Greetings,

I've edited the original message in this thread to be this general introduction to Globe Wernicke. There seems to be enough regular interest regarding GW pieces, the coding system, and so on, that the thread regulary gets new messages and a bump back up the forum tree. As a result, inserted below is some general info on the coding system and unit types that might help people with pertinent questions. This is followed by the rest of the MASTER THREAD of accumulated messages from the past year or so.

Stonecat
Moderator
June 26/06

Barristers or stacking bookcases were invented by the Wernicke company (later Globe-Wernicke Company.), and they originally called them 'elastic bookcases'. Here's a little excerpt from their history.


1882 The Globe Files Company was incorporated in Ohio, February 9, 1882 by George
Nauerth, R.F. Leaman, H.C. Yeiser, J.J. Hooker, W.N. King, and C.S. Cragg.
(founded with $60,000 in capital stock.)

1884 The Globe Files Company introduces its patented “Globe System of Filing
Papers”.

1893 The Wernicke Company was established in Minneapolis. Soon after, they invented
and introduced the “Elastic Bookcase”, which consisted of different sized glass-front cabinet components that could be stacked together in different configurations to create a customized workspace or storage unit. This concept was advertised to provide “Freedom from complications and adaptability to every filing need”.

1898 Globe Company, along with Edwin Seibels fabricated the first filing system to
hold papers in a vertical position. This breakthrough in office systematization
is displayed in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. as the prototype
of the modern vertical file.

1899 Globe Company purchases the Wernicke Company and renames itself Globe-
Wernicke Company.

Hello Friend,
I can not find anything on the book case you speak of however I do know that they date back to England as an attorney over there was referred to as a barrister. The very old book cases were made with leaded glass doors and when raised would travel on a wood slide and the end of each door had two dowels with one having a spring behind it to hold the door in place and traveled in a groove along the sides about 1/4" above the slide. I have restored several of them but never did find out the history. I had one set of cases that were labeled on the back from a town in England, called Bellshire.

That is about all I can tell you at the moment.
If I find more information I will pass it along.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

Hello Stonecat,
Thank you for your post as it was very informative and I learned something I did not know, but now that you mentioned the Globe bookcase and filing cabinets it does ring a bell. I tried to google the information but did not have any success. I have worked on some Barristers bookcases from England, and I am now wondering who copied who.

Globe-Wernicke also had operations in London, so maybe you worked on GW pieces or maybe there were copy-cat firms in England - very likely, I'm sure. Here's a tagged GW set from England.

Read your posting about Globe Wernike bookcases.

I have noted that those which have labels in them have a pattern number as well as a grade number. Mine has a grade of 2222 1/2. What do these numbers mean?

mazie

I have tried to figure out the system but have yet to find a source for the whole code. Here's what I know. Labels have two codes, either size and grade or pattern and grade. The sections were made in four depths and seven heights, referring to the size code. The size code is a letter and a number, the letter being the depth and the number being the height. The depths are C, D, E, S. C seems to be the most common and is 8" deep. I know five of the seven heights: 8 1/2, 10 1/4, 11, 12 1/4, and 13 1/2, with 11 being pretty common, or C-11 being the most common size. The other sizes are likely bigger and might be 17 and 18 based on an old advertisement I have seen. The grade code refers to the wood and the finish, and I think the kind of glass. Woods were either oak, 1/4 cut oak, mahogany, or maple/birch which was stained and shellaced to look like either mahogany or later walnut. The types of glass were either plain, plate, leaded, or rarely stained. I don't know how the three numbers translate but I know 299 seems to be very common and is oak with plain glass I believe. I have a 398 which is maple/birch stained and shellaced to mahogany with plain glass. There were also 1/2 numbers to confuse it more. The pattern code seems to be the hardest one to figure out because these are in both the hundreds and the thousands, sometimes with 1/2 numbers (like yours mazie)and I haven't got a handle on these yet. Since the styles of cases changed from year to year as well, some of the pattern codes might be specific to a style, e.g. they had a 'mission oak' model for a while. They also had different codes for top and base units and I assume for the drop front and file cabinet type units. Anyways I hope this helps a little. I could be off on a couple of these points so if anyone can correct anything or add anything please do.

