Globe-Wernicke
Established 1899Founded in 1899, as a result of the merge of Globe Files (1882), owned by Henry Yeiser, and Wernicke (1893), owned by Otto Wernicke, Globe-Wernicke is best known for their sectional bookcase system. Popular with government offices and lawyers, Globe-Wernicke’s bookcases quickly earned the nickname ‘barrister bookcases’. The company’s popularity spread for the next several years, establishing factories in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France and Germany, until the two partners had a falling out about the patent. The lawsuit that followed unfortunately opened the door for various competitors. By the 1930’s the golden era of Globe-Wernicke was over and the production had all but ended.
Available in oak, walnut and mahogany, the modular bookcase consisted of high quality, glass fronted bookshelves. These shelves were stackable, but could also be carried separately to a meeting. The standard width was 34 inches, but all sizes were capable of being adapted to fit together to form a bookcase which could either be all of the same measurements or which could be re-arranged by the insertion of units of different depths and heights. Globe-Wernicke bookcases now are proving to be collectable, desirable and, more importantly, usable antiques.
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