Belter, John Henry, 1804-1863

John Henry Belter was a cabinetmaker from New York City known for developing the laminated, carved Rococo Revival style of the mid-1800s known as Belter furniture.

Born in Germany in 1804, Belter apprenticed in Ulm, a city near Wurttemburg. Sometime between 1840-1844 he moved to New York City where he operated a shop at 40 1/2 Chatam Square. He later moved his business to 547 Broadway and eventually built a factory on 3rd Avenue at 76th Street. Belter patented a construction technique for "pressed work furniture," more specifically, a method of laminating rosewood used primarily for intricately carved parlor chair backs. After Belter's death in 1863, the company was continued by his relatives, the Springmeyer Bros. under the name J. H. Belter & Co. In 1865, the name was changed to Springmeyer Bros. and the company went bankrupt in 1867.

From the description of Papers, ca. 1856-ca. 1904. (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 122548622