John Henry Belter

John Henry Belter (born 1804, Hilter, near Osnabrück [Germany]—died Oct. 15, 1863, New York, N.Y., U.S.) was a cabinetmaker and designer known for his superb Victorian Rococo pieces. Belter served as a cabinetmaker’s apprentice in Württemberg (now in Germany), where he was trained in the Black Forest tradition of rich carving so admired during the 19th century. Settling in New York City in 1833, he married and opened a fashionable shop on Broadway. Although he...