The Victorian period, which was named after England’s Queen who reigned over this long era, crossed the Atlantic and incorporated the highest point of the industrial revolution. For the first time in history, products could be mass-produced, making them available to average people at affordable prices. Decorative hardware was no exception, and the designs started off simple.

It is then we see the Carr hinge, one of the first butt hinges produced on a mass scale. To help mass-merchandise this hinge, which could be bought in a shop rather than having one made by the village blacksmith, Carr proudly had his name impressed into the hinge leaf itself, giving it both a certain prestige and character all its own. Other companies soon followed, Baldwin among them.

Soon after, the ubiquitous porcelain knob made its debut, in colors of white, black, brown, and a kind of marbled brown coined “Bennington” (named for its resemblance to the kitchen utensils and decorative items that came out of the famous pottery factory). These door knobs were so basically functional and classically attractive that they remained in regular production until the Second World War. Indeed, they continue to be one of our most popular items.

Great advances in science and technology characterize the last half of the Victorian period, and, as always, the hardware reflects this. The advent of new methods such as compression casting, which allowed for the creation of highly decorative products without the intensive labor of hand chasing, gave rise to the famous “Doggie” doorknob and other thematic images such as the “Lion” and “Vernacular Grapes” patterns. What could be produced in wood and stone already decorating the mansions and more modest homes of the period could now be done in the hardware. Thus was born the jewelry-like accessorizing of the home rather than mere functionality.

Toward the last half of the 1890’s a new revolutionary movement took hold. Through the talents of architects and craftsmen such as the Green Brothers, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Gustav Stickley, the Arts & Crafts period was created as a reaction to what many considered the overly dramatic decoration of the high Victorian period.

Also known as the Craftsman period, what we see is an appreciation for more simple forms and more natural, muted materials. The idea was to inspire serenity and put people more in touch with nature and their surroundings. This required a sense of handicraft rather than what was mass-produced in a factory and, as always, we see this reflected in our Craftsman-style hand-hammered pieces as well as the cast in texture of the Stickley-inspired cabinet pieces. Interestingly enough, the simplified forms found in the Craftsman period would be equally at home in a colonial home.

With much of the Arts & Crafts movement evolving out of California with its numerous missions dotting the landscape up and down the state, some designers of the time were inspired enough to create a sub-style of Craftsman known as the Mission style. Europe’s role in the Arts & Crafts period was what became known as Nouveau, and was highly influenced by natural forms, especially plant life. The American take on this style can be seen in our Pasadena line of hardware with its organic formed plate and knob, occasionally referred to as the brandy snifter.

The Arts & Crafts period lasted nearly 30 years through the first part of the 20th century and transitioning into the period that followed the First World War. During this transition, our society became awed with new technology. Although people had seen how technology could be used to effectively wage war, they now wanted to embrace it for the good of mankind.

The new modern style was termed Deco, and is generally considered the last true period of decorative arts. Films like Metropolis and Things To Come, along with novels of the time and the latest inventions of the day, inspired a unique futuristic approach to art and architecture.

The “stepped” design of the Empire State Building, for example, is reflected in our “Century” and “Phibes” entry sets. The Streamline Modern look of the faster trains, planes, and ships of the time can be seen in our Streamline cabinet hardware. The clean, straight or angled lines reflecting the sense of a modern, more futuristic look is evident in our Novo cabinet knob, and in both the drum and hash mark knob and rose sets.