Featured THE Grand Rapids Wholesale Furniture Company

Hi all! 1st time poster here. My wife recently inherited a dresser that belonged to her great grandmother. Gt-Grandma immigrated to Muskegon Michigan in 1880 and passed away in 1929. The dresser has a partial label on the back from "The Grand Rapids Wholesale Furniture Company" but most of the label has deteriorated away. Google/Bing/etc casts too large a net - all I get are current wholesalers. Is there a link for furniture by this manufacturer anywhere? Any thoughts as to date of manufacture? I would also like to replace the hardware with something that resembles what it originally came with. It's 75" tall, 35 1/2" wide, and 18" deep. Thanks! Jon

 

Hi @Jon L and WELCOME to ANTIQUERS!! If you have even a partial label on the dresser could you please show an image of it...Thank you!!
Am going to tag a couple of other members for you who might be more familiar with your dresser..... @Ghopper1924, @verybrad and anyone else??

 

Here's a couple of links to furniture manufacturing history in Grand Rapids:

https://shuffleboardmccluretables.com/a-trip-through-time-grand-rapids-furniture-history//

https://theculturetrip.com/north-am...rand-rapids-was-once-known-as-furniture-city/

I'd estimate your dresser to be oak, ca. 1900-1910. Antique furniture fittings are available from a number of internet sites.

 

There are several companies that specialize in replacement hardware, if you can't find it in the original on ebay or etsy.

Shop All Hardware Lighting and Accessories | House of Antique Hardware

Search Results for antiques-vintage antique-hardware-new-arrivals | Rejuvenation

Home Restoration & Improvement Store | Van Dyke's Restorers (vandykes.com)

Antique Hardware Supply - Vintage Door, Cabinet & Antique Lighting

There are more, this is a sampling.

 

Did you look on the inside drawers for labels?

 

The drawers do not have any labels inside or out. I could photograph the construction of a drawer if that would help. The label fragment is almost black and reading the text required magnification. I will fuss with photoshop and see if I can bring anything out for you to see. I will also check the provided links to check for similar pieces (if I don't find a match!).

 

I am not a furniture person, so I can't tell you. I just have some grand rapids furniture and the one remaining label is in the drawer. It is small and black, so hard to see.
Here is my favorite Grand Rapids history site:

Search for grand rapids wholesale furniture company (furniturecityhistory.org)

 

Circa 1900 oak tall chest. Sometimes called a bonnet chest with that cabinet in it. I personally think more for a gentleman to keep shaving materials. Label may be for a retailer rather than a maker.

 

Here's the label, enhanced as best as I can do. Hope this helps.
Thanks verybrad, I'll run down that rabbit hole and see what I find.

 

Welcome! Lovely piece

 

Really not a lot there to see....thanks for trying, though, Jon!!

 

You might consider contacting the Grand Rapids Public Library. They have a lot of information on furniture businesses -- and all businesses - in Grand Rapids history.