Antique Picture Frames And Mirrors - Part 3

( Originally Published 1963 )

The golden color of trim and frames always was gold leaf, not metallic paint. Gold leaf is an extremely thin sheet of real gold, and applying it is an expert art. It does wear thin and come off in patches eventually. Excessive humidity for weeks during summer is, in my opinion, hard on gold-leaf frames. If frames are to be refinished, it should be done with gold leaf rather than by gilding or painting. Retouching is not advisable, for it will always show. To have a frame recovered with gold leaf is expensive. Whether or not you decide to have such a frame, which is in bad condition, done over before selling will depend somewhat on the possible market for the mirror.

The kind of wood from which a frame was made is not always a factor in its valuation. All mirrors that were covered with gold leaf or veneer-and there were a great many of themwere made of pine. If a veneer frame had a crest and possibly a skirt, these parts were made of thin wood that matched the veneer. Small strips of pine glued on the back were placed there by the original maker, not added later.

Many of the fretwork mirrors made between 1750 and 1780 were solid mahogany. Mahogany was popular again during the American Empire period, and rosewood might have been used then as well as during the Victorian days. Walnut, cherry, and maple were frames. Veneers frequently showed other fine hardwoods used for mirror burl or cross-grain markings.

Almost all of the eighteenth-century styles are still being made in some quantity. The Queen Anne with graceful arched top, the Chippendale or fretwork mirror, the Hepplevhite with classical urn and flowers, the convex glass in a round frame, and the rectangular mirror with upper panel of painted glass are part of the usual stock in most furniture stores. The finest examples of these styles made during the 1700's and early 1800's are certain either to be in a museum or restoration or else to be cherished antiques hanging on a wall in the homes of the persons who have inherited them.

There seems to be a ready market for almost all styles of old mirrors except those with the wide mahogany frames made during the American Empire period. These may have the original glass still in quite good condition, but in spite of the fine mahogany frame and the over-all simplicity of the mirror, they can seldom be sold for their appraised value, which may be less than $50 or as much as $150. In fact, at country auctions, I have seen a fine American Empire mirror go for as little as $5. The Tabernacle mirror, made at about the same time, is easier to sell, perhaps because it seems more unusual. One in this style refinished with gold leaf or with the original gold leaf in good condition might sell for $50 to $150; a plain wood one with turnings instead of carving, for $15 to perhaps $35.

The skill with which the frame was made, its present condition, and the glass in it help to determine a fair selling price for the popular styles of eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century mirrors. An excellent and authenticated example of Queen Anne, fretwork, or a Sheraton mirror with balls under the cornice might be appraised and sell for several hundred dollars. On the other hand, there are many in all of these styles which sell for less. A small fretwork mirror with some of the scrollwork broken off and veneer chipped from the frame is worth $5 if all the pieces can be found. With care, it can be repaired to look quite good.

Not yet scarce but always popular are the early-nineteenth-century mirrors with two panels of glass, the upper one painted. Almost all of them are attractive, even if the painting is quite primitive. A small one with a mediocre painting might bring $15 or less. Many of these from 12 to 15 inches wide and 24 to 27 inches long sell for $35 to $50 or perhaps a little more, depending on workmanship and condition.

A shaving stand or dressing glass made between 1800 and 1850 can be valued at $150 to $300, depending on the wood from which it was made and its condition. At any time, it should be possible to sell one in almost any part of the country for $150.

There is no doubt but that mirrors are more popular today than they ever were. In fact, some kind is likely to be found in every room of a house. This helps the sale of old mirrors, although many people buy one chiefly for the frame and scorn the dingy-looking glass. Here, then, is an outlet for some of the picture frames stacked in many an attic.

Although the Victorian period may not have originated any styles of mirrors, it did see pictures used abundantly on walls. Frames, whether for oil paintings, prints, and, in the late years of the century, photographs of relatives, were either heavy or fancy enough so that no one could help but notice them. Styles ranged from rococo with infinite curlicues to simple wood moldings.

The large rococo gilded frames that were customary for oil paintings actually make handsome mirrors. Most of them framed a rectangular painting, but occasionally an oval one is found. By all means, look carefully at the painting or print within the frame to be sure that it has no particular value. Quite often these frames with their still life or floral paintings darkened but intact are seen at auctions. If you come across a half-dozen of these wide, scrolled and gilded frames, a dealer or interior decorator may take them off your hands for a nominal sum.

