Pottier & Stymus

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Pottier & Stymus factory building on Lexington Avenue in New York City (King1893NYC) pg861 POTTIER, STYMUS & COMPANY. LEXINGTON AVENUE, NORTHEAST CORNER 41ST STREET.jpg
Pottier & Stymus factory building on Lexington Avenue in New York City

Pottier & Stymus was a prominent American furniture and design firm of the Victorian period.

Contents

Company

August Pottier, an immigrant from France, and William P. Stymus Sr. opened the company in New York City in 1859. Their workshop was on 115 Wooster Street, and their salesroom was at 623 Broadway. [1] The company grew quickly, and by 1871 the firm's factory occupied a full block on Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street, on the present site of the Socony–Mobil Building. By 1872, they employed 700 men and 50 women. Pottier & Stymus made furniture in the Neo-Greco, Renaissance Revival, Egyptian Revival, and Modern Gothic Styles. [2] Three drawing published in Harper's New Monthly Magazine in November 1876 provide evidence that in addition to exclusive furniture for office buildings and rich clients, Pottier & Stymus also produced simpler and cheaper furniture. [1] Some of Pottier & Stymus' work can be seen at the Brooklyn Museum.

Notable clients

Sideboard by Pottier & Stymus owned by Henry Osborne Havemeyer. Circa 1875-1885 Havemeyer Sideboard by Pottier & Stymus.png
Sideboard by Pottier & Stymus owned by Henry Osborne Havemeyer. Circa 1875-1885

System of documentation

From the Golden Book of Celebrated Manufacturers and Merchants published on the occasion of the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, it is known that Pottier & Stymus used a detailed system of documentation for their products. From the beginning of the construction process, each piece of furniture was assigned a multi-digit number, and pieces which belonged together were given sequential numbers. Few objects were clearly marked making definitive identification difficult, but when marked, Pottier & Stymus used one of three methods: pencil, impressions or stencil in black ink. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Pottier & Stymus Furniture". Antique Victorian Furniture Antiquarian Traders, 2011. Accessed on 29 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Pottier & Stymus." M.S. Rau Antiques. Accessed 29 December 2014.
  3. Wiencek, Henry. The Moody Mansion and Museum. Galveston, TX: Mary Moody Northen, Inc., 1991.
  4. Thomas Edison National Historical Park. U.S. National Park Service, updated 25 December 2014.