It REALLY brought the room together. I also scraped up enough money to have the big stained glass window put back in too. Once all this was completed, I was able to move back into this room and it served as my bedroom for many years.

You can see more of me hanging the wallpaper and see the final stained glass window in this room installed here: Parlor Nearing Complete

I began decorating the room with antiques. One piece I was very lucky to find was this amazing 5 foot + tall mirror. It fit well and while it wasn't exactly what I had in mind for the room it added so much drama and light! You can see more about me furnishing the room here: Parlor Victorian Touches

Eventually I got to the point where I could no longer look at a non functional fireplace. It was one of the huge selling features of the house and to no have it alive again killed me. Unfortunately, getting it back to working nearly killed me financially. The fireplaces in the house were build as coal fireplaces, too shallow for wood and I considered a long time what I could do. I eventually decided on a gas insert which would fit the shallow opening. The unfortunately meant work on the chimney that had not been used in 60+ years.

I ended up having to have the chimney rebuilt from the roof up and the flues were blocked with so much debris and bricks that they almost weren't able to clear them. It also meant putting liners in the flues. You can read more about this process here: Start of the Chimney Fireplaces

After however I got the fireplace working and the room really was 90% there in my vision:

Perfect for chilly days, this insert really kicks off a lot of heat. You can see some more photos of the chimney and fireplace here: Parlor Fireplace Finished

The original parlor windows looking from the porch inside. As you can see the stained glass is all protected with wood storm windows and the others storms on the main windows keep it very well insulated.

Now the room was really 95% there I felt. Mind you this whole process has taken maybe 15 years at least? I forget about how much time goes into making these rooms how I want them to be. I still have 2 more projects in my opinion to get the room to 100%. One of those is that the floors needs refinishing on the ground floor. This will be a very big job obviously requiring me to clear out the main floor for a period of time, which is no small task. That one will have to wait a bit longer, but one last BIG thing I could do on the parlor was the radiator. Remeber the mismatched radiator in this room? I was a later replacement, perhaps when they duplexed the house in 1916, and while it heated well, it was off centered and didn't match the rest of the radiators in the house design wise.

Here is maybe the best shot I have of the radiator. This is when I moved in and the radiator remained there for a long time while I renovated around it. However the day came when I found the perfect radiator for the room.

Radiator gone and a new/antique one came it. It was in a fancy design to match the other radiators in the house and was much wider to sit on. It also opened up the room slightly.

You can read about the whole process here: New Parlor Radiator

I am fairly happy with the room. My furniture placement and flow needs work, along with the art, but overall I am very comfortable to say my Victorian Parlor is alive again.

Until next time my friends!

Vintage Kitchen Accessories I’m Collecting for My 1930s Kitchen

2026-03-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

As I keep thinking about what the next project will be for the house (I'm dreaming of the kitchen) I have been buying all my accessories for what will compile into the dream. When designing a period kitchen, it’s often the smaller accessories that make the biggest difference. These everyday objects—bread boxes, lighting, enamelware—are what transform a space from something that looks vintage into something that actually feels original.

With the stove currently being restored, I will build the kitchen and colors around this image. If you want to read ALL about my stove you can see the links here: Wedgewood Stove Restoration

So I of course needs LOTS of accessories to go within the kitchen and to compliment my there. Here is what I have been buying so far.

A vintage cream and green bread box with glass top. Do I really need a bread box, no but I feel it will fit in perfectly! I found this one on eBay but they have lots of similar ones for sale: Vintage Bread Boxes on eBay

This 1930s bird shade pendant I envision going over the sink to provide some accent lighting. I just LOVE the style of it and think it will fit in perfectly. I see the exact shade is for sale on eBay (at time of writing this posting) : Parrot Light Shade eBay

This is my early 20th century earthenware kitchen sink and it is HEAVY! I have no idea how I'm going to get it in the house, but think it will be absolutely divine and I cannot wait to use it every day.

These basketweave shades will be what I want to use as pendants over the island. Yes I need an island because I have VERY little wall space for cabinets and countertops after the stove and sink are in. These I envision adding just the perfect lighting glow in the kitchen.

My 1935 GE Monitor top refrigerator. I found this rare version out in CA and had it shipped directly to the restoration place. I honestly haven't even seen it in person myself but I know it's going to be amazing. I have gone back and fourth a lot about what to do with this fridge. My first thought was to put it in the basement for extra beverage storage and use a modern fridge that looks period, but it just seemed to me to be such a shame to put such a beautiful object in the basement when I have a whole period kitchen going.

This was the fridge I considered to put in the kitchen. It looks authentic, but not cheap. So right now I am leaning to use the vintage GR fridge and then use freezer drawers That's what I am thinking now, but lets see what I do when the time comes.

Porcelier basketweave set of toaster, waffle maker, sandwich press, coffee percolator and coffee urn with creamer and sugar. These will go perfect with the light shades and these all work. You can see some current Porcelier toasters for sale here on eBay: Porcelier Toasters

So I think I have a good start. Of course I will have the annunciator hooked up and the speaking tube in, but that will have to wait for another post. I am getting excited, even if I am a distance from starting on the kitchen. I’ve been sourcing these pieces through a mix of antique shops, online listings, and vintage dealers. I’ll continue updating this list as I find more pieces that fit the kitchen.

Restoring the dining room

2026-03-20T05:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends and so happy to see you here today! I have been working to organize the blog a bit better and tidy it up so that you can see the progress in simpler locations to see the whole process. For those of you who haven't followed along for awhile, WELCOME! I'm Matt and have been restoring my 1889 Victorian since 2005. It's a slow process and since I do 99% of the work myself and I am so specific about my details it has taken me 20 years to get to this point. It's a labor of love and insanity frankly, but it's my happy place and I love it.

The Before:

This is the start of the dining room. I think I took this photo of my dad the first day I moved in. There was carpet on a diagonal strip in the middle of the room and a shoddy tile ceiling the lowered the height of the room. Here we were pulling all the tiles down from the ceiling. As you can see the room was pretty void of any character aside from a hutch that was put in probably during the 1918 conversation of the home into a duplex. The ceiling was lowered probably to not only keep in heat, but the original tall windows had long since been removed and shortened so the replacement windows fit into where the drop ceiling was. You can see some photos of the room and the house in some photos when I first moved in here: The Before of the Dining Room

After the ceiling and carpet was torn out the room was pretty much left as is for a long time. I painted it and made it into a dining room for a short time while I worked on other projects and well, that's how it sat for a number of years. One project that I knew would need to be done in this room however was to put the original hutch back in the room. The hutch in the photo was lovely, but I later found it, when it was placed there, it created many problems. I wouldn't know that until later however, but I was extremely lucky to have the original built in hutch still in the house. It had been moved upstairs at some point and put into a closet opening and what was originally a bedroom on the 2nd floor had been turned into a 2nd dining room for the upstairs unit. I knew it was original because it matched the same wood and same moldings and wood profiles as the pocket doors in the lower level. So with the typical tenacity I have, I knew it would have to go back home one day. To prepare for that "one day", I would have to strip the hutch of it's decades of paint.

It took me a LONG time to strip this beauty. You can read about me stripping the hutch here: Stripping the Hutch

A few years later I got an exciting tip from one of my neighbors. All the original stained glass from my house was gone, but one of my neighbors said she knew who had the one from the dining room. I about DIED! I tracked down the person and wrote her asking if she would sell it back to me. At the time she declined but would allow me to come have a look. I was happy to know what it would look like, but it was bittersweet to be so close to it yet not be able to bring it home. Finally after about 5 years, she agreed to give it back to me so that it could be home!!!

You can read about its homing coming here: Stained Glass Comes Home

The dining room again stayed in the background with so many other projects that would happen around the house. A few years later I found an amazing piece of fretwork that I decided to put in between the foyer and the dining room. Originally the room had a door that went from the foyer to the dining room, but that had long vanished and been opened into a large opening. I didn't like the large opening and while a door might have been more practical for heating reasons it would also keep the foyer rather dark. With no remains of the old doorway, I decided to make it just a large opening and put a beautiful piece of fretwork in between the two rooms. I got the piece of fretwork for a good deal, but it needed restoration.

This was a project I could not do, because I am not a woodworker, so I found someone to do it and you can see how it looked before and after its restoration: Fretwork Restoration

The fretwork restored it sat for some time until I was able to get it installed and put up. After I got it put in a trimmed out with trim that I had milled to match the original, it fit in quite nicely.

You can see it installed here: Fretwork Installed

Slowly the room got character back. One thing that I was very excited to put back in the room was the swinging door from the kitchen to the dining room. It was up in the attic and was HEAVY! I was so lucky this was here, because who doesn't love a swinging door. The doorway had been lowered when the room had been drywalled, so I had to open the frame back up but the original oak jamb was still there and I could see where the screw holes were. It was a joy to put it back in.

You can see more about me putting the swinging door back in here: Installing Swinging door

See that panel in the middle that was a different color? That panel had been broken in half. Luckily it had been kept with the door, but the color was wrong. It also had many years of old shellac on it. I knew the downstairs had originally been finished in a light white oak stain so I needed to strip the old shellac from the door to eventually match it up with all the new wood I would put in the room.

You can read more about part 2 of the swinging door saga here: Swinging Door Part 2

Eventually I got anxious and I decided I needed the old hutch back in the dining room to keep going. I thought this would be an easy process of taking the old one out and putting the older one back in it's place. Boy was I wrong!

Once I began removing the old one, all the old drywall and plaster fell off the wall. It was HUGE mess, but as you know with an old home, you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs. At this point there was no turning back and I knew I had to do the dining room. This meant taking the room back down to the studs sadly. Drywall had been put over all the plaster and removing that took all the plaster with it. This meant the whole room needed to start again and as anyone with an old house knows, taking out plaster while living around it is AWFUL! I did however get the room insulated and put bath together. You can see that whole process here: Dining Room Start

With the room now a blank slate I could begin putting it all back together. Trim I had milled to match the original profiles was put back in and the room began to feel old again! I put some decoration on the ceiling to make it a little fancier and it began to go back in time!

I was getting so excited to see this all feel old again! You can read more about this whole process of trimming the room and putting it back together here: Trim in Dining Room

With the room getting closer I was excited to think about the jewels for the room, the lighting. The first thing I found were some exquisite sconces to go on either side of the picture window. These were early gas electric fixtures that I knew would fit perfectly.

