Welcome to our first official blog post! We're excited to share with you!

We are proud to announce the Evanstonia blog – your source for information about our favorite pieces, restoration techniques, the history behind some of our antiques, and really anything we feel would be interesting to share with you, our loyal customers.  The goal is to give you an insider’s view of everything we know and love about the Antique business – tune in as we’ll have new posts every week.

THE STORY OF BAKER & COMPANY

Triple Pedestal Mahogany Dining Table with Satinwood Bending by Baker

Few names in American furniture elicit a response like the name Baker & Company.  This post will give you a very basic history of how Baker & Company got started over 100 years ago in Michigan.  I couldn’t help but think of the famous Baker & Company. 

Baker Side Chairs

The Baker story began in 1925 when President Coolidge appointed a commission to collect examples of the work of the earliest American cabinetmakers in order to “create a still deeper and more abiding interest and respect for the work of our forefathers (Burchell 8).” Coincidentally, a man by the name of Hollis S. Baker had recently become President of his father’s furniture company and, after visiting the exhibition of originals at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, jumped at the chance to recreate several small collections of American Furniture. From his newly acquired inspiration from his craftsman predecessors, he created a line of colonial furniture - a reproduction of a Duncan Phyfe Suite (an example of Duncan Phyfe pieces can be seen here on the Mets webpage) and a popular line of Pilgrim dining room pieces.

Baker Chinoiserie

  This was the beginning of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which was a result of the loss of personal craftsmanship and the bond that a craftsman felt with his work due to the booming Industrial Revolution.  The young American designers brought back the ideal of the skilled craftsman that was in complete harmony with his work. The resulting handmade pieces exuded a sense of nostalgia and appreciation for the past, replacing the repetitive and dull items persistently mass produced by machines.  This nostalgic attitude and the appreciation for early craftsmen led to a renewed interest in collecting and to the development of new areas for the collector (Burchell 10). Famous Museums such as The Met, as well as smaller institutions such as Henry Ford’s Edison Institute in Dearborn, Michigan began showing collections of fine furnishings.  This soon gave rise to new demand for the development of a refined line of reproduction furniture from America, England, and France.  This demand fueled Baker’s growth and allowed him to redefine his company and the entire history of furniture.

After 10 years of successful business, Hollis Baker’s interests shifted from personally running the business and manufacturing to the study of cabinetry and the cabinetmaker’s art.  He began to study the old techniques of furniture making, dating all the way back to ancient Egypt and Asia. Taking inspiration from all cultures and eras, he wanted to bring consumers reproductions of pieces created to mimic the way that they had been done in the past as closely as possible.  He studied all aspects of furniture building, but also studied other features of everyday life -  clothing, fashion, and social life - to better understand the functionality and aesthetic value of each piece of furniture. In doing this, Baker redefined antique reproduction techniques and ideas, giving it the foundation to produce a company that has created a lasting legacy.

Evanstonia has a fine collection of world class antiques from Baker & Company!

  What do we love about Baker & Company?

1) Chippendale style dining suites

2) Hepplewhite style dining chairs

3) Chinoiserie (French for Chinese-esque) style pieces

4)  Furniture that can withstand years and years of use

5) Furniture with functionality

6) Hollis S. Baker’s love for the history of furniture and craftsmanship

7) Baker’s Louis XV style pieces

8) Sheraton style furniture 

9) Empire style pieces

10) Furniture that has been made with love, patience and has amazing and incredible detail that     mimics the real deal

For more information about Baker & Company visit the official site! 

Tune in next week for a week a quick rundown of the Chippendale style. 

Thanks for reading! To show our appreciation we would like to offer our loyal customers 15% off on any Baker item in the store and showroom.  Visit our site at http://www.evanstoniaantiques.com/ , email (Evanstonia@sbcglobal.net), or stop by our showroom (4555 N. Ravenswood Chicago IL) any time this week with our special code HOLLISBAKER! Hurry offer last until our next blog post!