Home → Research

We encourage everyone to research historical art and antiques. Pieces are living history of our material heritage - many have survived as proud examples of a time when things were built in Canada and made to last for decades.

Here is a list of resources our area of interest - early Canadian furntiure. For every other area of collecting, there exists a similar group of resources waiting for your to tap into. Knowing about current trends, finer points and the history of your collecting interest can give you the knowledge to act quickly when you see something special.

Getting Started

The best resources to quickly identify what you want are websites or books with variety and colour pictures. Price guides cover many designs with colour photographs and present many levels of quality with corresponding price points. Websites have endless listings to browse or search through.
  • Miller's Antiques Price Guides / Buyer's Guides
  • www.rubylane.com

Learning More

Here are some helpful resources with more specialized information
  • Local Dealers and Trade Shows
  • Landmark publications - specific to Canadian Furniture
    • The Heritage of Upper Canadian Furniture by Howard Pain
    • Canadian Country Furniture by Michael Bird
    • English Canadian Furniture of the Georgian Period by Donald Webster
    • Cabinetmakers of the Eastern Seaboard by Charles Foss
    • The Furniture of Old Ontario by Philip Shackleton
    • The Painted Furniture of French Canada by John Fleming
    • The Early Furniture of French Canada by Jean Parlady
    • Antique Furniture of Quebec: Four Centuries of Furniture-Making by Michel Lessard

Can't Get Enough

  • Google searches to find websites of specialized dealers
  • Periodicals such as Upper Canadian Showcase
  • Traveling Museum/Gallery exhibits



antique furniture ottawa antique furniture ottawa