Paper labels are stapled to the furniture on the back or inside behind a drawer, they have the date, style, wood and finish. If the label is still attached, the first part of the "shop" number is the date the piece was made, the "style" number identifies the piece and the finish number identifies the finish color tone and even the wood.
The type of wood is usually stated on the paper label, "Mahogany", "American Black Walnut", "Wild Black Cherry", etc. Some pieces have cloth labels attached inside the drawers or doors identifying the wood.
The "shop" number 1164-515 indicates the piece was made in November of 1964, the second part of the "shop" number was for factory use.
The "style" number what the piece is, i.e. #2319 is a Claymont Server/Buffet, a #101S is a chippendale side chair, a #2401 is a Server with a pull out tray or bachlors chest. The catalogs have the pieces numbered and are a great reference for this information, if you have a piece you can't identify, post the info you have wih a picture here and I can help.
The "finish" number idenifies the tone of color i.e., #24 is a medium red/brown Cherry finish, #29 is a dark redish black Mahogany finish, #15 is a medium brown Walnut finish, there have been 20 or so different finishes over the years, the most popular by far are the #24 and #29.
If you don't have a label or can't find one, post a photo with any information on the piece here and I can help identify it. http://www.gncantiques.com
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I have a drop leaf mahogany table from my grandparents house. Can't seem to post a pic, but the paper label says "Style no 35; shade no 14. Henkel-Harris co inc 660 n Loudon st, Winchester va." Upper left corner has jh321520 penciled in. Upper right corner has 271-1. I'm curious about the date of manufacture & the name of the style. Thanks for your article! Christina
ReplyDeleteI purchased a piece that looks like it may be a 1957 China Hutch by Henkel Harris, but the label is long gone. Do you have an email address to which I may send a picture to see if you can give me an indication? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have 2 mahogany arm chairs Shop #572-109; Style #109A; Finish #29. They have their original covering which needs to be replaced but otherwise are in great condition. Is there a demand for these chairs today? How can I find a value?
ReplyDeleteHi, I have a Henkel Harris 1-drawer side table. But on the Henkel Harris stamp (on the inside of the drawer, it doesn't identify the year it was made. Could this still be made by Henkel Harris? Thanks.
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ReplyDeleteWe have a Henkle Harris (HH) #2208, 116", multi-leaf, double pedestal dining room table in solid black walnUT along with six solid walnut chairs (two with side arms), style 107s, finish 15 (with 17 stamped above the 15). A couple questions - the 107s chairs are not longer made in walnut, omy mahogany. What mahogany finish most closely matches the black walnut Finish 15/17? What would be a fair market price for our HH dining set as described?
ReplyDeleteNot sure if this blog is still valid or not but, here goes;)
ReplyDeleteWe just bought a Breakfront China Cabinet. We think it's HH but, it doesn't have any of the pink tags and nothing is stamped. It looks identical to everything we've seen and it matches of "finish #29" dining room table and chairs. The drawer pulls are slightly different than any we've seen.
"The Lorax" end table I made for a baby shower gift to my friend? You can read about it by clicking here. Here are a few reminders. Demir Leather & Furniture
ReplyDeleteI have a HH Queen Anne dining table acquired from a family member and it has the original tags stapled underneath. It states the furniture is crafted by Virginia Galleries, so my question(s) is/are... was Virginia G's a line produced by HH or was it some sort of sub contractor? Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHello I have a HH slant top desk wild black cherry but the label is gone. How do I find out how old it is?
ReplyDeleteI have an end table with paper tag and wood burn stamp. Made Sept 1967. Solid wild black cherry. How can I find out much its worth?
ReplyDeleteHi, there! What do the numbers on the wood-burned mark of my HH dining table mean? 5 on one side and 66 on the other. Sorry if that's a silly question!
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