What Kind of Frames Were Used 1948 to 1954?

Tique

Grumbler
Joined
Jul 23, 2004
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49
Loc
Louisville Colorado
I have a client with memorabilia from the late 1940's and early 1950's/ She want to frame them in a frame that would be similar to one from that time frame.

Of course, I have no clue as to what a 1950's American frame would look like. Anyone out there that can help me?
 
Simple profiles. Simple finishes. A lot has to do with what is being framed.
 
Wormy Chestnut mouldings where extremely popular. Scoops and shell shapes where also up there. Hand finished frames where the norm. Most framers during that period used unfinished mouldings and did the rest themselves.

In the higher end shops, as apposed to the local paint, wallpaper, and framing business's, closed corner, golds, antique silvers with green washes.

During and right after world war II, labor was cheap, materials where expensive. Frames in those days where mostly hand made and finished, that was the most economical approach.

Take a tour of some thrift shops or go to some estate sales, or talk to some antique dealers to help you get a better idea. You can also go to your library and see what they have on the period.


John
 
Think of the furniture styles from the period also - bright orangey maple was really popular - I sell a lot with a beaded lip because it looks so 50's! Retro is HUGE around here!
 
Contemporary. Simple lines. Minimal frame. Late 50's brought the first aluminum frames.
 
From what I was able to find in my research for a couple of movies several years ago was a lot of what John recalls.

Wormy chestnut was big with "Florals", what you are talking about is a little more subdued...

For a Silver/gold Neucomb Macklins "torsed scosha with a tone painted back was popular in the Metro areas. For the more "Manly" look then I'm going to go with Eric. Ivy produced some very nice Cherry mouldings, that are being reproduced by Garrett Moulding.

Mar is remembering the Birdseye Maple that nobody does that will beat PB&H. And they still make it.

Larson is knocking off the NM scosha, but it's "toney" and I usually have to refinish the tone and paint the back.

Narrow mats were "in" because of scarcety of materials. Also 3/8" wide OTs stained and painted were big. (Yes, I did mean three-eights inch" and they didn't have a 1/4" rabit either.... :eek: )

Finish the stains with shellac and use casien (milk paint) for the paint.
 
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