. . . to own a piece of American design history. This large and handsome antique triple-door bookcase is attributed to Lifetime Furniture Company, formed in 1911 by the merger of the Michigan-based Grand Rapids Bookcase Company with Barker Brothers Chair Company. The resulting company inaugurated the Lifetime Furniture line, which manufactured what is known as "mission style" furniture. Mission furniture refers to the Spanish missions of colonial California, but the style is more aligned with the American Arts and Crafts movement. Beginning in Britain in the 1890s, the Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction against the over-ornamented and faux-historical style popular in Victorian England. The movement advocated for balanced and simpler designs crafted from natural materials. The American mission style is solid and sturdy, with straight lines and a timeless craftsmanship that underscores the natural beauty of the wood, typically oak. In an early catalog, the company declared, "It is the policy of the Manufacturers of Lifetime Furniture to produce only furniture worthy of being retained in the house of the purchaser indefinitely; furniture that will neither go out of style or become unpresentable from use until it has given service valued at many times the purchase price.”
As elegant as it is utilitarian, this impressive and important bookcase would fit into any style home, from traditional to minimalist. As the company catalog acclaims, it indeed is a piece that will never "go out of style."
All posted items are for sale at Next-to-New, but things can sell quickly!
12708-1818
