Who is John Henry Belter?

(1804-1863)

John Henry Belter was the most famous cabinetmaker associated with the American Rococo Revival. Trained in Wurttemberg, Germany, Belter immigrated to New York, where he replaced Duncan Phyfe as that city's most fashionable cabinetmaker.

Belter used laminated wood panels to produce this furniture. First he glued together 1/16" layers of rosewood, oak, or ebonized hardwood so that the grain of each layer ran perpendicular to the grains of the layer next to it. There were typically six to eight layers, although there could be as few as three or as many as sixteen. Belter's lamination process was unusual in that he steamed the laminated panels under great pressure in molds, or "cawls" to achieve great undulating curves, which he would then carve. Another feature distinguishing Belter's work was his production of extra ornamentation by applying pieces of solid wood to the frame.

During the course of John Henry Belter's career, the style of his work changed considerably. In the late 1840's and early 1850's, his furniture was rather loose in form, although it was conceived in the Rococo Revival style. He achieved a tighter form after the mid-1850s, when the popularity of the Louis XIV, Louis XVI, and Renaissance Revival styles were reflected in his work.

Some early Belter pieces had backs constructed entirely of scrolls, which enclosed an area dominated by naturalistic carving. Some of Belters greatest work is seen in the high backs of his slipper and hall chairs. In his earlier work, scrolls were combined with naturalistic details such as flower, fruit, and vine motifs; later, the scrolls disappeared, and the backs were formed completely of naturalistic detail. With the growing popularity of the Renaissance and Louis XVI styles, Belter's furniture assumed a more balanced form. At this time Belter applied for several patents for his laminating and steaming process, as well as for a specially designed bed.

For many years, all elaborate laminated rosewood furniture was identified as "Belter". However, an important manuscript notebook by another New York cabinetmaker, Ernest Hagen, came to light in the 1950s, indicating that Charles H. Baudouine (active 1845-1900) had infringed on Belters patents and created similar furniture, although he used more than one panel.

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