You can read more about the sconces and what they entailed here: Dining Sconces

Then it came time to stain all the woodwork. Oh what a project that was. The staining to match with the old woodwork of the pocket doors and the color of the hutch which I had done years before. Then shellac and sanding, repeat 3 times to get it just right. Then to select wallpaper and get it 90% done.

The room was really coming alive to feel like HOME! I still however needed to get the chandelier hung and put in the room to really finish the jewelry. I had bought this chandelier YEARS ago and it had been sitting patiently in the basement waiting for this day. 10 years I think I had it before it came back to life.

Here is the before photo of the chandelier when I bought it but wait until you see it hung and what I did with it! You can read all about the finished chandelier here: Dining Room Chandelier

With the room now let's say 95% done I still had a few small projects to do. One was to put the servant bell button in the floor. I had found an old floor button years ago and so needed to put the plate in the floor. Here is how it looks in the floor:

You can read more about the foot button here: Servant Floor Button

Most people at this point would call the room DONE, but I am too specific. This room more than likely had a long low radiator under the picture window rather than the radiator at one side. It also messed with my symmetry because I wanted to chairs next to the window and the radiator in the middle of the room. I have a problem I know but I just couldn't get over it.

I HAD to find a radiator that would go under the window and I HAD to find a radiator that would match the one for the parlor and match the others in the house. See how crazy I am? I found one and after a ton of work I got it put under the window. You can read about that whole process here: Dining Room Radiator

Now this room I would say is 98% done. What on earth could I have left to do you ask? Well, unfortunately all the floors on the 1st floor need to be redone. This will be a future project and one say I am hopeful to get there, but for now I love this room and I am so happy it's a dining room again after so many decades of being without it's beauty.

Judd WWI Cast Iron Picture Frames – Complete Guide to Designs

2026-03-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends!

As you may know (or perhaps don’t yet know), I am a passionate antique collector. From time to time, I fall down a collecting rabbit hole—completely absorbed until I feel I’ve reached some sense of completion, at least in my own mind. My most recent obsession has been a fascinating group of objects: World War I patriotic frames produced by the Judd Manufacturing Company.

During the years surrounding World War I, American manufacturers produced a wide range of patriotic decorative objects celebrating the Allied nations and the spirit of the time. Among the most intriguing, in my opinion, is a series of cast iron patriotic frames produced by the Judd Manufacturing Company of New Britain, Connecticut.

These frames feature beautifully detailed national symbols such as the American eagle, British lion, and early aviation imagery, reflecting both the patriotism and optimism of the era. When I began researching them, I quickly realized how little information is readily available. That lack of documentation only deepened my interest.

Because reliable information about these frames is scattered and difficult to find, I decided to document what I could myself. What started as a collecting obsession has turned into an attempt to record and illustrate all currently known designs of Judd World War I patriotic frames.

I believe I may have assembled a complete collection—but I would absolutely love to be proven wrong. If you are aware of additional examples not shown here, please share them.

The Judd Manufacturing Company

The Judd Manufacturing Company, located in New Britain, Connecticut, was a major American producer of decorative metalwork during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

The firm’s origins trace back to earlier companies connected with the Judd family, including H. L. Judd & Co., and individuals such as C. J. O. Judd. Over time, the company developed into a large and prolific manufacturer producing a wide range of metal goods including hardware, plaques, decorative castings, and architectural elements.

Many of these designs incorporated patriotic and symbolic imagery such as eagles, American flags, cannons, anchors, ships, and even early aircraft themes that would later appear in the patriotic frames I am showing here

During the early twentieth century, the company appears to have capitalized on the wartime spirit by producing a number of patriotic objects, including this remarkable series of cast iron frames associated with the First World War period.

These frames were cast in heavy iron, often finished in a bronze base with hand-painted polychrome accents. They were likely intended to display small portraits or patriotic imagery—perhaps honoring soldiers serving overseas or commemorating the Allied cause.

The designs consistently incorporate strong symbolic elements, reflecting the patriotic culture and visual language of the wartime years.

Known Judd Patriotic Frame Designs

Although documentation remains limited—and I have yet to locate a period catalog specifically illustrating these frames—several designs are known among collectors today.

This article represents my attempt to document them all in one place.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 877

Frame No. 877 numerically appears to be one of the earlier Judd patriotic frame series, yet it shares a number of distinctive symbolic elements associated with the later number frames.

The overall form follows a classic rectangular format with an architectural profile that Judd had already been making and includes stepped shoulders and molded borders typical of Judd’s cast metalwork. At the crest, the frame is surmounted by a spread-winged eagle, a recurring motif in American patriotic design, symbolizing national strength and unity.

Below the eagle, the upper register features a central shield flanked by draped American flags, rendered with hand-painted polychrome accents.

Along the vertical sides of the frame are crossed swords, another key symbolic element. These likely represent military service and readiness, reinforcing the wartime context of the piece.

At the base, the frame is marked with the dates “1917” and “1918”, directly referencing the United States’ involvement in World War I. Centered between these dates is a shield with an American flag motif, further reinforcing the patriotic theme.

The lower section also incorporates crossed cannons, a motif commonly associated with artillery units and military strength. These elements, combined with the swords and eagle, create a cohesive program of wartime symbolism.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9442

Frame No. 9442 shows a distinctly different approach within the Judd patriotic frame series and may offer important clues about how these designs were first developed.

Unlike Frame No. 877, which features a rectangular opening and a structured arrangement of overt military symbols, No. 9442 is designed with a circular opening set within a square architectural frame, giving it a softer and more decorative overall composition.

The most prominent feature of this example is the pair of crossed rifles at the crest, replacing the eagle seen in earlier designs. This shift in symbolism places greater emphasis on infantry service rather than generalized national identity.

The surface of the frame is comparatively restrained, with minimal applied patriotic imagery beyond the rifles and the date “1917” at the base. The absence of additional symbols such as flags, shields, or cannons gives this frame a more understated, almost transitional quality.

An interesting observation is that this frame appears to be based on an earlier Judd design documented in a 1913 catalog, predating the United States’ involvement in World War I.

The catalog example shows a nearly identical form. However, the earlier version lacks any patriotic or military symbolism. This strongly suggests that the Judd Manufacturing Company may have adapted pre-existing frame designs for wartime production, modifying them by adding symbolic elements.

Frame No. 9442 may represent a transitional or adapted design, bridging earlier decorative forms with later, more explicitly patriotic compositions. This relationship to earlier cataloged forms provides an interesting insight into how Judd likely approached production during the World War I period—not by designing entirely new objects, but by modifying existing patterns to reflect contemporary patriotic themes.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9433A & 9433B

Frame No. 9433 is known in at least two closely related variations, here designated as 9433A and 9433B. Both examples share the same overall design and are finished in polychrome, yet differ in one small detail. Both versions have the same rectangular shape with a central opening. The design includes:

a spread-winged eagle crest
draped American flags along the upper register
crossed swords along the vertical sides
a central shield element at the base
and crossed cannons beneath

These elements place No. 9433 firmly within the more fully developed patriotic designs of the Judd series. Version 9433A includes a clearly defined “1917” date incorporated into the central shield at the base of the frame. Version 9433B is nearly identical in form and decoration but does not include the “1917” date and does not have a shield over the cannons. This absence of the date is the primary distinguishing feature between the two versions.

The existence of both dated (9433A) and undated (9433B) versions suggests a subtle but important variation in production.

Possible interpretations might be:

the undated version may represent an earlier production variant
or it may reflect a parallel version offered without explicit wartime dating
alternatively, the dated version may have been introduced to emphasize patriotic significance during peak wartime production

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9444

Frame No. 9444 represents one of the more distinctive and, in my experience, less commonly encountered designs within the Judd patriotic frame series. Its most notable feature is the inclusion of Allied national symbolism, specifically the British Union Jack and the French flag, setting it apart from the more strictly American-focused examples. Like other frames in the series, No. 9444 follows a rectangular frame and incorporates several familiar Judd elements:

a spread-winged eagle crest
crossed swords along the vertical sides
crossed cannons at the base

However, the upper register introduces a more internationally focused symbolic program.

At the top, the frame features paired Allied flags:

the British Union Jack
the French tricolor

These are arranged symmetrically around a central heraldic lion shield, creating a clear visual emphasis on the Allied partnership. The inclusion of both the British and French flags is particularly significant. While most frames in the series emphasize American identity through symbols such as the eagle and shield, No. 9444 expands the visual narrative to reflect the broader Allied coalition during World War I. Compared to earlier examples, this frame shows a clear evolution in thematic focus:

from primarily American symbolism → to explicit Allied representation

This suggests that Judd may have expanded the series to reflect the growing importance of international alliances during the war. Frame No. 9444 appears to be less frequently seen than other designs in the series. Whether this reflects lower production numbers or survival rates is unclear, but its distinctive imagery and departure from more common designs make it a particularly notable example.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9445

Frame No. 9445 follows a format similar to earlier designs in the series but introduces a refined and more restrained composition centered on American symbolism. As with other examples, this design appears in two closely related variants, which I have identified as 9445A and 9445B.

Variants: 9445A and 9445B

The primary distinction between the two versions is the inclusion of a date:

9445A – includes a “1917” date at the base
9445B – identical in design but without the date

This variation mirrors what is seen in earlier frames such as No. 9433, suggesting that Judd may have produced both dated and non-dated versions of the same design, possibly for different markets or production runs. Frame No. 9445 is characterized by the same rectangular shape with an oval opening, giving it a slightly softer and more portrait-focused appearance compared to rectangular aperture examples.

Key design elements include:

a spread-winged eagle crest at the top
draped American flags flanking a central cartouche
a prominent oval opening, distinct from many other rectangular designs
crossed cannons at the base
(in 9445A) a “1917” date tablet, reinforcing its wartime association

The composition is more streamlined than some of the more elaborate frames, relying on fewer symbolic elements but presenting them with greater clarity.