Two common styles of small, oval Victorian picture frames are especially adaptable for conversion to mirrors. One of these is the painted wood frame with applied clusters of flowers or fruit covered with gold leaf. The other is the simple, wide frame in a molded curve of mahogany or walnut. Both of these oval styles are easiest to find in frames that are about 13 1/2 inches long and 12 inches wide with openings 8 to 9 inches long and 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 inches wide. After mirror glass has been cut and fitted into these frames, they will need new backing, for the original ones usually were rough wood. These new mirrors can be hung on the wall or fitted with an easel back for use on a dressing table or other surface.

In the late Victorian years, oval mirrors of about the same size were often golden. The finest ones had frames about Z1/2 inches wide with raised decoration twining around the outer edge in the form of clusters of grapes and leaves or perhaps flowers and foliage. These should be recovered entirely with gold leaf. Another style of picture frame, which can be converted to a mirror if it is large enough, had a narrow frame, plain or molded, which was gilded. The latest and narrowest were metal.

Frames of wood in natural color decorated with shallow carving or incising were commonly used for family pictures toward the end of the Victorian era, the larger sizes for the lithographs that were so popular. The carving in some cases was no more than reeding in two widths. Many of these frames crisscrossed at the corners, where there usually was some kind of ornament. A china button ringed with brass was sometimes attached at each corner. If a carved leaf decorated each corner, the wood frame was often carved or incised to resemble bark.

These frames, some of which had slender wooden easels inserted in their backs, were made in a range of sizes. Some had openings only 3 1/2 by 2 1/4 inches; others were 6 by 4 1/8 inches, and some were as large as 11 or 12 by 8 inches. The smallest ones have no particular value except as picture frames. The larger sizes are possibilities worth considering for mirrors, particularly since they may already have easels.

Narrow, light wood frames that need repairs on the molding, a refitting of joints, or refinishing of the wood are likely to be worth the time and effort, since the resulting mirror will be distinctive. With patience, the broken curl of scrollwork on a rococo frame can be built up and will not be noticeable if the frame is to be gilded or painted before the new mirror glass is inserted.

An oval frame of walnut or mahogany with an opening 8 1/2 by 63/ inches probably can be sold for $5 or so. A pair is often appealing and may perhaps bring $12.50, instead of only $5 each. Larger sizes with the wood in good condition are worth $10 with an opening 8 1/2 by 11 inches, $12.50 with an opening of 14 by 12 inches. A crisscross wood frame (an opening 6 by 41/2 inches) with carved leaves at the corners would not be overpriced at $3.50 to $4, and a larger one (12 by 8 inches) at $7.50.

The oval gold-leaf frame will be worth more than a gilded metal one. A simple molded gold-leaf frame with an opening 8 by 5 3/4 inches should bring $5 or more, depending on where you are trying to sell it. Similar frames with larger openings, perhaps 7/1/2 by 20 inches, start at $10 or so. The smaller gold-leaf frame with relief decoration should sell for a higher price, to be determined by the amount of the decoration and the condition of it and of the gold leaf. If it is in excellent condition, certainly even a small frame of this sort should be worth $10 to $14.

If the market seems sluggish for old picture frames to be transformed into mirrors, look them over for other possible uses that may help to dispose of them. If they are sturdy as well as good-looking, a shallow box could be attached to the back so they could be hung on the wall to display many things that are better preserved under glass. Certainly many frames can be found that will hold one or more opened fans more appropriately than the rather cumbersome glass fan boxes that can be bought for the purpose. Shells, bits of fine old needlework or lace, butterflies, dried flowers, and many other treasures arranged against an effective background (fabric offers many choices) in a Victorian picture frame can be a stunning wall decoration in homes with either contemporary or traditional furnishings. If you resort to this method, it may be necessary to line up cooperation, perhaps first from a carpenter who can prepare the frames for their special contents, and then from an antique shop, gift shop, or interior decorator, who will take the finished ones on consignment. Or one of the latter outlets may see the advantage of taking the frames and having them prepared by their own workmen for display purposes.

The assortment of picture frames that clutters the attic and often the walls of an old house is bound to include some that deserve no more than being turned over to a rummage sale or second-hand store. The most likely ones for conversion into mirrors or other purposes may be sold individually. The sum total brought by the choicest frames will probably compensate for those that must be given away and for the in-between ones that go to make up the miscellaneous lot sold to a dealer for a small amount or sent to an auction, from which the return is likely to be the minimum.

You will probably want to destroy the photographs of grim-looking relatives and friends-and somehow in the early photographs people always did look grim-before the frames are disposed of in one way or another. It is worth the time to investigate the possible value of paintings, however crudely done, or prints. In any case, anyone you approach who knows something about selling old picture frames will be able to advise on whether the contents should be destroyed or left in place.