John Styler of Prospect Heights, Illinois reflects on Gulliver’s

Gulliver’s Restaurant is still in it’s original location, not in downtown Chicago but on Howard Street, the last street North in Chicago. When the owner died his wife sold only most of the chandeliers and the new owner kept the place as it was and has since opened two more restaurants. The rest of the thousands of items are still in this location. It’s always been a place where you could never see everything on your first six visits. They have more marble statues, stained glass windows than any place I have ever been except maybe the Como Inn on the near north side of Chicago, also gone now. Of the many rooms, they had a garden dining room of all stained glass, some of which I sold them years ago and I wasn’t a dealer nor am I today.

Then Bea Weiskopf of Northbrook, Illinois also fondly recalls

My husband and I are fortunate to live near Gullivers and visited regularly beginning in 1968. Jerry was always ready to talk about his collection and it was always a pleasure to be there. He told us that he also had a large collection of shades which he matched to the most beautiful fixtures as they became available. We were disappointed to see that most of the better chandeliers were gone and many of the chandeliers that are left have inventory tags (auction tags???). The original collection was a sight to behold. Steuben, Durand, Quezal and Loetz as far as you could see! Plus many, many marble busts, glazed tiles, Victorian wall decor and Nouveau figures. Jerry said that the best was at home in his personal collection including Tiffany lamps! I particularly remember a very large shiny Moss Agate single shade fixture near the front door. All very nice memories for us.

Kathleen Herdell of St. Helena, California asks

Are there any pictures for these chandeliers? Please pass them on if you can get them.

Thank you

Then, Dean Six of the West Virginia Museum of Glass has this suggestion
I know a nice little museum where one of those chandeliers would look Great

dean

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Becky & Joe Marinelli of Macedon, New York send along this inquiry on their chandelier find

My wife Becky and I wanted to share a find with the members of the club. Recently we visited the Premier Antique Center in Clarence, NY outside Buffalo. To our surprise and astonishment hung 9 Carder Steuben chandeliers for sale. The chandeliers were purchased by a dealer. They all hung in Gulliver’s Restaurant in downtown Chicago. The restaurant was known for its American and European antiques of the Victorian and Art Nouveau periods between 1860 and 1915. Jerry Freeman bought and filled his restaurant operated since 1965 with all sorts of antiques, but lamps and chandeliers were his specialty. In the ’70s they were tearing down a lot of old buildings in Chicago and pickers would go through and take out all these beautiful chandeliers and sconces of which he acquired some. Freeman passed away in 2006 and eventually these and others were sold off. They are all beautiful with fabulous Carder glass shades. The shades are of gold aurene or ornamentation of leaf and vine, millefiori, and pulled feather. The metal appears to be brass or bronze and all appear to be in fine condition. I am under the impression that Steuben didn’t manufacture their own chandelier metal parts. Maybe a member could enlighten us on that. We purchased one for our house entry foyer. It has six gold Aurene shades with terrific satiny iridescence on a brass acanthus leaves themed fixture. Very Art Nouveau. If anyone is interested their phone number is 716-759-0455.