Frame No. 9445 shares several similarities with No. 9433, particularly in its overall structure and use of:

eagle crest
flag drapery
cannon motifs

However, it differs in several important ways:

the oval opening instead of rectangular
a more simplified and balanced layout
reduced emphasis on additional symbolic layering

This suggests a design variation intended to offer a slightly different aesthetic while maintaining the same patriotic theme. The focus on American flags and national symbols, without the inclusion of Allied imagery, places this frame firmly within the domestic patriotic tradition of the series.

The presence (or absence) of the 1917 date is particularly interesting and may indicate:

early wartime production (dated versions)
continued production beyond the initial year (undated versions)

Frame No. 9445 is a strong example of Judd’s ability to reuse and adapt core design elements while introducing subtle variations in form and detail. The existence of both dated and non-dated versions further supports the idea of ongoing production and design flexibility during the wartime period.

Judd Patriotic Frames No. 9446 and No. 9447

Frames No. 9446 and No. 9447 represent another distinctive groupings within the Judd patriotic series. These two designs are nearly identical, differing primarily in the treatment of the flags at the top, suggesting a deliberate variation within the same design model. Both frames feature a rectangular form with an oval opening, combined with a more elaborate and narrative composition than earlier examples.

Key shared elements include:

a spread-winged eagle crest at the top
a central anchor with crossed bugles, introducing a strong naval and military signal corps theme
draped flags along the upper register
detailed naval imagery at the base, including:
- a battleship
- a lighthouse or coastal structure
a shell motif centered at the bottom

This combination of elements gives these frames a distinctly maritime and military character, setting them apart from more purely symbolic designs.

The primary distinction between the two frames lies in the flags:

No. 9446 – features paired American flags
No. 9447 – features a variation in the flag design, differing in arrangement and presentation

While subtle, this change suggests that Judd intentionally produced multiple versions of the same base design, possibly to offer variation without redesigning the entire frame. These frames are particularly interesting for their emphasis on naval power and coastal defense, rather than solely relying on national emblems like the eagle or shield.

The inclusion of:

the anchor
warships
and coastal imagery

points to a broader representation of the American war effort, extending beyond land-based symbolism. Compared to earlier frames such as Nos. 9433 and 9445, these designs:

are more narrative and scene-based
incorporate specific military themes (naval)
rely less on purely decorative symmetry and more on storytelling imagery

This may indicate a later or more developed phase in the series, where designs became increasingly detailed and thematic. Frames 9446 and 9447 demonstrate how Judd expanded beyond simple patriotic motifs to create more complex visual compositions reflecting different aspects of wartime identity.

The existence of two nearly identical versions with only minor differences reinforces a broader pattern seen throughout the series: standardized base designs with intentional variations

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9448

Frame No. 9448 represents a more restrained and simplified design within the Judd patriotic frame series. While it retains several core symbolic elements seen throughout the group, it lacks the heavier narrative detailing found in other examples. This frame follows a rectangular shape with a rectangular opening, creating a more structured and architectural appearance.

Key elements include:

a spread-winged eagle crest at the top
draped American flags flanking a central cartouche
a clean, open central field without additional interior ornament
crossed cannons at the base

Unlike many of the other frames, No. 9448 omits additional symbolic layering such as shields, dates, or maritime imagery. Perhaps the most notable aspect of this frame is its minimalist approach compared to other designs in the series. Instead, the design relies on a small number of well-placed patriotic elements, resulting in a composition that feels more balanced and understated. Frame No. 9448 highlights Judd’s ability to adapt a standard design vocabulary into multiple levels of complexity. It serves as an important example of the simpler end of the series, providing contrast to the more elaborate and symbolically dense frames.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9449

Frame No. 9449 is one of the more distinctive and less commonly encountered designs within the Judd patriotic frame series. Unlike most examples, which emphasize American or general Allied symbolism, this frame appears to incorporate a Canadian national theme, making it a particularly interesting and a rarer variation. The frame follows a rectangular format with a rectangular opening, consistent with several other designs in the series, and includes many familiar Judd elements:

a beaver on a log crest at the top
crossed swords along the vertical sides
crossed cannons at the base

At the center of the lower register is a prominent maple leaf, a clear symbol associated with Canada. What sets No. 9449 apart is its combination of multi-national imagery:

the British Union Jack
a second flag consistent with French colors
a central decorative beaver flanked by military motifs
the maple leaf, strongly suggesting a Canadian association

At the top crest, the presence of a beaver figure further reinforces this interpretation, as the beaver has long been a recognized national symbol of Canada. Taken together, the maple leaf and beaver imagery, combined with British and French references, strongly suggest that this frame was intended to represent Canada’s role within the Allied forces during World War I. This makes No. 9449 unique within the series as one of the clearest examples of a frame tied not just to the Allied cause broadly, but to a specific member nation within that alliance. In my experience, Frame No. 9449 appears to be more difficult to find than many other designs in the series. Whether this reflects lower production numbers or simply lower survival rates is unclear, but its distinctive national symbolism makes it a particularly desirable example among collectors.

At the time of writing I found this same Canada Frame for sale! Check out the eBay listing it here: Judd Canada WWI Frame

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9450

Frame No. 9450 represents another more restrained variation within the Judd patriotic frame series, continuing the use of core American symbols while reducing the overall complexity seen in more elaborate designs. This frame follows the same rectangular shape with a rectangular opening, maintaining a clean and structured appearance.

Key elements include:

a spread-winged eagle crest at the top
draped American flags along the upper register
a central shield with a single star, positioned between the flags
a relatively unadorned central field, emphasizing simplicity

Notably, this design omits many of the additional motifs seen in other frames. Compared to other examples in the series, No. 9450 is defined by its minimalist composition. Instead, the design centers on a small grouping of patriotic elements at the top, leaving the remainder of the frame largely undecorated. Frame No. 9450 aligns most closely with No. 9448, as both share:

a simplified structure
reduced symbolic layering
a focus on core American imagery

However, it differs in its inclusion of the central star shield, which adds a subtle focal point to the otherwise minimal design.

Compared to more elaborate frames such as Nos. 9446 and 9447, this example represents a clear shift toward economy of design and visual restraint. The use of:

American flags
a central star motif
and the eagle crest

suggests a continued emphasis on national identity, but without the additional narrative or symbolic complexity found in other examples.

This may indicate:

a later, simplified production
or a design intended for broader, more accessible appeal

Frame No. 9450 reinforces a broader pattern within the series: Judd produced both highly elaborate and simplified designs while maintaining a consistent patriotic visual language. Its restrained composition provides an important counterpoint to the more decorative and symbol-heavy frames, helping to illustrate the full range of the series.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9451

Frame No. 9451 represents a visually distinctive variation within the Judd patriotic frame series, combining a simplified structural layout with a more decorative surface treatment, particularly through its use of contrasting patriotic colors. This frame follows a rectangular format with a rectangular opening, similar in structure to Nos. 9448 and 9450, but introduces additional visual interest through its finish and detailing.

Key elements include:

a spread-winged eagle crest at the top
draped American flags along the upper register
a central star motif, positioned between the flags
a textured surface with contrasting painted accents, including a bold border treatment
a relatively clean lower section, without additional military motifs.

The most notable feature of No. 9451 is its use of color and contrast:

a polychrome finish, with red and dark accents highlighting the border
a more pronounced framing effect, drawing attention inward to the photograph
stronger visual definition compared to the more muted finishes seen on simpler frames

Unlike many other designs, this frame relies less on added symbolic elements and more on decorative finish to create visual impact. Frame No. 9451 aligns structurally with:

No. 9448
No. 9450

in its simplified form and reduced symbolic complexity.

However, it differs in several key ways:

greater emphasis on painted decoration rather than sculptural detail
a more graphic and bold presentation
the inclusion of a central star motif, reinforcing its patriotic theme

Compared to more elaborate frames such as 9446 and 9447, this design represents a shift toward visual clarity and decorative finish over narrative imagery. The combination of American flags, the central star and bold color accents suggests a design intended to be visually striking while remaining relatively simple in form.

This may indicate:

a later stylistic variation
or an effort to offer a more decorative, eye-catching alternative within the series

Frame No. 9451 highlights another dimension of Judd’s design approach: not just variation in symbolism, but also in surface treatment and finish. It serves as an important example of how the company balanced form, color, and patriotic imagery to create a range of products appealing to different tastes.

Judd Patriotic Frame No. 9452

Frame No. 9452 is, in my experience, one of the rarest and most difficult to locate examples within the Judd patriotic frame series. Its design departs from many of the more common motifs and introduces a strong emphasis on early aviation imagery, making it one of the most distinctive frames in the group. This frame follows a rectangular form with an oval opening, similar in structure to several mid-series designs, but incorporates unique thematic elements not widely seen elsewhere.

Key features include:

a spread-winged eagle crest at the top
two early aircraft (Jennys) positioned across the upper register
a central oval opening, framed by a decorative border
a lower emblem consisting of a star over a shield with wings, flanked by stylized wings

Unlike many other frames in the series, this example does not rely on flags, cannons, or naval imagery. The defining feature of No. 9452 is its focus on aviation, which sets it apart from nearly all other known Judd patriotic frames.

the presence of the Jenny airplanes reflects the emerging importance of air power during World War I
the absence of traditional elements such as flags or artillery creates a more specialized and modern symbolic theme
the composition feels more forward-looking, emphasizing innovation rather than traditional military strength

Compared to the broader series:

Nos. 9433 / 9445 → emphasize flags, cannons, and traditional symbolism
Nos. 9446 / 9447 → highlight naval and coastal imagery
No. 9449 → focuses on national identity (Canada)

Frame 9452 stands apart as:

→ aviation-focused
→ more modern in theme
→ less dependent on conventional patriotic motifs

The inclusion of early aircraft suggests a recognition of the growing role of aviation in modern warfare, which was still a relatively new and evolving field during World War I.

This frame may reflect:

public fascination with aviation
the symbolic importance of technological advancement
a shift toward representing the future of warfare, rather than its traditional forms

Among the known designs, Frame No. 9452 appears to be one of the most difficult to find, and may represent a more limited production run or a less widely distributed design.

Its unique subject matter and departure from standard motifs make it one of the most visually distinctive and potentially one of the most desirable examples in the series. Perhaps it was made at the tail end of the war which suggests its hard to find status.

After documenting and comparing these known examples, several clear patterns begin to emerge across the Judd World War I patriotic frame series.

