Furniture Shows Then: In 1895, Furniture World quoted manufacturers who complained about the time, effort and money invested to attend multiple furniture exhibitions in New York, Boston, Chicago, Rochester, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Rockford, St. Louis, Grand Rapids, Jamestown, etc.
Furniture Shows Now: Same conversation. The exhibition names have changed.
Transportation Then: In 1895, Furniture World republished an excerpt from a New York Herald article about a new mode of transportation. “It may be some time before the perfect horseless carriage becomes a thoroughly familiar object on our streets and highways.”
Transportation Now: In 2017, Furniture World reported on the new mode of transportation; driverless carriages. An industry expert said it might be 10 or more years before driverless trucks will become a familiar sight, but once they do, furniture will be moved around faster and more efficiently, reducing the number of DCs and changing where and how the last mile is served.
Retail Lifestyle Then: July 1895, Furniture World reported that B. Frank Wainright, furniture dealer, became "violently insane" while in a carriage on his way to NY's Grand Central Station. At the court house he threw a diamond ring from his finger, and money from his pocket, at a court attendant. It was thought the sudden derangement was caused by overwork.
Retail Lifestyle Now: A 2017 Furniture World issue noted that overwork in the furniture industry is still, and probably always will be in style.
The more things change, the more they seem to stay the same!
Russell Bienenstock
Editorial Director/CEO
Note: We no longer report on insane behavior as a courtesy to our friends, readers and FW co-workers.
Furniture World is the oldest, continuously published trade publication in the United States. It is published for the benefit of furniture retail executives. Print circulation of 20,000 is directed primarily to furniture retailers in the US and Canada. In 1970, the magazine established and endowed the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library (www.furniturelibrary.com) in High Point, NC, now a public foundation containing more than 5,000 books on furniture and design dating from 1620. For more information contact editor@furninfo.com.