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Lot Essay
Founded by Brittany-born Pierre Emmanuel Guerin (d. 1933), the metalwork firm of P. E. Guerin was first entered in to the New York business directory in 1864, located at 1½ Marion Street and listed as "Peter Guerin, chaser".
Said to have learned his trade upon arriving in the United States, Guerin quickly established a modest clientele, prompting the owner to move to a larger workshop located at 222 Wooster Street. Here he employed over fifty men and boys skilled in the casting and chasing of high quality utilitarian and decorative hardware. In 1892 the firm, still in business today, relocated to their current address at 21-23 Jane Street.
With a shift towards high-style and revival-inspired furnishings, mainly manufactured by Leon Marcotte, Pottier and Stymus, and Herter Brothers, the firm was able to forge key relationships with the foremost cabinetmakers of the time. Company records dating between 1865 and 1911 confirm transactions between Guerin and these three prominent makers (B. Laux, 'The Furniture Mounts of P. E. Guerin', Magazine Antiques, May 2002).
Said to have learned his trade upon arriving in the United States, Guerin quickly established a modest clientele, prompting the owner to move to a larger workshop located at 222 Wooster Street. Here he employed over fifty men and boys skilled in the casting and chasing of high quality utilitarian and decorative hardware. In 1892 the firm, still in business today, relocated to their current address at 21-23 Jane Street.
With a shift towards high-style and revival-inspired furnishings, mainly manufactured by Leon Marcotte, Pottier and Stymus, and Herter Brothers, the firm was able to forge key relationships with the foremost cabinetmakers of the time. Company records dating between 1865 and 1911 confirm transactions between Guerin and these three prominent makers (B. Laux, 'The Furniture Mounts of P. E. Guerin', Magazine Antiques, May 2002).