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Van Briggle Vintage Fireplaces!!
Collectors love to see the vintage Van Briggle fireplaces. From visiting in Colorado Springs over the last 10 years or so, we have seen and photographed several beautiful vintage Van Briggle fireplaces.
This fireplace is one of the latest to be recognized and authenticated in 2011 by the Stevenson family as genuine Van Briggle. The owners, Danny & Carla Melcher, are a young couple we met in Colorado Springs, who invited us into their home to see their fireplace. The glazed brick used on the exterior foundation and chimney of the house also matches the color of the fireplace. It is identical in color and texture to the brick found on two other Van Briggle vintage fireplaces. One is pictured in our book, Van Briggle Notes, on page 245. A Van Briggle Pottery circa 1914 brochure listed enameled brick as one of the products produced during that time period.
The Melchers have a beautiful arts & crafts home, and the furnishings perfectly complement the home’s design. Thank you Danny & Carla for sharing your photos!
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This fireplace was published in an article on Van Briggle tiles in the May/June 2007 issue of the _Journal of the American Art Pottery Association_ (23:3), page 6.
The current owners were not living there in 2007, and we had not seen the AAPA Journal. Within the last year, they had contact Van Briggle Art Pottery ownership, who had visited the home & authenticated the fireplace for them. Thank you for the interesting information – looking forward to your presentation at the AAPA convention this month.
I owned this home when the fireplace was originally authenticated in 2007. Beautiful home with an incredible history.
It is a beautiful home, and fireplace. Van Briggle also employed brickmakers to glaze brick to match their tile. Did you notice the glazed brick around the foundation & the chimney?