1. A Shared Design Language

Despite the variety of forms, nearly all frames in the series draw from a consistent set of symbolic elements:

the spread-winged eagle crest
draped flags
crossed weapons (cannons, rifles, swords)
military and national emblems

This suggests that Judd was working from a core design vocabulary, adapting and recombining these motifs across multiple models rather than creating entirely independent designs.

2. Variants Within the Same Model

Several frame numbers appear in multiple variations, most notably:

versions with and without the “1917” date (e.g., 9433, 9445)

These differences are subtle but consistent, indicating that Judd likely produced:

different production runs
or variations intended for different markets or time periods

This pattern strongly suggests that the numbering system reflects a base design, rather than a single fixed version.

3. Evolution of Symbolism

The series as a whole appears to reflect a progression in how wartime imagery was presented:

Early / traditional designs → flags, eagles, and cannons
Allied-focused designs → inclusion of British and French imagery
Nation-specific designs → such as the Canadian-themed No. 9449
Specialized themes → including naval scenes and aviation (No. 9452)

Taken together, these shifts may reflect changing public sentiment and the expanding scope of the war itself.

4. Range of Complexity

Another clear pattern is the variation in how elaborate the designs are:

Highly detailed / narrative frames → naval scenes, layered symbolism (9446, 9447)
Moderate designs → balanced symbolic compositions (9433, 9445)
Simplified versions → minimal elements, cleaner presentation (9448, 9450)
Decorative-focused designs → emphasis on color and finish (9451)

This suggests that Judd likely offered frames at different levels of detail and price points, appealing to a wider range of buyers.

5. Adaptation of Earlier Designs

Evidence from earlier Judd catalogs indicates that some of these frames may have originated as non-patriotic decorative forms, later adapted with wartime imagery.

This aligns with what is seen in designs such as No. 9442, where the underlying structure appears consistent with earlier catalog examples, but with patriotic elements added for the World War I market.

My Final Thoughts

The Judd patriotic frames represent more than decorative objects — they are small, highly detailed artifacts of wartime culture, reflecting how national identity, alliance, and emerging technologies were visually communicated during the First World War.

Because documentation remains limited, much of what we understand about these frames comes from surviving examples and collector research. This guide is my attempt to bring together and organize that information in one place.

I truly believe this may represent a complete or near-complete grouping of known designs, but I would be thrilled to be proven wrong.

If you have an example not shown here, I would love to see it — please feel free to reach out and share. Thank you for going down my rabbit hole of research. Until next time my friends.

These frames still surface from time to time. In fact, I found most of mine on eBay — you can browse current examples here → Ebay Judd Cast Iron Frames They tend to appear sporadically, so it’s worth checking from time to time.

Heating is ALIVE again!

2026-01-14T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends. I hope you're staying warm and cozy wherever you are in the world today. While it has been heating season for awhile, I made some changes to the radiators in the house that I have been wanting to do forever. My last posts about the warming oven will come last, but in addition to doing that one, I needed to move around 6 radiators in total! This was a HUGE job because if you know you know. Not only moving these beasts, but also connecting them to work in a Minnesota winter. I am proud to say they are in and heating and I am so happy they are.

The old radiator removed. It had served it's purpose well and was a good heater, but it was probably from the 1918 renovation of the house and it wasn't symmetrical under the window. It blocked me being able to open the bookcase where the TV is hidden and honestly I love a fancy radiator so I wanted to put back something that matched the house. I went down a whole rabbit hole of first trying to find a matching Rococo radiator by American Standard that would fit under the window. I knew it would be a nearly impossible search, but I don't give up easy. I was shocked to learn that the Rococo radiators for under windows were devoid of any decoration. Made me very curious since the other ones are so beautiful.

Since I wanted something fancy that would also fit under the window I got lucky after searching on Facebook marketplace and found a lovely fancy one, just a couple hours south of me in the Aetna pattern.

This style I thought matched well with my Rococo radiators. A few problems presented itself. Firstly I needed 2 of these radiators, one for the parlor and one for the dining room. Secondly I wanted to ensure they would heat the rooms enough considering they have their heat calculations. Thirdly, the one I found not too far from me was from a house where it hadn't been used in years and was untested. A HUGE risk to take considering hiring the movers to get it to me and brought into the house was no small task. I took a chance and bought it and THANK GOD when I pressure tested it, it held. But now I needed a 2nd one and this was not easy to find. I searched high and low and got lucky and found one in Indiana. I spoke a lot with the seller and she was unable to test it and I was too far away to make a casual trip to check it out. I pressed my luck, bought it and had it brought to me. These things are HEAVY. No I mean really heavy. A normal Rococo radiator I can maneuver around by myself OK, but when the movers came to move both of these from my garage to my house, they had to come back with a 4th guy, 2 were not enough. I got incredibly lucky in that this 2nd matching Aetna radiator also pressure tested. After I got these two in the house, the old parlor and dining room ones went to the basement to heat down there. Little did I know this would be the easy part because hooking these beasts up took me an incredible amount of time. My other Rococo radiators are plumbed on the same side, meaning the inlet goes in at the bottom and the return goes out the top. This is how it is throughout the house, but these Aetna radiators required only bottom connections, so that required no small feat of work, cursing, and endless frustration. I was absolute hell, but I am happy to say the parlor one is now hooked up.

And is perfectly centered under the window and provides a nice spot to sit and heats quite well. I would have preferred it a little longer, but you know you get what you can get. The old paint on it is in OK shape but my dream one day would be when I get the floors redone to have this and the other radiators stripped and refinished. That will be a dream project that may or may not come but I can hope!

The dining room one was slightly easier, but still a awful pain. The one in this room was off to one side and the symmetry bothered me to no end. I wanted it symmetrical under the window so that I could have the dining chairs flanking the window under the sconces, so this one while lovely, went to the basement to help heat down there.

and with the new one in place:

My obsession is happy now and this one, was recently painted and while not the color I would choose, it went well with the room.

With these 3 radiators I also removed one very tiny one from the back part of the house, stripped it and put it in the bathroom so the bathroom could have heat (a nice luxury)

Stripping and oh so messy but nice to see it come alive again!

Freshly painted in the bathroom !

Lastly my headache of the warming oven for the kitchen was the last to be put in. God I spent so much time and money getting this thing alive again. It came from Michigan to Minnesota, then to be restored in Connecticut and then back to Minnesota. I ordered it to be finished in it's natural silver and I was shocked to see it come in black. Initially I wasn't sure if I was upset, but in the end, I think the black will work well in the kitchen. My previous posts detail how much pain I went through to get the thing going and while I haven't done the kitchen yet, it's temporarily hooked up there so I can at least have heat in the kitchen for the first time since I have lived in the house (20 years)

ALIVE and working again! It looks ugly hooked up, but it works and when the kitchen is finished, it will be a nice addition. I just LOVE it, but thinking about all the pain and money it cost to get me this beast, I am not sure if I would do it all again.

Until the next adventure in this 1889 Victorian my friends, wishing you a very happy 2026 and let us make it a good year!

So Close yet so far part II

2025-09-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hello Dear friends and happy end of September. What a month it has been and I am nearly at the end of my exhaustion with radiators. I love them because of the heat, the look and the feel of these beautiful beasts, but I HATE them because they can cause so many troubles! My warming oven saga continues! As I mentioned, I purchased this matching Rococo radiator site unseen from Facebook, because I knew how rare they were and how I always wanted one. I snapped this one up (and paid a hefty price for it) then paid to have it delivered to Minnesota from Michigan. This was no small investment but I took the gamble. When it arrived, I went about testing it, getting it ready to install and my heart sank when I discovered it had leaks. Being a stubborn man, I desperately searched for a company to restore it and I found 2 companies, both in Canada with one of the companies having offices is Connecticut. I decided to send the radiator to Connecticut and keep going with the process.

Packed up and ready to ship.

My first error was putting the doors on the item to ship. I should have placed them inside the oven, because the first message I received was that the doors had arrived cracked. I am guessing a pallet was put on top of it and cracked them. This of course was frustrating to no end, but what could I do? The company said they could repair it with pins, but that you could still see the crack. Again no choice but to keep going.

As I waited for news that it was finished ANOTHER email came in this morning. It said:

""Hello Matt,

We start working of your radiator, so far 7 sections are cracked from frost on that radiator. We can replace some from our inventory, therefore at this time the long section(last picture) is a very rare piece that we cannot replace without taking it from an existing collection oven our ours, which is a radiator that once restore we can sell for over 5k.""

The news hit me as I woke up and so luckily it wasn't in the middle of the day when patience was limited. Another sigh in my heart and knowing that I could do nothing and wasn't ready to give up, but to give the OK to keep going and do whatever we can to get this beast working again. I did find it interesting to see it taken apart and see the 3 hole section of radiator. So let us all pray that it can be put together and leak proof again after all this pain and headaches.

Half this radiator broken, most probably would have given up, but I'm stubborn. Frankly I should have just paid a fortune for an already refurbished one. By the time this one is done, it will be near that price. The cost of my insanity is deep and let us hope this one can be saved. Another day fighting the old and broken down to give new life again. I just cannot let things die without a fight.

So close yet so far

2025-08-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

With summer here, I'm trying to do some radiator business which I loathe but it's a necessary evil. This last winter I found my dream radiator, a matching rococco warming oven. Everything i dreamed of! It was a few states away and I was several thousand miles away at the time, but I jumped on the chance because I don't see these often. I bought it, had it shipped to my house and it sat in the garage for my plans this summer. As i was getting ready to hire the movers, I wanted to pressure test to make sure all was OK....... well my heart sank to find out it has leaks. I'm devastated and now thinking how I go forward. I can't seem to find someone in Minnesota who can disassemble this one that isn't held together with rods. I know someone who has sections who can replace the sections if they leak but nobody to take apart. I have to question my sanity now. I've already paid some good money on this gamble that I lost, do I find someone 5 states away who can repair or just give up? I'm not someone to give up easy but financially how much is enough to get a working warming oven?

