How can you tell how old a picture frame is?
Turn the frame to its back, or verso, and observe it carefully. If it is warped, fit with old hardware, or has wormholes, then it is probably old. Most picture framers do not duplicate warping or wormholes on the back of a new frame even if they distress its front to look old.
How can you tell if a picture frame is old?
The back of a picture frame offers important clues about its age. Look for wormholes in the wood, warping that comes with age and humidity changes, and signs about the construction. If it’s fit together without nails or tacks, it may be very old.
How can I tell what year a picture was made?
Sometimes the date will be below the artist’s name and will only be indicated by the last two digits, such as “92” for 1892. If you locate a date for the print, this will give a general idea of the era and decade in which the frame was made. Study the period look of the frame. Antique picture frames followed the making of furniture.
How do you date an antique picture frame?
Look at the materials the antique frame is constructed of to establish a date. As picture framing evolved, new techniques for embellishing and creating frames developed. An example of this was the introduction of heavy molded plaster gilded frames during the Victorian era. However, the material is not the only factor in dating gilded frames.
Is it worth buying an old picture frame?
If a frame is old, wood carved, genuinely gilded with real gold leaf, and well designed, then it may be valuable. For a comprehensive assessment, have a professional framer inspect it. Are you wondering if a frame you own or wish to collect is a valuable antique?
How to tell if a picture frame is an antique?
Look for wormholes in the wood, warping that comes with age and humidity changes, and signs about the construction. If it’s fit together without nails or tacks, it may be very old. If it features older hardware, that’s another clue it’s an antique. Most new reproduction frames won’t have backs that look old.
Sometimes the date will be below the artist’s name and will only be indicated by the last two digits, such as “92” for 1892. If you locate a date for the print, this will give a general idea of the era and decade in which the frame was made. Study the period look of the frame. Antique picture frames followed the making of furniture.
What’s the date on an old art frame?
Old frames previously tossed in the dump heap are now being fought over by dealers from trendy Manhattan art galleries. Vintage frames date from the 1700s into the 20th century. Identifying and dating antique frames is an art form in itself. Check on the back of the antique frame for a maker’s mark and date.
How can you tell the age of a wood frame?
For instance, if the frame is made of wide, flat plank boards of fine-grained warm yellow oak, it fits into the period of the Arts & Crafts movement in America. Estimate the period look of your frame to establish a general date.