Since there are a couple threads going regarding stacking bookcases and Globe Wernicke I thought these copies of period GW ads might be of interest, showing the 'mission style' in bungalow interiors (I enlarged them a bit so they might be a little blurry)

Here is some info on the Globe-Wernicke grade #'s:
199 Straight cut oak 297 weathered quartered oak 298 antique quartered oak 299 golden quartered oak 398 imitation mahogany 498 (discontinued early) maple then walnut 598 real mahogany 698 Antwerp quartered oak 798 early English quartered oak 898 mission quartered oak 998 Fumed oak

quote:

Originally posted by Bagheera:
Here is some info on the Globe-Wernicke grade #'s:
199 Straight cut oak 297 weathered quartered oak 298 antique quartered oak 299 golden quartered oak 398 imitation mahogany 498 (discontinued early) maple then walnut 598 real mahogany 698 Antwerp quartered oak 798 early English quartered oak 898 mission quartered oak 998 Fumed oak

very helpful, thanks

Any idea about grade # 198? I have a mismatched set with 198 on top and 299 1/2 on the bottom. Both are design # 113 and really don't show any difference in appearance. But here's the kicker - both have a black laquered sheeting where the glass was. I don't know if this is part of the original design (since I can't seem to find other examples of it anywhere) or if the book cases have been modified. It makes sense to have such a shield to protect older books from the damaging rays of the sun. Don't you think? Does anyone else have a clue? Thanks for letting me participate.

Dave S.
Joliet, IL

Dave,

Thanks for adding to the confusion just kidding. Somewhere there has to be a reference that explains the system but I have only found bits and pieces on the web. As far as the doors go, I can't say I have ever seen something like your description. I guess if you check the inside moulding that holds the panels in place for signs that it has been retrofitted somehow might help confirm if the panels are replacements. It's not uncommon at all for the original glass to break, so maybe someone did a quick fix or maybe they did in fact want a shaded cabinet for whatever - books, food, tobacco, liquor, who knows.

My first post. I collect Wernicke items, so I have several reference / source materials. Globe Wernicke has a somewhat straightforward numbering system. Here is basic info. Pattern numbers designate the specific unit, examples: 133 = C. Leg Base, 143 = D Leg Base, 157 = E. Leg Base, 111 = C-11" book unit, 112 = D-12 1/4" Book unit Some make perfect sense, some do not. The D pattern is in fact the most produced series. C is 2nd most produced, E is third, G & H sizes were made to order and quite rare. Other rarities are the S size which stands for the 3/4 size unit, or 25 1/2" long vs normal length of 34", example D 12 1/2" S book unit. The choices got more complicated as GW introduced multiple styles and different units from early 1900's to late 1920's. Bankrupted after stock market crash. Reformed mid 1930's. New styles introduced again. Different styles do not often fit others. Certain finishes only went with certain woods. 197 & 198 went on plain oak (straight grain), 297, 298, 298 1/2, 299, 299 1/2, 698, 698 1/2, 798 1/2, 898 went on quarter sawed oak, 398 went on imitation mahogany, 598, 598 1/2, 599 1/2 went on real mahogany. I only specialize in Globe Wernicke up to the late 1920's. If your unit has the long length of wood to join sections underneath, I can share some insight. If it has the small round metal slots on the ends for joining / seating, it is from the mid 1930's through post WWII and I know very little specifics. As for GW sections / sets, the style, condition and finish determine ranges of value. Some perfect styles are less desirable than rough condition of others. Hope I have helped.

Thanks Dennis, more info and more help

Another tidbit: Last weekend I saw a set with the 198 code and it was labelled "Utility Grade", and was tagged by the GW factory from Stratford, Ont. (which was an important Canadian furniture making town with about 30 companies set up at the turn of the century)

Here is some key information that may be of interest to everyone. As a collector, these are the Wernicke stacking bookcase units / items that I and most other collectors search for: Quarter Sawed Oak anything - 297, 298, 299 etc, Desk units, Desk units with legs to the floor, Drawer Base units, Sectional Units with Drawers or Solid Wood doors, Leaded Glass (diamond or square), Beveled glass, Step Back units (finished on top front strip), E sizes, F & G sizes, Sliding Glass Doors units (left to right) Anything with the IDEAL Label, Book Shelf top (has a vertical back and sides), Tops or Bases with left or right angled edges (45 degrees, for joining section stacks at room corners) 3/4 size anything (25 1/2" long), Any and all 41 1/4" long sectional units, especially those with file cabinets, 25" depth units, large drawers or sliding glass doors. Oak generally has the most mass appeal, while real Mahogany has very loyal, but fewer followers; based on what I have seen over last 15 years. Dollar values will always have the very wide range of what you are willing (not just hoping) to sell for and what someone is actually willing and able to pay for. Best of luck to all and happy antiquing, Dennis

I am new to this forum, and would be grateful for some information on an oak Globe bookcase I bought recently in London. It is made up of 6 parts (top, 4 bookshelves with square/rectangular leaded glass doors, bottom drawer). The drawers have orange Globe Wernicke labels numbered 208 1/2, the drawer label is no. 202, and the top is labelled 200. All the labels have the word "Classic" on them.