Washing 1 million pieces of glass

2025-08-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

You know how you just want to do a little something and by the end of it you're covered in sweat, dust and think to yourself "I'll only have to do this again in 1 year"? Well that's what happened today and yesterday. Two seemingly small project that take a lifetime which is why I'm begging for a live in maid like the old days. Today I just wanted to clean a little of the front windows from some bird presents turned into 5 hours, endless newspaper and lots of sweat equity. Cleaning the front windows and screens with over 60 pieces of glass was not what I initially signed up for but here we are and I just say they look dazzling.

I probably last did this a few years ago so it was time. Yesterday I tackled cleaning the c. 1915 wedding cake chandelier. With over 700 pieces and sometimes during washing they disconnect from their hook it makes a seeming easy project turn into 6+ hours. But I must also say it looks dazzling all cleaned up.

See why I need help?

Servant foot button in!

2025-08-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hi friends and greetings from warm and humid Minnesota. Today i got a bee in my bonnet to do a small project that doesn't really accomplish much, other than my desire to tinker. I have been wiring the house to put back the servant bells in each room. Little to no evidence existed where the buttons actually were, but I knew what I wanted for the dining room, a foot push button. There wasn't evidence in the floor of a push button, but some years ago, I got my hands on the cover plate of a floor button. No guts, just the cover plate dated 1909 with a patent. This cover plate sat in my collections for nearly 20 years. Caked in varnish, shellac and lots of junk but I could see it was nickle or silver from the back. I cleaned it all off, fairly easily with lacquer thinner and it came out a beautiful shiny silver. I needed to cut a 2" round hole, just enough to make the plate flush with the floor. Not trusting myself to make a perfectly round hole with a chisel, I took a 2" hole saw and cut just enough for the plate to sit flush and took my chisel to get the rest out. It fit perfectly. With no guts below it, I simply drilled a hole through so that I could run the wire of the actual foot button through the center to the basement with the rest of the bell wires. It now sits under thr carpet, a little lump to summon the maid. I still dont have the bell system hooked up, that will have to be done when the kitchen is done, but a small project that I dont have to worry, where the heck I put the cover plate and push button. Small hidden win for the day!

Slag Glass for Dinner

2024-12-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

Well hello dear friends and just before 2025 begins, I finally am taking the time to write about what I have been up to. I know I neglect to write as often as some of the blogs I love to follow. I find that work and time progress with often not as much completed as I would like. Thinking that I have been in my house nearly 20 years when the original intention of the house was a few short years. Funny how these old houses get ahold of you in a way that you love and yet will test every fiber of your being. With that being said I did complete a project that brings great visual thrills and while it wasn't such a small project, it certainly wasn't as big as many others that have been completed. This one however was a treat because it ties the whole room together. My dining room chandelier I had purchased perhaps 10 years ago off Ebay from a seller in Colorado I believe. I was told that it came from an old demolished mansion and when I saw it, I knew it was something special. A massive pink slag glass chandelier with 4 gas jets and 4 early electric socket arms and on the inside, a missing cluster socket. Still this piece was something special and I am sure at the time shipping for me was quite expensive, but 10 years ago I cannot remember.

As an avid antique collector, I have learned that when you see something you want, BUY IT IMMEDIATELY. If you don't it will be gone and you will be kicking yourself for eternity wishing that you had purchased it. So I bought this beautiful piece and then, well it just sat in the basement, covered in a sheet for a decade, waiting for the day it would be restored and hung in the dining room. Last year I began working on the dining room and well, this was the last piece to go up. After it was hung I knew however I needed to add more to it to really make it feel VICTORIAN. Having saved many period dining images, I knew many of these pieces had glass bead fringe and so I knew I wanted to add pink glass bead fringe to this amazing piece. Here are some period images and advertisements that I took my inspiration from.

This period image appears to have fabric fringe, but I also used it for reference as to how high to hand the chandelier over the table.

This image helped me that YES pink fringe could go with pink slag glass. Also notice the swirl candle covers and bobeches over the gas jets? Well of course I have those for the chandelier too as well as pink beaded bulb covers because why not. The pink gas jet covers and bulb covers match those on the sconces so they work well together I think. So I ordered pink beaded fringe and began to sew it onto the light fixture which took me HOURS. Yes it was a huge amount of work and was heavy so I used clothes pins to hold the fringe up and tight while I sewed it onto the fixture.

If you have Instagram, follow me under TheVintangeDandy.

Anyways so I sewed one section all the way around which took me maybe 4 hours. The circumference is around 4ft I believe. I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it. So I thought, well maybe it just needs to be thicker, so I then decided to sew a 2nd layer of the beads on to get a really full look. After hours and hours of sewing and my back killing me, it was complete and I must say I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

I should mention that YES I did hang it high enough so that my pink epergne with flowers could fit under it, because you know, more is more with Victorians.

I also ended up swapping out the old rug for a new one in here. I purchased a blue rug so that it blended better than the red rug that was here before. So my dining room is NEARLY done. I do need to do 2 more big projects in here. One of them is refinishing the floors on the 1st floor of the house. This obviously will involve moving everything out and that project will happen....when it happens... The other big project to do in here is to move the radiator. Originally a radiator went under the picture window and for some reason that was removed and this big one was put on one side of the window. It works fine, but throws off my symmetry, so my plan in 2025 will be to remove this radiator and put a new period one under the picture window. This will involve multiple radiator moves and shifts which I don't look forward to, but my obsessive mind requires it to be done.

With this room now fully functional as a dining room it brings me such great joy. In the day I use the table as my office and work at the head of the table looking out the bright windows. It is certainly a room that has character and life again. It was used as a dining room for probably such a short time in the history of the house, so I hope that forever on, it will remain as such and bring lots of joy and good meals to those that eat under it's pink canopy of excessiveness.

Meet my Kitchen Stove (again!)

2024-07-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends,

As I previously posted about my lovely Wedgewood stove I purchased a few years ago I thought I would take a deeper dive into it and everything I can find out about it.

Here is my beautiful green and ivory Wedgewood stove I purchased a few years back. It has been carefully sitting in my garage all wrapped up and safe until the time comes to put her in my kitchen. That plan is still a little bit away, but as a lover of ephemera related to some of my objects, I decided one evening to obsess over everything I could to find out what the story was behind this stove. First let me start by saying that I purchased this stove sight unseen and not knowing anything about it. It was listed on Ebay some years back with a higher price than I thought I could afford and it intrigued me, but did not entice me to think much more of it. After several listings of not selling, the listing was removed and I didn't think much more of it. Occasionally an obsession will strike in my mind without merit or reasoning and several months after this stove's listing had expired, I thought I would reach out to the seller and offer a low price for the stove, just to see what happened. Honestly I had no intention to buy a stove and thought the seller would just ignore my message. However luck sometimes strikes and the seller agreed to my offer. I was shocked and thought, "oh what do I do now?". As you might know, my house is in Minnesota, but the stove was in California. No small distance, but luckily I found a shipper willing to bring it out to me. Actually the shipping cost more than the stove itself. The seller had told me that the stove was her brother's ,but that he had passed away. She remembers baking cookies in it with her brother, Leonard and that he had had it restored at some point, but that was all she knew. I explained to her how it would be going to a very good home and I would cherish it as long as I had the house. So the stove was delivered and has sat waiting for the day it will return to life once again. I have decided to have the stove tuned up again, since I want to ensure it will be ready to last another century in good shape. It had already been updated with modern safety ignitions for the oven, but I thought if I am going to put this in the house, I need to do it right. So after determining who I should ask to take on the task on the new restoration, I have selected a company in Georgia who specializes in these beautiful antiques and they will begin this project in early 2026. That time frame is great for me as it gives me time to keep planning for the kitchen renovation. I have to slightly chuckle that this stove will have gone from coast to coast with the best care it can have it the first century of it's life. Until the time comes to send it away for it's restoration the idea struck me to consider what I really had. I had reached out to several sources to ask what date it might have been made and more insight. The stove as we can clearly see is a stunning Wedgewood range with two ovens (one smaller for every day use and a larger one both with separate thermostats , a broiler, 6 cook top burners with cover platelets (otherwise known as double closed cooktop which is an enclosed table like cooking top for greater convenience (which will be discussed later), with rutz lighters, curved warming compartment to keep plates or food warm until serving, storage drawer for your pots and pans, Robert Shaw thermostats for both ovens, built in vent hood with condiment shelf, removable grease catching tray under the burners for easy cleaning and side extension plate in green and cream colored porcelain. I was dying to know how old it could be. One place told me it was made around 1923-1928 and another told me from 1935-1939. Because I am a person who likes specifics, I could not just live with this rough time frame, so I figured I would have to get to the bottom of this myself. My first search of Wedgewood stoves told me that they were manufactured in Newark California by the James Graham Manufacturing Company. Early advertisements detail that the stoves were made of high quality rust resistant Armco iron, which was proclaimed to be used in building U.S. battle ships. I then began searching old newspapers to try to see if I could find an advertisement of my stove. This was no small task because I was searching from about 1920-1939, starting with earliest until later. Pouring through hundreds of pages of Wedgewood stove ads I learned a great deal about the evolution of these early stoves. Did you know that each city or area had different options for gas service and that you could choose your stove based on the service you wanted? Or that many stoves of this period were still combination stoves of gas and coal/wood. So much was poured over that I thought I would never find anything related to my Wedgewood stove, until I made it to March 1929 and lone behold, an advertisement for my stove.

My heart sank, a huge smile on my face and I jumped for joy that I had found my EXACT stove in advertisements. None before 1929 and based on this advertisement listing it as a "new model" I have to believe that my stove could not have been made before 1929. 1929 was not as nice year as you might know. In September of that year, the great depression began and selling a top of the line luxury model like this would be virtually useless. There is no price listed on this advertisement, but I believe it sold for the top end at $356. Why? Well because the next advertisement for the stove shows a price reduction.

February of 1930 is the next advertisement I found of my stove. The price now listed at $338 but still very expensive at the time. Wedgewood must have thought perhaps the depression wouldn't be too long to that some people might still be able to afford this luxury.

But by May of 1930 another price reduction was made and this is the last advertisement I found of my specific stove. So this leads me to believe my stove was made for a very short time, between 1929 and 1930 because a similar, but smaller version of the stove was being advertised in 1931. Perhaps it was more economical to make than mine, but I cannot imagine there was great demand for these 6 burner stoves in the early 1930s. The similar stove came in the same colors, but does not have a decorative panel between the large oven and the storage drawer and the oven thermostat dial for the larger oven was displayed behind a little window next to the large oven. Here is an image of that stove and it's advertisements:

1931 Advertisement of the similar stove but cheaper and a little smaller.

1930 photo showing a Miss Haar testing out the new stove. Sadly I couldn't find an image os someone testing my stove, but I guess I will have to accept this one.

