Potthast Bros., Inc.: Baltimore furniture craftsmen, 1892-1975
| Author(s) | Arthur, Catherine Rogers | |
| Date Accessioned | 2020-06-23T13:45:37Z | |
| Date Available | 2020-06-23T13:45:37Z | |
| Publication Date | 1999 | |
| Abstract | Potthast Bros., Inc., (1892-1975) founded in 1892 by four German immigrant brothers William, Vincent, John, and Theodore Potthast, was the most prolific cabinetmaking shop in late nineteenth and twentieth-century Baltimore. The firm's copyrighted slogan, "The True Antiques of Tomorrow," was not only prophetic but reflected the philosophy behind the founding brothers' hand-crafted reproduction furniture. This mindset, this desire to create furniture with "intrinsic" value, affected the way the brothers and their craftsmen went about designing, manufacturing and marketing furniture. ☐ The firm was not only influenced by but also contributed to its Colonial Revival context; the origins, development, and products of Potthast Bros., Inc. help tell the significant story of twentieth-century interest in American Antiques, and in turn, the popularity of reproduction furniture. ☐ Potthast Bros., Inc.'s careful selection of antiques to reproduce, the aggressive marketing used to sell the furniture, the conscientious craftsmanship and labeling practices, and the eighty-three year duration of the firm ensured the survival of a great quantity of objects to study. It is the survival of documentary materials (sales literature, photographs, drawings, and correspondence) however, that offers a glimpse into the process behind the objects, and the minds of the craftsmen. | en_US |
| Advisor | Buggeln, Gretchen T. | |
| Degree | M.A. | |
| Program | University of Delaware, Winterthur Program in Early American Culture | |
| Unique Identifier | 1159428875 | |
| URL | http://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/27269 | |
| Publisher | University of Delaware | en_US |
| URI | https://search.proquest.com/docview/304589515?accountid=10457 | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Potthast Brothers, Inc. | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Furniture -- Maryland -- Baltimore | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Cabinetmakers -- Maryland -- Baltimore | |
| Title | Potthast Bros., Inc.: Baltimore furniture craftsmen, 1892-1975 | en_US |
| Title | True antiques of tomorrow: Potthast Bros., Inc.: Baltimore furniture craftsmen, 1892-1975 | en_US |
| Type | Thesis | en_US |