After dropping out for a few years to experience the "real world", I saw the advantages of a college education. I attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, earned bachelor's degrees in Anthropology and Linguistics and then a master's in Anthropology. My appreciation of cultures, which was furthered through these studies, helped me to better understand my interest in the cultural influences which are reflected in certain late 19th century decorative styles, most notably the Aesthetic styles including American Eastlake and Anglo-Japanese or Japanesque. I have been collecting decorative items in these styles, primarily furniture and silver, since the mid- to late-1980s. I also have a strong fondness of, and appreciation for, Renaissance Revival furniture and pre-Raphaelite paintings. My general interest in the Victorian era (1835-1901) led me to begin the listserv Victoriana in early 1997.
I also enjoy restoring antique and vintage furniture, something I've been doing since the mid-1970s when I inherited an Art Deco floor-standing Zenith radio from my grandfather. Since then I've restored dozens of pieces including some which allowed me to further develop the reupholstery skills I acquired while attending technical school in the mid-1970s. Along the way I've developed an appreciation for maintaining period appropriate finishes, colors, fabrics, and restorative techniques. In turn, this appreciation has extended to my philosophy regarding old houses and their maintenance and restoration in general.
I moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the late 1970s and my wife and children and I continue to live there. We have a 1926 bungalow style home though we yearn for something about 30 or 40 years older. We also operate a small antiques business called Greenwood Antiques, selling primarily silver-plated flatware, books, kitchenwares, and a small amount of furniture dating from the late 1800s up until about WWII. We sell primarily at flea markets during the summer months in southeastern Wisconsin.
I have been involved with Old House Chronicle magazine as an assistant editor and author since its inception. I'd been a participant on the Old House-L listserv for some time and when a popular hard copy old house magazine made substantial changes in its content I suggested we begin our own online magazine to address the concerns and frustrations voiced by list members. A small group of us from the Old House-L listserv got together online, decided to pool our talents, and now every other month we create an online magazine which, in the opinion of many, rivals its hard copy competitors; Old House Chronicle.