SO, I know have good reason to believe my stove was made in 1929-possibly 1930. But what else made this stove so special in it's marketing? I am glad you asked.

Marketing highlights of the Wedgewood stove. Porcelain exteriors and enamel interiors made for high durability and easy cleaning. It mentions that these stoves now have a new double closed top. What does that mean? I was slightly confused too because My stove has metal plates like an old wood cookstove that cover the burners. Why would you need that? It didn't make sense to me.

I researched all about closed cooktops and I found some very interesting insights into the time of early gas into the homes.

So the covers could keep fumes of the gas out, keep soot out and one could actually just turn the burners on and have them heat the whole top to distribute the heat. This is an interesting note and when the stove is up and running, I will have to test out if you can actually efficiently cook with the cover plates on, although I imagine it stays hot for some time which one would have to be careful of.

The last interesting thing about these stoves that I found in marketing of the automatic gas lighter, that you could light four burners at once. This is called a Rutz lighter and what a fun, albeit slightly dangerous tool

Rutz lighter advertisements start showing up around 1920 and with a single button, you could push and the standing pilot light would be transformed into a mini flame thrower, throwing flames into the directions of the burner or burners so that one wouldn't need to use matches.

Rutz lighter in action.

After spending so many hours pouring over the ephemera I felt like I had accomplished what I had set out to do. I wish I could find a period photo of someone using my model stove, but I got close. I found the date and all my questions answered to the stove. There doesn't seem to be any surviving catalogs of Wedgewood from this period. Wedgewood was purchased by other companies and closed up fully in the early 1970s from what I can tell. I would love to find a catalog of the stove, but it doesn't seem likely. If you dear readers find any more supporting documentation I will WELCOME it! Similar stoves' catalogs like Glenwood seem to have survived better. It seems this early Wedgewood stove was a rare beauty made for an extremely short time and I am proud to call her mine and give her (actually shouldn't it be he since it was and will now be known as Leonard's Stove) a home for a long time. How will I design the kitchen around this stove? Well that will remain to be seen, but it won't be a Victorian kitchen like the rest of the house. Seems I will be having a 1929 kitchen installed which just bring excitement to my visions for the future.

Until next time dear friends!

Making dining room progress

2024-04-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Hello dear friends how are you? Happy spring and with the overall nicer weather, I have made leaps and bounds on the dining room.

Sanding everything down to prep for stain as I'm sure you know is exhausting. I wanted to do the old wood staining first before I did the new wood. Trying my best to get it all to match, which as we know is not easy.

Taping off old and new wood because I used different tints for the wood.

Pocket doors getting their color.

Trying to match all the wood colors.

After with final color and 3 coats of shellac on it all. I think it all matches fairly closely. The hutch was done many years ago and shellac sheen has dulled a bit so I imagine the rest of the wood will develop the same patina over time. After all this I had to touch up paint and prep walls for wallpaper and then hang drapes, roller shades and clean, clean CLEAN. The dust caused by this room that spread everywhere was spectacular. Numerous times cleaning it still found ways to layer on. I did a full cleaning of the main floor area and let us hope it stays clean for a bit. So after all that, the dining room looked like this.

I could not be more thrilled to see it put together!! I have used this room as a livingroom for many years and probably been used as such since the house was duplexed back in the teens. My intention had always been to return this to a proper dining room. Especially when the slag glass chandelier is finished being rewired, it will be hung to sit over a table. Here is the chandelier before restoration. A great splash of pink in the room it will add.

I can't wait to see this done and hung. I however being the ambitious person I am thought "I should rearrange the whole of the first floor to make this all work. " So if this becomes the dining room again then where do I put the living room? The parlor for years I have used as my bedroom. So if I wanted my parlor to be set up I had to move the bedroom. So, off the bedroom went into the library, the parlor became the parlor again and the dining room became its original use again. Funny I thought I put so much love into this room, only to be used for dining. Since I work from home, I set up my computer on the dining room table each day and so the room does get a fair bit of use. As I now look over the rooms in a new flow and organization I see my periods of design in my head. The parlor being the first room I did on the main floor, covered in red and gold. Next the foyer with its greens and creams. The library was pinks, terra cotta, reds and creams and my blue period of the dining room with blue, pink, white and some red. It all feels so rich, so over the top and so useless and I love it all. A vision I created from cohesion in my head. Never knowing how it would turn out but having faith in myself. It's almost artistic. I created this all from nothing but hints from the past and my drive for my passion. I wonder when I'm gone what will become of it all when I am only here as a ghost haunting this house. Will future generations paint it all white and sterile? Will it become the house from Beetlejuice with modern design of the time? I can't worry about that and I live here for the now but I wonder the houses future one day.

A room that makes me happy filled with beautiful and so many excessive items. The room comfortably fits the table with 8 but can easily accommodate more. Still need to hang the chandelier, move the radiator to be a short long one to go under the window, like thr parlor has and of course one day refinish the floors but I must say it turned out too too shabby!

The parlor also works really well as a living room again. I still have tweaks to do with the art and furniture but for now it feels totally all new and well home.

So dear friends I have been busy! Always more to do, but the BIG projects in the formal public rooms are pretty much done. Endless more projects still on the house such as the kitchen, exterior back porch, repaint the house, retaining wall and fence. Update the bath on the 2nd floor. It never ends it seems but for now let in bask in the mostly completion of these rooms with a revitalized 1st floor more resembling it's original intentions than it probably has in over 100 years.

Baby steps with sconces

2023-10-17T16:14:00.001-07:00

Baby steps!! Finally got my early gas/electric sconces wired up and with a bracket to hang. These are HEAVY brass but they match the chandelier that will go in here someday. With the pink on these lights coordinating with the stained glass and wallpaper (see later photo of the wallpaper I bought) these are going to fit perfectly but also give a calming pink glow. Gotta celebrate the small wins.

Gotta celebrate small wins when things move so slowly sometimes. Can't WAIT to get this room all together. Sigh...it all takes time

The Dining Room Continues

2023-07-14T13:41:00.005-07:00

Hello dear friends. Are you still out there? Yes I am still alive and kicking, It has been some time that I have not only written, but it has been some time since I have been working on the house. Last I updated you all I had the dining room all gutted and drywalled and there it stayed for some time. In the last few months I have been very productive with getting things put back in place. Not completed fully but, getting closer. As we know, projects like this are a marathon. Please excuse the mess in the house, but the dining room currently is being used as a TV room so I have to live around it all. Let me show you what I have been up to.

I added this small trim around the ceiling and where the chandelier will go. I really like it. It is a simply yet elegant touch that when the room is all put together I think will fit nice.

I have the big picture window all trimmed out in oak. This is the same profile as the original that I had milled. The stained glass as you might remember is original. It was removed from the house and was gone for about 25 years. I tracked it down, brought it back and now it is all framed back in where it belongs.

Here you can see the ceiling detail with the windows framed in.

Here you can also see the original hutch back in and framed in. I wish I could tell you what a NIGHTMARE it was to put back in. It took me DAYS. Why you might ask? Well when they took it out they put some pipes behind it. These pipes will be removed at some point but I can't right now. So I the hutch stuck out about 1" too far. I had to disassemble the bead board I put on the back and plane it down to just the right thickness so I could push it in to be flush with the trim. It was really an awful experience, but it's back home where it belongs and I couldn't be more thrilled that it is home.

Looking in from the foyer into the dining room.

Lastly after all the trim was installed I had to remove the old dirty shellac on the pocket doors. I am sure some people's initial reaction is thinking "Matt you removed the original finish!!". Not true. I know the house was finished in natural white oak. While I would LOVE to keep it this lighter color, the hutch is already all done in a lovely honey color. So I will match the doors and trim to the hutch color and it will all look like it belongs.

So in conclusion Matt is EXHAUSTED, but happy these pieces are done. I am so close and yet so tired. Next step will be to finish the wood and then hang the wallpaper and fixtures and it will all come together. That will have to wait for another time, but I feel good and accomplished and after 18 years of working on this house, I can wait a little bit longer to finish the dining room so that it is done right.

The Start of the Dining Room

2022-08-23T14:07:00.001-07:00

Hello dear friends. I hope your summer has been going amazingly. Mine has been lovely and somewhat productive. I have recently begun taking on the dining room. A room that has been cold cold cold in winter due to lack of insulation and a room that has been used as a living room for much of its life as a duplex. A room often overlooked and unloved, but it is time to change some of that.

When we purchased the house this room was UGLY. A drop ceiling with tiles, carpet in half the room, lowered windows that were 1970s replacements and just not a nice space. The 1st project upon moving in was to take that ceiling down to see what was under it.

This was just after closing so how excited we were and how little we knew the amount of work that would come after this. After taking the ceiling down and painting the walls there was nothing done to this room. It was functional and there were many other projects to work on. 17 years later I decided enough was enough and it was time to change. The big motivator was that I brought the original hutch back from upstairs back down. My beautiful hutch that I spent YEARS stripping (you can read about that here) : Hutch Stripping

Here it is before I began the stripping:

Here is the hutch that was placed in the dining room but was built much later and was a lower quality. It will fit nice elsewhere in the renovation, but for now it will go to storage.

But I had to put the original one back because you know I am obsessed with this kind of thing.

And as I took the old one out and got ready to put the new one in its old space I found that one of the load bearing beams for this wall was cut to put in the later bigger hutch. This was a problem because it allowed this part of the house to sag about an 1". So that meant I had to partially rebuild this wall and make it stable again.

Then the disgusting job of gutting began. I would have LOVED to save the plaster in this room but there was absolutely no way. There had been drywall placed over the plaster and as I carefully removed the drywall huge sheets of plaster fell to the ground. It came off all very easy but oh so oh dusty. This was a problem because this is a room I could not easily close off. I put plastic on the doors around the room, but it doesn't do much. I was releasing 130+ years of dust and after everything a thick layer of dust settled in my beautiful finished rooms. Sigh so they will need a deep clean at some point. I also forgot how heavy this stuff was. I hauled out of this room myself around 85 bags full of lathe, plaster, old insulation, bird nests and crap out of this room to a waiting dumpster. I got a good workout but man it's not as easy to do when you are not 25.

