The J. M. Young Furniture Co.
The J.M. Young Furniture Company began as early as 1872, producing a general line of Victorian furniture. It was a small, family-run company that had fewer than twenty employees. By 1904, Young offered a range of Mission furniture designs based on the work of Gustav and L. & J.G. Stickley. The construction of the furniture included well-done, five-part posts on settles and poorly added though-tenons on Morris chairs.
Overall, J.M. Young’s furniture may not be as exciting in design as its competitors, but it has lasted due to its quality of construction, through-tenons excepted.
The company used paper labels, both oval in script and rectangular in block printing, to mark its furniture. The labels read, “J.M. Young & Sons, Camden, New York” (or N.Y). They also listed the style number, color and finish.
By Paul H. Lauer, New England p4A.com representative