It is a very attractive piece (at least to me), the top is stepped all along the front edge, and the legs are also stepped (perhaps 1920s style?). The glass doors have brass knobs of the small square type, and the drawer has two long, straight brass handles, each about 3 inches long. The bookcase does not have the metal strips on the sides that some seem to have, and no trace of there ever having been any. The piece obviously has some age, although it is in good condition.

If anyone could help, it would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks.

P.S. I have tried to source this information on the Internet, but there is little there that sheds light, which is odd given the apparent popularity of these bookcases.

Also, are Globe bookcases regarded as products of the Arts and Crafts movement? (I came across this forum via Google.) I have some Arts and Crafts furniture, and if Globe is regarded as Arts and Crafts, it would explain why I was attracted to this piece!

Well it sounds like you have a nice set, especially with the leaded glass fronts. As you can tell from the other messages, the coding system seems to be only partially figured out and your numbers don't seem to fit with anything here, but maybe as people add to the knowledge base here (or elsewhere on the net)someday you'll be able to decipher the code.

I think that GW pieces would not necessarily be considered A&C original designs, but rather as accesory pieces and certainly as business and office pieces of the period. There were certain designs that were specific to the period, such as the Mission line noted above, but these would have just been GW responding to the fashion of the day, not GW inventing something new as a component of the movement. In this regard, this is the same as many other furniture manufacturers - as someone else's approach caught on they started making the same style. There's nothing wrong with this because this is the affordable furniture that we love to collect and use today.

Thank you very much for the information.

In fact, I have just found out that Yeiser's design was a huge success in Europe as well as in the US. By the end of the 19th century, an English furniture manufacturer, Thomas Turner, started marketing the design in England. The company was named The Globe Wernicke Co. Ltd. In time, The Globe Wernicke Co. also expanded to Canada, France, Belgium and Austria.

Because of the great success of the design, several other furniture manufacturers got interested in the product and started to manufacture similar designs. In Europe these were, notably, Shannon Registrator, Minty and Gunn in England; Zeiss and Soennecken in Germany; and Lingel in Hungary.

So, from what I can gather, the bookcase I have, which has the absolutely typical leaded glass style of the American GW bookcases, and their mechanism, was probably produced by GW in England. In fact, I have seen a GW bookcase with the orange labels on eBay and it was also being sold by a UK seller. I haven't yet seen a bookcase like my one elsewhere - most of the ones I've seen have the 'overhanging' top, whereas mine has that elegant (to me) stepped effect at the top and on the legs, and the brass handles to the drawer are also different. As for the numbering system, it would be really interesting to know if/how this is related to the numbers used by GW in the US. I wish someone would produce a book on these very interesting pieces of furniture.

Interestingly, my sisters both each have a beautiful piece of old oak furniture, bought several years ago in London, which is like a large chest on legs with lots of small, square drawers with brass handles. These also have the GW name on them, and are as well produced as the GW bookcases. (I'm sure these pieces have a name, but don't know what it is.)

I am absolutely delighted with my bookcase - it is a well-designed, solid, well-made piece of furniture.

quote:

Originally posted by sunflower:

Interestingly, my sisters both each have a beautiful piece of old oak furniture, bought several years ago in London, which is like a large chest on legs with lots of small, square drawers with brass handles. These also have the GW name on them, and are as well produced as the GW bookcases. (I'm sure these pieces have a name, but don't know what it is.)

It seems like you're describing a card catalogue cabinet or card drawer cabinet. I don't think there is a special name for them. These were pretty common 'back in the day' in the office and of course in libraries, and probably even in homes. They vary in configuration from single drawer and double drawer units, which are farily common, to the multi drawer units typical of old libraries. The drawers vary in size from a few inches square to several inches square (several centimetres square to a few decimetres square for metric people). There were also flat drawer cupboards of various sizes used for horizontal filing of everything from simple documents to full sized maps. Vertical filing was done with big oak filing cabinets that were very similar to modern file cabinets. GW and dozens of other companines made these in both Europe and N. America.

Thank you for the information, Stonecat. I could see the cabinets in a library, now you mention it. From memory the drawers are about 6 or 7 inches square and there are probably 35 or more drawers altogether.