THE HUTCH IS HOME!!!!!!

Insulation in the walls for the 1st time ever. It's going to be nice and cozy in here on a Minnesota winter.

See that window behind the plumbing? This is one thing I will sadly not be able to return to this house and that is a pass through from the butlers pantry. This home only had 1 bathroom when built on the 2nd floor. The butlers pantry had long ago disappeared into a large closet. This closet is now my 1st floor bath and so sadly I cannot keep the pass through open, ,but this opening will be where the new medicine cabinet will be. The pass-through was interesting. No door left, just the pocket and the wheels. I so wish I could have put this back, but it was one thing I have to be OK with letting go.

Pass through wheels

Pass through pocket long ago disappeared.

This radiator will also go away and be moved into the kitchen. I now have to have a long low radiator to go below the picture window.

A typical day of gutting. If you know, you know.

Gutted and insulation and plastic up it was ready for drywall. There are a lot of things I can do, but drywall is one I can't do well. I also HATE it. Putting it up and taping and mudding it is not a good skill of mine. This is something I am happy to hire out. The crew was done is a few days to put the room back together.

Hutch looks perfectly at home right? WRONG. When a bathroom was placed on the first floor they built in in the kitchen, just behind the hutch. They built a wall behind the hutch but they put it 1" TOO CLOSE! So I figure they pulled the hutch out, built the new bathroom and then tried to put the hutch back and realized that it wouldn't fit. It sticks out 1"!!!! I am not happy because that means I will have to take that wall out to finish the dining room completely to put the trim around the hutch. It is never easy is it.

The room is once again a blank slate for me to begin. I have to order the custom trim for the room to match the rest of the house since this was all gone. No small task as it will cost around $3,500. So this expense will be a big one to swallow. On the bright side I do have the light fixtures for this room. A beautiful slag glass chandelier and similar sconces that will match the stained glass window. It's a process, but this room just got a huge step closer.

Can't wait to get these beautiful fixtures back up!

So it's a blank warmer slate again. I can't wait to get it to the next step and make it an actual dining room. Probably hasn't been a formal dining room for around 100 years, but it will be and will be more glorious than ever when I finish it. Hopefully within the next 500 years.

I AM CRAZY! PROOF EXISTS HERE

2021-09-15T14:18:00.004-07:00

Hello my friends. How did this summer find you? I hope productive, fun and going in a positive direction. 5 months have passed since I last wrote. I wish I had more to update with regularly but not only has there but not much happening in my 1889 Victorian Restoration, but it has become clear to me once again that I go in spurts of energy and production and then to hibernation or floating elsewhere in the world.

The summer for me has been good. Hardly any...well no that's not true, NONE of the summer has been spent working on the house. I spent much of the summer working in Alaska which was great to return to work for as you can imagine very stressful in the new world we live in. Then after I finished my extended time working in Alaska I spent some time in Europe recharging my batteries so to speak.

While I didn't get much done. I still troll the internet for things I think I need (Even though I don't) and but things I want (but don't really need. Part of my obsessive collecting habit) Long story short I have been on the look out for my kitchen ideas that will probably be done in about 2000 years at the speed I am going at now. I knew I wanted an old stove and so I found lots of inspiration images and then the obsession grew from there.

This was my first inspiration that I really liked. The idea of an old looking stove that was totally functional to todays needs and that vent hood matches? I love it. But these stoves are EXPENSIVE!! They are also really hard to find.

I like the look of this kitchen and especially the butcher block island. It also has a lovely early stove, but too small for my over the top imagination.

This is a delicious kitchen stove too and that hood is just perfect. I start to see what I'm being drawn to.

This kitchen is keeping more in the Victorian style with a later 1920s stove. Close, but not quite what I see

Swoon! This makes my heart love. I believe this is from the Magic Chef mansion in St. Louis. A 6 burner stove, 2 ovens with a warming oven, broiler and storage drawer.. It has all you want.

This also has a nice period feel but more country like. I love the ironstone because I have a big collection of it that I will have in my new kitchen someday.

This to me feels like a perfect Victorian kitchen with a later stove. Love the wainscoting and I have indications that my kitchen did have some of this originally.

This is obviously a very modern kitchen with an old stove. I do love that blue tile behind the stove.

Hard to see, but I found this image on Facebook one day and fell in love with the stove and had to find out what type it was.

SWOON! Oh look at this beauty! I love everything about it! The legs, the color, but am I just being dramatic in the fact that I am disappointed that it doesn't have a storage drawer? Sure 6 burners, 2 ovens, a warming drawer and a broiler are nice, but where do I put my cast iron pans? Plus this one restored was asking over $10,000. Geeze, maybe if I win the lottery.

A Similar strove as before but again no storage drawer and if I'm going to make one more complaint, I have my old kitchen chimney on the left, meaning i think I want the taller part to go next to the chimney. Sounds good and easy right? Well from my research I find that very few were made with left stacks, more were made with right stacks. So let's just make this even harder Matt.

I would KILL for the this refrigerator and for the space to put it in. I love nearly everything about it.

BUT I THEN FOUND A KITCHEN THAT IS NOT EXACTLY MY INITIAL STYLE I WOULD BE DRAWN TO AND I DECIDED MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE MY INSPIRATION KITCHEN

I actually love this green kitchen. Funny because the house is green, everything is green in this damn house, but if you asked me if I liked the color green I would shrug. I would say my favorite color is something else, so what about green is my house and me drawn to?

Look at this set up! 6 Burners, 2 ovens, broiler, warming drawer and storage drawer and oh yeah it has a left stack. I loved everything about this picture. Even the Ikea style cabinets I don't hate. The floor and tilework. It's not Victorian clearly, but a nice late 1920s/ early 1930s kitchen and I thought.. yeah I could live with this. BUT this stove is probably one of a kind and I'll never find one like it. Surly not one with a left stack and that I can afford. It all seemed too far out of reach....BUT......................................................... My obsessive searches and one day Ebay popped up a very similar stove... but in California. Being in Minnesota that's no short drive. I dreamed that I could have this stove, but just couldn't think of a way to make it work. MONTHS went by and I decided to throw out a low offer for the stove just for fun AND THE SELLER ACCEPTED!!! OMG.!! So now how in the heck so I get an 800 pound stove from CA TO MN AND I am still perhaps 10,000 years away from doing my kitchen...BUT THESE STOVES DON'T COME UP!! So here are my pictures of my stove I have bought sight unseen that as I write this, is being transported across the USA to the star of the north state.

NOT ONLY HAD I BOUGHT THIS STOVE BUT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN RESTORED AND IS TOTALLY FUNCTIONAL!!! I cannot believe I have done this!

Here is a historic image of the stove, although slightly different. This image included a vertical broiler along with the horizontal broiler. sigh ok I guess I can live with only one broiler. The stove is made by Wedgewood and is a really lovely late 1920s early 1930s stove. Top of the line really and a massive piece. I mean every single person needs a stove like this right? So now that I'll have the beauty in a few days I HOPE it forces me to get going closer to the kitchen to get this beast in. All I know is that I am crazy. This seems to be my motive in this old house. I find 1 piece for the room or have 1 idea and I build a whole room around it. It seems my kitchen will be no different. Please pray for my intervention as I am an antique-aholic.

A Post About Contemplation and NOT Restoration

2021-04-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well Friends,

Here we are at the end of April. My 38th birthday is just days away and it has been sometime since I last wrote something. I thought today I would write a little bit, not about a restoration project (although it is in the hemisphere), but write about what's been going on with me personally. I have taken 4 months off from my restoration projects, because frankly I've been burned out. 2020 was hard for us all with Covid and lockdowns. It has been especially tough for me because my job in tourism simply vanished overnight.

If you weren't aware I professionally work for a luxury tourism company. Working mostly in Europe for half the year and the other half I'm working on the house. This balance has worked pretty well for me. I'm a person that tends to get bored easily. If I am not restoring something or traveling and exploring something I get bored very easily. I need challenges, variety, work with my hands and mind. I need to see, touch and feel physical change and progress. I am not someone that can easily work behind a desk for 8 hours a day and then go home. I am perfectly happy working 12 hour days and then a day tinkering on tiny details to make a old home feel alive again. I am sure many of you feel the same as I do about old things. To me, old things are works of art and works of a human being that deserve to be appreciated and loved. To me, bringing things back to life makes me feel alive.

But 2020 changed it for us all. I spent a good deal of 2020 getting things done around the house but then I hit a wall. Working every day on the house for nearly a year wore me down. Aside from the house, the lockdowns and the civil unrest in Minnesota (where I live) and the lack of work hit me really hard. I began to get itchy, anxious, longing for some change, some variety, something to move me forward.

2021 brought new hopes with changes in Covid, politics and the rest of the world, but still no sight for return to work. Now as May starts there is hope for returning to work, but I can't help but question what do I want to do for this next phase of my life. The rapid changes in life and the world have I think made us all feel different and reexamine things. Who we want to be, what we want to do and where we want to go.

I hired a career coach to give my resume a great revamp and ask me some probing questions. She helped me really ask myself what do I see my purpose in this life to be? I came to the conclusion that my purpose is to fix old things, cherish these objects and give them new life, to recycle what is already here and to ensure that during my lifetime they are remembered so that they will be here for the next generation. That's great but what do I do with that information? How do I do it but also make a living?

This and the previous images are of Henty Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey. A true 19th century dandy who lived his life as he please and in excess until it let him and his family estates bankrupt.

My coach suggested looking into consulting and developing my own brand of style. What does this mean? I just want to do what I love, but get paid for it. Not so easy, at least in my mind. Maybe I overthink things too much. I have been working on this blog for 15 years and it has given me so much pleasure (and I hope given pleasure to others too), but financially or work wise it hasn't provided much. I began to dabble on creating an Instagram page to make videos and posts detailing some of my projects and history of some objects. You can check it out here if interested: My Instagram The Vintage Dandy

I had a friend help me create a few videos, but took a pause on it because I just needed to take a break from my 1889 Victorian and do some self examination. You see all these folks on YouTube and Instagram making a living from posting about their travels, their brands, their stuff so I question why can't I, but more importantly how do I? I'm just a regular person with an extreme passion for the old so how do I make a living from this?

