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WM. H. Griffith & Co Billiard Table


WM. H. Griffith & Co Billiard Table

I am preparing to sell this pool table and was wondering if anyone could help with the model name, type of woods, and any other information about it.

Much appreciated.

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WM. H. Griffith & Co Billiard Table

Replies & Comments

  1. Sallybilliardsforum on 10/16/2018 7:26:09 PM

    I am researching this one for you now... but in the meanwhile can you tell us a bit more about the current owner or the history of the pool table?

    It looks to be in a musician's house, and it looks to have been very well restored.

    Would love to know whatever details you know about the pool table in return for our help.

  2. SallySally on 10/17/2018 10:13:59 AM

    We purchased this about 20-25 years ago in Connecticut. It was painted red and we had it professionally restored.

    We were told it was from 1890's and it's a four-slate, and approximately over 9' x 5'. The wood species look to be a tiger oak (or maybe tiger maple) and bamboo trim detail.

    Stunning table and in great condition.

    We are downsizing our collections and looking to sell this.

  3. Sallybilliardsforum on 10/17/2018 4:29:02 PM

    I've been through all of the Brunswick Balke Collender catalog archives, all the way from the 1860s up through the 1920s and couldn't find this style.

    They did to many custom tables, and this could be one.

    If you figure out anything before we do, please let us know.

  4. SallySally on 3/8/2019 10:22:14 AM

    Do you have a marketplace to sell pool tables? We would like to list this one.

    Here is an additional photo of the stickers underneath on the slate. Do they help you at all in identifying it?

    fullsizeoutput_2eba.jpeg

  5. Sallybilliardsforum on 3/8/2019 2:45:58 PM

    That is very cool! Little piece of history there.

    There is a good chance that it is a WM. H. Griffith & Co. pool table. (New York, NY)

    The company WM. H. Griffith & Co. are listed as "pool table makers" in various directories.

    They hold a patent in billiard table construction dated 1872. (US133365A).

    We can see the company name in directories dated 1881, 1886, 1890 - and that's just from a quick google search.

    This one is from 1890:

    wm-h-griffith-co-billiard-table.JPG

    Here is another WM H Griffith & Co American Standard Billiard Table:

    WmHGriffith.JPG

    What you really need for full identification is this book:

    W. H. Griffith & Co's Illustrated Price List of the American Standard Bevel Billiard Tables, (New York, A. J. Rowley, 1875)

    I've not been able to find it anywhere though.

  6. SallySally on 3/9/2019 7:30:46 AM

    Thanks so much for the information. Do you know how much this pool table is worth?

    Do you have a section for selling antique pool tables like this one on your website?

  7. Sallybilliardsforum on 3/10/2019 7:48:54 AM

    Feel free to post it in the pool tables for sale area.

    As for value, I really can't comment on this one. I don't have any comparable sales to start from.

    The guy I recommend talking to is Ken Hash at Classic Billiards in Maryland. He's the guy to talk to for anything about antique billiard tables.

    He is always happy have a look and to give free advice etc. where he can.

    (410) 256-8388

  8. Sallyuser1607305550 on 12/6/2020 5:45:51 PM

    I just purchased a copy of the book W. H. Griffith & Co's Illustrated Price List of the American Standard Bevel Billiard Tables, (New York, A. J. Rowley, 1875) at Abebooks.

    Typing in the book name using Chrome results in a Google Books link as the first result. Click on it, then click the AbeBooks link.

    It is an inexpensive reproduction used here as a knick-knack which lives near a W. H. Griffith "Flowers" pool table circa 1880.

    Pool-Table-01112022-20220107_164225.jpg

  9. Sallyuser1607305550 on 3/24/2022 11:25:38 PM

    Copies of the book, W. H. Griffith & Co's Illustrated Price List of the American Standard Bevel Billiard Tables may be obtained from the Chicago History Museum.

    Try their reference number GV898 G87.

    Unfortunately the book contains is 63 pages yet the museum limits copies to 50 pages. It is easy enough to figure that out.

    At this time, they charge $10 for the first page, and $1 per page thereafter (print or scan). There is an extra shipping charge for orders over 20 pages.

    Personally, I prefer the scan option so the document may be printed on some sort of period-appropriate paper. Others will surely differ.


    For the price list try the Chicago History Museum. An excerpt from an email from the Museum follows:

    Your email was forwarded to the Abakanowicz Research Center which is the Museum's library. We have a remote scan request form here:

    chicagohistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CHM-Copy-Scan-Request.pdf

    For published material such as this, we have a limit of 50 pages and the catalog record indicates this is 63 pages:

    chhiso.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/public/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fSD_ILS$002f0$002fSD_ILS:200024/one

    I'm attaching a photo of the table of contents. You would be welcome to request selected pages that go up to a count of 50.


    Also—Does anyone have production numbers for the W.H. Griffith flowers pool table?

    Numbers for the Brunswick Exposition Novelty are easy to locate but little seems available for the Griffith table.

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WM. H. Griffith & Co Billiard Table

  • Title: WM. H. Griffith & Co Billiard Table
  • Author: (Sally Stewart)
  • Published: 10/16/2018 3:51:31 PM
  • Last Updated: 3/8/2019 2:51:24 PM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)