✅ SOLVED Not a what is it per se.....

[Retired Sarge]

I have a mahogany table that was made by Brandt Furniture In Hagerstown, Maryland. My grandparents bought it as their first piece of NEW furniture. I'm thinking it was from 60s/70s even though they were married in 39.

My wife just picked it from the antique furniture restoration shop.. Hurricane Michael did a number on it. Severe water damage and a leg broken when a window broke and rain and debris came in through the window. The top was so bad it looked like marble due to the different colors of staining from the water, and from rust staining. I, at first, thought it was un-salvageable, boy was I wrong.

I've seen them referred to as a tea table in several places so I've gone with that. I've seen them referred to as made in the Queen Anne style or Federalist style. That is where I'm lost and confused. Not knowing what is is, etc makes it hard to research it. I'd love to recreate the label and all for it, or find reproduction labels for it.

So what style is it made in? And what exactly is it, a tea table?

Funny family note. My wife and her family are from Hagerstown, Maryland and her aunt worked for Brandt Furniture there for years.

Added: Though the table has a thick top/side edge, it doesn't have drawers like a lot I've found do. Picture added showing the side of the table. Most of the tea tables seem to be thin topped without a deep edge.

 

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[ARC]

I think this is considered an end table... claw foot.

Similar to this... its funny i dont have extensive knowledge in furniture but this one seems familiar from side...the workmanship even.

Like a "drum table" even.

Does it fold ? ? ?

 

[Retired Sarge]

I think this is considered an end table... claw foot.

Similar to this... its funny i dont have extensive knowledge in furniture but this one seems familiar from side...the workmanship even.

Like a "drum table" even.

Does it fold ? ? ?

Nope doesn't fold at all.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I might be off on the date. Just thought about it, my dad's mom passed away in 1968, his father remarried in 1971, and his second wife was a gold digger and skint flint. No way she would let him give it to my mom 9 years later in 1980, if it was bought during their marriage. She threw a fit when I inherited my great grand father's shot gun on the same date. She felt it should have gone to one of her kids instead.

So that said it would date to his first marriage 39-68. Don't know when they did away with the brass style tag and went to the decal/paper stickers. I'm assuming during WWII metal was scarce and they went to the decals/paper stickers and just continued to do so after WWII.

 

[ARC]

I am thinking it is 60's as well.
It's the feet that give it that date IMO.

 

[Retired Sarge]

I am thinking it is 60's as well.
It's the feet that give it that date IMO.

Based on style or color? They were black for as long as I could remember, but during the restoration they were made gold/brass looking. I see a lot of Brandt tables with that style legs and feet in brass, but only a few in black.

 

[Red-Coat]

Very nice table, and well worth the cost and effort of restoring it. Looks like they’ve done a great job. I have a Brandt catalogue from 1960, but it isn’t listed there, and I suspect it may be a decade or so earlier.

Stylistically, the legs on the part that has the drawer are a bit “Queen Anne-ish”, but the overall style, and especially the legs on the pedestal with those brass claw feet are very firmly Georgian, in English “Sheraton” style. Late 18th to early 19th Century. It was the most imitated style in America during the Federal period (with broadly the same date period) and continued to be popular as reproductions well into the 20th Century.

This one with drop-leaves (also from Brandt) has those same Sheraton legs and feet, and is from the 1950s:



Call it what you will, but “end table” is as good as anything. Some folks call them “accent tables” or “lamp tables” but there is a distinction in usage. End tables sat at the end of sofas or alongside armchairs, serving as functional tables, on which you might park your tea/coffee, book, ashtray, knitting, or whatever else you needed close to hand. Accent tables were regarded as primarily decorative, serving mainly as platforms to display something like a large figurine, vase, floral arrangement or a statement piece such as an ornate lamp.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Very nice table, and well worth the cost and effort of restoring it. Looks like they’ve done a great job. I have a Brandt catalogue from 1960, but it isn’t listed there, and I suspect it may be a decade or so earlier.

Stylistically, the legs on the part that has the drawer are a bit “Queen Anne-ish”, but the overall style, and especially the legs on the pedestal with those brass claw feet are very firmly Georgian, in English “Sheraton” style. Late 18th to early 19th Century. It was the most imitated style in America during the Federal period (with broadly the same date period) and continued to be popular as reproductions well into the 20th Century.

This one with drop-leaves (also from Brandt) has those same Sheraton legs and feet, and is from the 1950s:

View attachment 2072182 View attachment 2072183

Call it what you will, but “end table” is as good as anything. Some folks call them “accent tables” or “lamp tables” but there is a distinction in usage. End tables sat at the end of sofas or alongside armchairs, serving as functional tables, on which you might park your tea/coffee, book, ashtray, knitting, or whatever else you needed close to hand. Accent tables were regarded as primarily decorative, serving mainly as platforms to display something like a large figurine, vase, floral arrangement or a statement piece such as an ornate lamp.