A number of years ago I was contacted from a production company that does shows for HGTV. They were looking for someone who would want to do a show like "Rehab Addict". Unfortunately for me at the time, they wanted someone to do a whole house restoration in a matter of months. At the time I wasn't able to do that. My own home is a place of pride for me and as a one person crew that would be impossible. So that option passed me by. I continued working on the house, collecting and restoring antiques, serving my city for the historic commission and doing lots of community service work to improve the quality of life for the neighborhood I live in. That combined with my international travels served me well for a long time, but this past year it all stopped and I asked myself is this all working? Well, yes and no I guess. Yes it is working partly because I get to be an artist creating this great restoration art, but no because I don't get to focus on it as fast as I would like or focus on it enough.

So after all these thoughts where does it leave me? Not anywhere else other than consciously aware of what I should be doing but lost as to how I can do it. The idea of doing my own restoration program would be something I would love. I can't watch most "Restoration" shows because we all know they aren't really restoration but they are renovation. There are a couple good restoration shows out there, but we NEED more. But how do I make a living doing something that I love? The idea of doing what you love and the money will follow is a great concept but the practicalities of it are a different matter.

So here I still drinking tea and pondering more about how I continue to propel my love of restoration and antiques into a job that gives me the full satisfaction I am longing for. On the bright side, I believe I will be returning to some work in June for travel and that will allow some money to come in to keep projects going, but I have to ask myself will it be enough for me? Maybe I should be asking you dear readers how do you find your satisfaction for your restoration and love of history but also keep the money coming in to keep it going? I think we all probably struggle with this and it isn't an answer easily solved. I guess my point of this post is to jot my thoughts and frustrations down and so called "put them out to the universe" in hopes that some clarity, some idea, some path will show me where I should be headed to keep my love of historical architecture and objects alive and flourishing.

BY THE WAY............Can I just say that while I am taking a 100% break from working on the house I STILL am thinking about what I want to do to it. The kitchen has been my latest contemplation and while I should be nowhere near thinking about this I can't help but spend my time looking at inspiration images of 1920s kitchens. I am sick....very sick..... Restoration and antique obsession sick. Here is my latest photo inspiration that I consider going towards. Remind you I have not worked in 18 months, have 10,000 other things to do and I am thinking about a kitchen I cannot tackle soon let alone afford. HELP!!!

Green, Jadeite, white, chrome and classic looks.

Thanks for listing to my rantings my friends. If you can offer me ideas or suggestions to keep me moving in the direction that I love I would be very happy to hear your thoughts.

Compare USA Preservation to Europe

2021-02-08T14:18:00.002-08:00

One of the many things I love about Europe is their appreciation for old buildings (generally speaking). Take this building. It is a complete shell. No roof, no interior, just the facade left yet it is being redeveloped into something new. There is an understanding of of an old building's context and presence in an area. In the USA this would demolished without a second thought, but because of protections, the facade here must remain and the interior can be made however the owner wants. A fabulous and GREEN reuse of history. Don't tell me old ruins and buildings can't be redeveloped in a cost efficient way. They can and there are thousands of examples in front of our eyes.

Preservation Good Deed of the Day

2021-01-19T09:29:00.003-08:00

I follow many salvage groups and have researched and read about countless mansions throughout the world. Somehow these structures put their photographic images in my mind, filled away for whatever reason. Literally I have seen thousands and thousands of historic images and if I see something relating to them again, I can usually retrieve in my brain where I saw them.

Today on one of the salvage groups I saw a posting for these fantastic columns for sale. I knew I had seen them before and my brain went to work. 10 minutes later I knew where they were from. An amazing 19th century mansion in New Jersey that is currently being restored. I've never seen this building in person, but it's elements are so striking they stood out. Something didn't strike me right so I contacted the organization that is restoring the mansion asking them if they were selling architectural elements from it. They said NO! That these had been removed without authorization and that they would do the necessary steps to retrieve them and put them back in their rightful place. It makes me so happy to know they will be returned to their rightful home and enjoyed by the public where they were built into over 100 years ago. Some days you can have a great preservation win. Seems this is one of those days.

Tinkering with my swinger

2020-10-20T12:34:00.001-07:00

Last time Seth asked what that big gap on my swinging door was. It looked like it would fit a piece of jamb trim, but why would this be? This is a swinging door, not a regular hinged door. I decided to clean the old dark shellac off because of two reasons. One is that I knew the 1st floor was finished in white oak. The wood was much lighter originally. Secondly was that thia door had been in the attic so long that not only was the shellac dark but it had accumulated so much dirt and dust that just would not come off with a simple wash. You could also not see any of the beautiful oak. So I took denatured alcohol and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned.

Now with it all cleaned i discovered a few things. Firstly I noticed that this door had at some point been made to fit a mortise lock. This was then closed up very early on because the repair to the door to hide this was excellent on the edge. It could only been seen where the push plate hid the know amd keyhole. And after cleaning the frame I found...

I found where hinges and the strike plate for a door had been. Confusing as the swinging hinges for the door have a Japanned finish and the repair to the door to fill the mortise was such high quality. I believe that the door and frame were either originally made to accept a declaration hinges and mortise lock and that it was changed very early on or that the original carpenter made a mistake thinking this would be a regular door and then had to fix his repair. We will never know the truth, but I love the history this door tells us and I prefer a swinging door myself. So I decided to add new push plates since the old ones could not be saved (believe me I tried) and I also added nice oak window stop trim to fill in the large gap between the swinging hinges and the door. It actually fit perfectly so I believe the original door also had a stop type trim like this and was removed when this doorway was changed.

Thanks Seth for making me investigate a little bit further.

Swinging slowly into projects

2020-08-28T13:21:00.003-07:00

2020 is a year we will not soon forget. For me it has been rough but I've been feeling rather OK about it. I have been trying to use it as an opportunity and blessing rather than feeling down about what I don't have right now. I havent been so productive on the house this year which does make me sad, but you know we can only do so much. The other day I got a sudden burst of energy and though why not see if I can put in an original door that's been in storage for decades.

My dining room is a room yet to be done, but I decides to do one small project here and that is to put the swining door between the kitchen and dining room back in. The door had been in the attic for at least 50+ years. It even included the original screws still in the hinges when it was removed. I am so thankful for whoever decided to save this door, but it is HEAVY and whoever took the effort to lug it up to the attic probably figured nobody would ever want to haul it back down.

The frame was luckily still there for the door. It has been shortened and covered over in drywall. An easy removal to get it back open to its size. Unfortunately in the kitchen part of the house many layers of new subfloor and linoleum floors. I knew that this would have to be removed for the door to fit amd swing properly. I decides to just remove a small section so that the door could open properly and that I break of the task. A FULL day later I had ripped up several layers of linoleum, subfloors, removing old tar paper and got back down to the original wood. Here you can see what was done :

After that was all done it was "simply" a matter of hauling down that old door and matching the old screws up to where it had been hung

It not only fits PERFECTLY but also swings perfectly and the hinges are smooth and quiet. What a treat! Obviously this door needs to have all the old varnish removed, the panel that you see thats a different color had been broken, so I had that glued up and removed the old shellac on that part. The rest of the door will look like that eventually, but for now I am just so tickled to have this old piece back. Another small step where the house breathes a happy sigh of relief.

Stay safe amd healthy my friends. See you soon!

Lazy porch days

2020-08-11T19:14:00.001-07:00

Hi friends,

What can I say for the world we are currently living in? I like many have lost my job and can't return anytime soon. It's tough especially when you're married to a big old beast. I haven't been up to a whole lot around the house restoration wise. Cleaning out the attic, basement and garage. Filled a few dumpster bags and had a yard sale to get rid of excess things. One fun thing I did do was to install a wicker porch swing. It's vintage and I found it on Facebook. Painted it to match my current wicker and now it's my new favorite spot on the porch. Just wanted to say hi to my friends. Hopefully I'll get to making bigger progress soon, but for now I'm just trying to keep calm and navigate through this old love in a new way.

Meet My Gable Balcony

2020-04-01T19:43:00.001-07:00

Hi friends! How are you all holding up? We are in the midst of the Covid-19 virus and so many of us are being told to stay home and only go out when only necessary. This for me personally is a HUGE problem and also a blessing. The problem of it for me is that I am out of work. As someone who works and makes their living from tourism this whole ordeal has hit us very hard. Nobody is traveling now and hence I have no work. It comes at an especially tough time because I have not been working since October 2019. Typically work April - October and the other months I am laid off because I am a seasonal worker. So I have been off for some time and now when I am anxious to get out, see the world and begin my work again.........well everything as you know it is on hold. So this makes it very tough. I'm not dwelling on this or trying to worry about it. I am seeing this time as a blessing, as an extra gift of time to get projects done around the house. This makes me more at ease with the situation when we have so many other worries. I imagine many other old house owners are like me in this time of having to be stuck inside; using it as time to get projects done as we can. I am working on my 1st floor bathroom which was to have been finished this winter (that did not happen, not even close) and on days when the weather has been warm and sunny I have been anxious to be outside and enjoy the sunshine. So being outside I thought I would work a bit on the gable balcony. It's the one part of the house that was left nearly completely intact after building. The old wood was left alone, never changed or damaged and it was preserved fairly well on the interior of the balcony.

The outside of the balcony was completely destroyed which leaves me to imagine what used to be there, but the inside is so deliciously original.

So I have been scraping and prepping all these old surfaces to get primer, the first time in I imagine over 60 years.

One coat of primer and some paint on the ceiling:

If I compare my balcony to the other two turreted houses they have whimsical unique qualities. The middle house with the tower missing has this part covered and extended into a kitchen. That exterior is covered with old siding tiles so I imagine it is either under there, or completely hidden. We may never know. The other corner house has a lovely gable balcony that is unique and also shares traits that all the houses do. Look at the sunburst designs on it. Most of the houses have this sunburst design.

I just love the designs on this one. It seems to be fairly untouched too. So let's see what I can get done on the gable in the next few weeks shall we?