Picture Hanging with Victorian Moulding Hooks
Picture Hanging with Moldings
With the explosion of inexpensive artwork during the mid-1900’s, picture hanging styles changed. Starting around the 1870’s, Victorians arranged wall decorations and table settings as “art units.” The dioramas, if you will, consisted of half-a-dozen framed chromos, family portraits, silhouettes, or hanging plates- arranged over a set of standing easels covered in more artwork. The easels were sometimes flanked by a table or a draped étagère, and filled with porcelain figures, tintypes, folding frames and other souvenirs.
No matter how humble the collection, “art units” gave homeowners the opportunity to display their prized items. This was also a convenient technique for compensating for poor lighting, as a group of frames and art objects could be illuminated by fewer light sources.
Hanging pictures in “art units” were typically randomly arranged, with varying patterns of wire. Pictures hung up high were usually tilted downward towards the viewer below, while lower frames were hung flat against the wall.
A When the wire is attached to the top of
Art units began to dissolve with the introduction of electricity in the home. Suddenly, light was spread more evenly throughout a room, resulting in the individual orientation of artwork on a wall. Directing a light source on an independent piece became much easier. As the novelty of purchasing hundreds of different pictures wore off, homeowners graduated to exhibiting more self-control in the volume of pictures and trinkets displayed.
Through the 20’s picture molding was a stock item for millwork houses. However, with the Colonial Revival in architecture, ceilings lowered and “modern” decoration branded visible picture wires hopelessly Victorian. By the 1930’s, frames were hung on invisible wires and eventually on nails and hidden hangers.
Luckily a large number of original hangers still exist, preserved for your present-day interior design.
Hippo Hardware stocks a collection of original and reproduction picture hangers- available in every metal type and a variety of shapes and sizes to match your aesthetic. We also carry 11 colors of cord (60lb test) to add a professional, finished look to your frames. We are more than happy to assist you in coordinating the perfect combination for your home! 
Next →
← Previous
1 Response
Leave a Reply
Subscribe
Recent Articles
- Have a broken lamp or chandelier? Hippo can help!
- There's been a rumor that we're closing - We're not!
- Removing Valves and Cartridges
- Time Keeps on Ticking
- Hippo Fixes Leaky Faucets
Tags
- antique (2)
- build (1)
- cartridges (1)
- clocks (1)
- faucet (1)
- fix lamps (1)
- greenhouse (1)
- kitchen (1)
- lamp repair (1)
- lighting (1)
- old (1)
- plumbing (1)
- portland (1)
- reuse (1)
- ul certified (1)
- valves (1)
- vintage (3)
- windows (1)
About Us
Hippo Hardware is an eclectic building salvage store specializing in hardware, lighting, architecture and plumbing from 1860-1960. We offer assorted collectibles, trinkets, whatnots, and whoziwhatsits depending on what we get in. The spirit of Hippo Hardware is to rejoice in the individual, the unique, and the original.
Hippo Hardware was officially established in 1976 after the founders Steven Miller and Stephen Oppenheim decided to turn a life of swashbuckling adventures into a second life of swashbuckling adventures. We live in the local, even for our customers far away. That means you will probably hear a story about burying a Porsche in a state park while you are asking about a faucet or meet Fred the shop dog while you're paying for a light fixture. We strongly support community projects, teachers, artists, adventurers, dreamers, and one-man-bands.
If you're looking for a hard to find hardware pattern or can't find the match to your lamp shade, we'd be happy to tell you if we have it, seen it, or know where you could get it.
To make sure you get what you need, we offer the following services:- Lighting and Lamp Repair - We have a fully UL certified lighting repair shop. We can repair and rewire most vintage or antique fixtures. You may want to call or e-mail if it's newer, but we can sometimes fix those too. Shop prices are $80/hour plus parts.
- Customizing - We do our best to make sure it looks just right. Our lighting shop can customize length, finishes, plating, and configuration. Our plumbing department will coordinate refinishing with local companies. The hardware department is able to darken, refinish, clean, and rebuild. Our services can vary depending on staff so please contact us with your project details.
- Returns - Accepted for any reason within 2 weeks of purchase. That means if it doesn't fit, if your sweetheart doesn't like it, if it doesn't match your paint scheme. Receipt required. Returned to you the way you paid and items MUST be in original packaging and condition. Defective or damaged items will not be eligible for a refund.
- If your items were shipped: Shipping refunded only in the case of defective items. Hippo does not refund original OR return shipping cost.
- Online shopping - Conveniently browse our online section of items! Please note: our online section is much smaller than our store selection, we do offer returns for online purchases but do not refund original shipping or provide return shipping. We ship on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
- Trade in - Bring in what you have and we will offer you in store credit or cash. Email pictures first if you'd like to talk about it before you get here.
- Mortise lock repair - Hippo is the only hardware store in Portland that offers full mortise lock repair--including French Door mortises and closet mortises! Our repair shop can diagnose and repair your mortise lock or perhaps we have a replacement if a repair is not an option. Shop prices are $80/hour. Please call our store and ask for Colin to speak about your repair!
Hippo Hardware has three glorious floors and 30,000 sq feet of building salvage to explore. Our inventory, and staff, is divided into four departments: Hardware, Lighting, Plumbing, and Architecture. We do our best to highlight our inventory full of unique items and reproductions on our website, but most of our stock is not online yet. Please contact us if you're looking for something you don't see here.
We donate to: NARAL, Planned Parenthood, Portland Women's Crisis Line, Benson High School, Sunnyside Environmental School, Junk to Funk Recycled Fashion Show, SE Works, Vision Northwest, Multnomah Playschool, Union Gospel Mission, Community House, The Friendly House, Marylhurst Childhood Center, Portland Lions Club, Sabin Elementary School, Oya No Kai supporting the Japanese Magnet Program, Lee Owen Stone Preschool, Public Interest Law Project, Jefferson High School for the Performing Arts Theater Department, imago Theater, Reynolds High School, David Douglas High School, and Milagro Theater.
Kathy
February 13, 2022
THANK YOU FOR SHARING. I inherited my family’s portrais that are WWI and older. Now I can hang them properly!