When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
🇺🇸 Outstanding 19th-century Victorian “New Harvard Dictionary Holder,” manufactured by the Harvard Company, 267 Wabash Ave., Chicago. This is an especially uncommon Harvard Company-marked example of the elaborate adjustable dictionary/library stands popular during the late Victorian period. Comparable period stands are much more frequently encountered under names such as Lambie and George J. Flanagan; documented Lambie examples date to the mid-1880s. �
Eron Johnson Antiques +1
📚 Constructed of solid oak and ornate cast iron, retaining an attractive old bronze-colored finish/patina. The ingenious mechanical design allows the two oak book rests to be positioned for a large dictionary, Bible, atlas, sheet music or other oversized volume. The decorative pierced lower shelf adds both function and wonderful Victorian industrial character.
🏷️ Most importantly, the original paper labels remain present and identify it as “THE NEW HARVARD DICTIONARY HOLDERS – HARVARD COMPANY, Mnfrs., 267 Wabash Ave., Chicago, Ill.” Harvard-marked examples appear to be considerably harder to encounter than the later George J. Flanagan-marked New Harvard stands documented in the sale market.
✨ Condition: Displays beautifully with genuine age-related wear, patina, finish loss and marks consistent with a functional 19th-century antique. Please examine all photographs carefully—they are an important part of the description.
📏 Approximately 40" high when opened/positioned as shown and approximately 12 lbs. The stand disassembles, and it will be carefully taken apart and securely packed for safer shipping.
📜 The period Harvard Dictionary Holder advertisement shown in the listing is included for historical/reference purposes only; the illustrated model/configuration is not represented as being exactly identical to this particular stand.
A fascinating piece of Victorian American library, office and industrial history—and a particularly desirable opportunity for a collector seeking an original Harvard Company, Chicago example rather than the more commonly encountered Flanagan version.
