Charles Limbert
Encyclopedia
Charles P. Limbert was founder of the Limbert Furniture Company and a contemporary of Gustav Stickley
, although the two most likely didn't know each other. (Stickley was more of a self-promoter while Limbert was content to let his furniture speak for itself). Limbert's quartersawn oak furniture is characteristic of the Arts and Crafts movement
in America; some of it looks similar to that produced by other makers of the day. Many of the company's better pieces, however, are pleasingly unique, are solidly constructed and stand on their own merits. Compared with Stickley's work, Limbert's designs were typically less severe and more visually interesting, usually achieved through the use of cut-outs and other elements inspired by such diverse influences as English Arts and Crafts, Dutch folk furniture, Scottish architect/designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh
, and the Vienna Secession
. If there is any criticism of Limbert furniture it is that some pieces have been described as "underscaled and malproportioned". That appears to be true of certain groupings within his Arts and Crafts line, but the best examples can command prices similar to Stickley's work. One of Limbert's most notable pieces, a jardiniere
, was included among Stickley and other craftsmen's work in the 1973 show at the Art Museum of Princeton University that began the Arts and Crafts Revival.
Limbert furniture was among the furnishings of the Old Faithful Inn
in Yellowstone National Park
in 1906. Several wash stands remain in the Old House section of the Inn, and a number of pieces of Old Hickory furniture, a line represented by Limbert, are still in use.
in either 1854 or 1856, the son of cabinetmaker and furniture dealer Levi H. Limbert. After moving with his family in 1866 to Akron, Ohio, he later learned the furniture business in the 1870s at his father's store. As a young man in Akron the first business he tried on his own was in the carriage trade. After leaving his adopted hometown in the mid-1880s he moved west and began his career as a furniture salesman. Charles started making chairs in Grand Rapids, Michigan
while continuing to distribute furniture made by others. Limbert established a factory in 1902 where he designed and built what he termed "Dutch Arts and Crafts"-style furniture and light fixtures. In 1906 he opened a factory in Holland, Michigan
, which he regarded as a more healthy environment for his workers. Limbert continued to manage his company until 1922, when poor health prompted him to sell his share in the company.
s.
Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley was a manufacturer of furniture and the leading proselytizer for the American Arts and Crafts movement, an extension of the British Arts and Crafts movement.-Biography:...
, although the two most likely didn't know each other. (Stickley was more of a self-promoter while Limbert was content to let his furniture speak for itself). Limbert's quartersawn oak furniture is characteristic of the Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
in America; some of it looks similar to that produced by other makers of the day. Many of the company's better pieces, however, are pleasingly unique, are solidly constructed and stand on their own merits. Compared with Stickley's work, Limbert's designs were typically less severe and more visually interesting, usually achieved through the use of cut-outs and other elements inspired by such diverse influences as English Arts and Crafts, Dutch folk furniture, Scottish architect/designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Charles Rennie Mackintosh was a Scottish architect, designer, watercolourist and artist. He was a designer in the Arts and Crafts movement and also the main representative of Art Nouveau in the United Kingdom. He had a considerable influence on European design...
, and the Vienna Secession
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession was formed in 1897 by a group of Austrian artists who had resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists, housed in the Vienna Künstlerhaus. This movement included painters, sculptors, and architects...
. If there is any criticism of Limbert furniture it is that some pieces have been described as "underscaled and malproportioned". That appears to be true of certain groupings within his Arts and Crafts line, but the best examples can command prices similar to Stickley's work. One of Limbert's most notable pieces, a jardiniere
Jardiniere
Jardinière is a French word, from the feminine form of "gardener." Jardinière has three meanings:#The first meaning of jardinière is also a large stand, pot, urn, or receptacle upon which, or into which, plants may be placed. Jardinieres tend to be highly decorative...
, was included among Stickley and other craftsmen's work in the 1973 show at the Art Museum of Princeton University that began the Arts and Crafts Revival.
Limbert furniture was among the furnishings of the Old Faithful Inn
Old Faithful Inn
-Sources:*Barringer, Mark Daniel. Selling Yellowstone: Capitalism and the Construction of Nature, Lawrence, Kansas: University Press of Kansas, 2002. ISBN 978-070061167-3...
in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
in 1906. Several wash stands remain in the Old House section of the Inn, and a number of pieces of Old Hickory furniture, a line represented by Limbert, are still in use.
Biography
Charles Limbert was born in Linesville, PennsylvaniaLinesville, Pennsylvania
Linesville is a borough in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,155 at the 2000 census. The town gets its name from its founders, which included William Line , who migrated from Carlisle, Pennsylvania circa the early 1820s, and his relative, Amos Line who was the...
in either 1854 or 1856, the son of cabinetmaker and furniture dealer Levi H. Limbert. After moving with his family in 1866 to Akron, Ohio, he later learned the furniture business in the 1870s at his father's store. As a young man in Akron the first business he tried on his own was in the carriage trade. After leaving his adopted hometown in the mid-1880s he moved west and began his career as a furniture salesman. Charles started making chairs in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
while continuing to distribute furniture made by others. Limbert established a factory in 1902 where he designed and built what he termed "Dutch Arts and Crafts"-style furniture and light fixtures. In 1906 he opened a factory in Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan
Holland is a city in the western region of the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
, which he regarded as a more healthy environment for his workers. Limbert continued to manage his company until 1922, when poor health prompted him to sell his share in the company.
Modern Day
The Limbert Co. trademarked name is held by Ragsdale Home Furnishings of Holt, Michigan. Ragsdale specializes mostly in lighting and taboretTaboret
A taboret refers to two different pieces of furniture, a cabinet or a stool.The popular sense refers to a small portable stand or cabinet, with drawers and shelves for storage. It is used as a method to bring organization to a work area. This name for a portable cabinet is common to artists...
s.
External links
- Charles Limbert at the Arts and Crafts Society
- Limbert furniture at Webteek