Thank you very much R-C, as always a concise answer, with history, that doesn't leave one wondering if there is more.

I seriously debated on whether it was salvageable due to the staining (It was ugly as sin). I was beyond surprised how it came out that is for sure. Two of the four screws that held the top to the legs had gone MIA at some point and the two left were bent and nasty. They were replaced with new (retro looking) and aged to not stand out, slotted screws, keeping the aesthetics intact.

The bottom of the table top was cleaned a little bit, mold, mildew, dust bunnies dealt with but leaving the age, staining etc intact.

I plan on trying to find some pictures of the labels that are correct to the period and reproduce them on the different printers I have, and see what looks best. Once stuck to the table bottom, I'll put a matte sealant on/over them.

I'm trying to figure out how to document the family history on it. Our daughter decided years ago she wanted it. So it was my grandmother's, then went to my wife, and it'll go to our daughter, then her daughter. I want the history to stay with/on the table.

 

[Red-Coat]

You're welcome Sarge. Have a look on the underside of that drawer if you haven't already. It's possible there may be something helpful marked on it. If there's nothing there, here's a thought... put all the family history information you have on a piece of paper and stick it on the underside of the drawer (as long as it doesn't scrape on the carcass) with a date. It won't then get separated from the table. People commonly did this on the hidden surfaces of 'heirloom' furniture in the past.

 

[devldog]

R.S., That is a beautiful table and a family heirloom. Aren't you glad you restored this and not tossed it. The fact that this piece belonged to your Grandparents gives it even more Special meaning. Passing this piece down to your daughter one day will keep this table in the family and it's History alive. You did a Great job at restoring this table. I liked Red Coats suggestion on maybe putting information on the bottomside of the drawer. My parents did this on a lot of their furniture, and a lot of these pieces remain in our family today. This sort of keeps them with us.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Nice table. I was born in Hagerstown in 1950. I left in 1969 when I joined the Navy. I remember the Brandt factory.

 

[detectorcowboy]

Call me crazy but I'm going with a table

 

[Retired Sarge]

Call me crazy but I'm going with a table

Good one DC.....

Dang that solved that mystery for me, here for the last 30 years it's been in my house I thought it was a catch all pedestal.

TNet to the rescue... LOL!

 

[Retired Sarge]

Nice table. I was born in Hagerstown in 1950. I left in 1969 when I joined the Navy. I remember the Brandt factory.

My FIL moved back up to H-Town after he retired from the USAF. Their still up there surrounded by his and my MILs family.

 

[Retired Sarge]

R.S., That is a beautiful table and a family heirloom. Aren't you glad you restored this and not tossed it. The fact that this piece belonged to your Grandparents gives it even more Special meaning. Passing this piece down to your daughter one day will keep this table in the family and it's History alive. You did a Great job at restoring this table. I liked Red Coats suggestion on maybe putting information on the bottomside of the drawer. My parents did this on a lot of their furniture, and a lot of these pieces remain in our family today. This sort of keeps them with us.

Yeap. I was seriously debating throwing it away, if you had seen how bad the top looked you'd see why. With all the water and rust staining, mildew from being soaked, then sitting for two weeks in a hot, humid and water soaked house. Then being stored in the garage for 4 years, 4 months.

My wife being stubborn, like she is, took it in to the restoration shop who did my rifle stock and this is the end result. I would have never in a million years believed it could have been rescued, let alone come out like it did. But they made a fool out of me.

 

[Retired Sarge]

You're welcome Sarge. Have a look on the underside of that drawer if you haven't already. It's possible there may be something helpful marked on it. If there's nothing there, here's a thought... put all the family history information you have on a piece of paper and stick it on the underside of the drawer (as long as it doesn't scrape on the carcass) with a date. It won't then get separated from the table. People commonly did this on the hidden surfaces of 'heirloom' furniture in the past.

Would, but this table doesn't have a drawer. Weird, in that all the ones I've seen either have a drawer, or a handle attached for a faux drawer. This one has neither.

 

[Red-Coat]

Would, but this table doesn't have a drawer. Weird, in that all the ones I've seen either have a drawer, or a handle attached for a faux drawer. This one has neither.

Aaah... I see it now. I thought that thing with the drawer and the "Queen Anne-ish" legs was part of the table... like a kind of extra support piece for stability and a bit f storage. I now see it's just something in the background, which makes sense why it has such a different style.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Aaah... I see it now. I thought that thing with the drawer and the "Queen Anne-ish" legs was part of the table... like a kind of extra support piece for stability and a bit f storage. I now see it's just something in the background, which makes sense why it has such a different style.

Better shot of the feet/legs and table profile. Oh and the dark areas is due to shadows and not due to the finish.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Figured I marked this as solved, as we knew what it was per se. Just wanted to narrow the time period, actual use, and so on down.

Red-Coat filled in a ton of blanks for me.....