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Gustav Stickley Furniture Identification
There are a number of different decals/marks/brands and paper labels that were applied over the years of manufacture
to Gustav Stickley Craftsman furniture. Production ran from about 1900 to 1915, when furniture manufacturing ceased due to the bankruptcy of the firm. The
earliest mark that is regularly seen is the 1902 red decal pictured below. Most of the furniture decals Gustav Stickley used were red with the
exception of some black decals he used from about 1910 to 1912.
The decals range in size from 3/4" to 2 1/2".
Some of the decals came in different sizes, with the bigger decal tending to be on larger pieces. The paper
labels 2 3/4" x 3", 3" x 4 3/4" and 4" x 6", respectively.
Just about all pieces, of Gustav Stickley's furniture, will have a decal, a brand, a paper label or some combination of a decal/brand and a paper label unless the piece
of furniture has been refinished or reupholstered,
thus removing the mark.
Gustav Stickley Decals and Brand
(please note that these marks are not to scale
the actual marks are smaller)
Dating Gustav Stickley's Marks
1902-1903 Early
"Stickley in the Box" Decal |
1902-1904 Early "Box Decal" |
1904-1906/7 |
The marks can typically be found under table tops, centered on the upper back of case pieces (bookcases,
china cabinets, sideboards), on the underside of chair cushions, inside of drawers, under chair arms or on a
chair's rear stretcher. Occasionally, the decal is quite faint so with an item like a chair or a footstool it is best
to take the piece outdoors on a sunny day and examine it closely. Indoors, a flashlight can be quite helpful.
Sometimes all you may see is a shadow of where a paper label was.
You will see that the 1904-1907 decal and the 1905 early paper label can both be found on the same piece of
furniture like a chair as well as the 1905-1912 decal and the 1907-1912 paper label and the 1912-1916 brand and
the 1912-1916 paper label, that were both introduced at the same time.
If you have what you think is a piece of Gustav Stickley furniture and it is not marked, then you have to know
the telltale construction techniques that Gustav Stickley used or have a reprint of a Gustav Stickley catalog
to identify it.
1905-1912
Note the different signature
from the previous mark |
1912-1916 Late
Branded Mark |
Gustav Stickley Paper Labels
(please note that these paper labels are not to scale
the actual paper labels are larger)
Dating Gustav Stickley's Paper Labels
1905-1907 Early
"Eastwood" Paper Label |
1907-1912 Middle Paper Label |
1912-1916 "Late" Paper Label |
Source:
Cathers, David M. (1996). Furniture of the American Arts & Crafts Movement; Turn of the Century Editions |
