Herter Brothers and the furniture of the Minnesota state capitol, 1903-1905

Abstract

The New York firm of Herter Brothers was arguably the best of the American high-style furniture and decorating houses in the 1870s and 1880s. ☐ The first chapter provides an overview of the firm's business history relying on primary materials such as company records (1891-1907), credit reports, and articles from trade publications. The focus then shifts to a discussion of Herter Brothers's last major commission, the furniture for the Minnesota State Capitol (1894-1905). Primary data were drawn from the Herter Brothers papers, the files of the State Capitol Commissioners Board, and the various collections of Cass Gilbert papers. ☐ Appendices include a catalogue of furniture included in Herter Brothers's 1904 contract, a transcript of the furniture specifications, a short description of related firms, and a list of contracts and contractors involved in the building of the capitol. (Abstract from ProQuest citation page, "shortened with permission of author.")