Comments and Tags
Be the first to comment on this item!
Advertising
Furniture Industry Archives ➔ Advertisement, Grand Rapids Furniture Makers Guild
Identifier:
1985.16.1aDescription:
An advertisement provided by the Grand Rapids Furniture Makers Guild for furniture manufacturers. This ad is marketing to husbands purchasing furniture in celebration of anniversaries and as a gesture of romance. This layout demonstrates the advertising and marketing offered to furniture manufacturers, a benefit of being a dealer member of the Guild. Illustrations by local artist, Miriam (Suleeba) Kesterson.Date:
1940sMaterials:
PaperDimensions:
13.5" h 7.5" wCurrent Location Status:
In StorageCollection Tier:
Tier 2Source:
Gift Of Kesterson, Miriam M.Related Entities:
Kesterson, Miriam (Suleeba) (creator)Miriam Suleeba was an illustrator and artist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Miriam grew up to be a student of Mathias J. Alten (1871-1938), and later painted as a commercial illustrator under her married name of Kesterson. Kesterson, Miriam (Suleeba) (donor)
Miriam Suleeba was an illustrator and artist based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Miriam grew up to be a student of Mathias J. Alten (1871-1938), and later painted as a commercial illustrator under her married name of Kesterson. Grand Rapids Furniture Makers Guild (creator)
The "Guild" was an independent organization within the Grand Rapids furniture industry whose mission focused on strengthening the business between the manufacturers and the dealers in presentation and sale to the public. The Guild operated independently from the Furniture Manufacturers Association of Grand Rapids (FMA), which promoted activities for the Furniture Market event and protected the "Grand Rapids Made" trademark. The formation of the Grand Rapids Furniture Makers Guild in 1931 accomplished several goals: it provided a new avenue for marketing Grand Rapids furniture during the Depression; it ensured that a large number of retail dealers would consistently carry Grand Rapids goods; it educated the general public about style and craftsmanship in furniture, and it advanced the reputation of Grand Rapids as the place where high-quality furnishings were made.
The Guild initially included nine Grand Rapids furniture manufacturers and increased to around 15 at its height. It was formed under the assumption that the "Grand Rapids" name and reputation held stronger sway with the buying public than did any of the individual company names. To capitalize on this, member companies sold their products through official "Guild" dealers across the country, and their products were labeled with a tag that often read "True Grand Rapids Cabinet Making Certified" instead of the individual company names. Each piece of furniture sold under the Guild name was numbered, and the buyer was given a certificate proving its pedigree as a Guild product. The tags usually take the form of a letter, followed by 5 digit number (such as I-46965), and researchers believe the letter indicates the name of the company that produced the piece. The Guild disbanded around the year 1967.
I - Imperial Furniture Company
G -
F - John Widdicomb Company
