I love old frame labels almost as much as old frames. These are on some frames at the workshop at the moment: William Augustine Smith, Arthur Vokins, Polak Brothers, and Charles Rowley. An original makers label makes an antique frame more collectable, and should be preserved as best as possible, I do this by covering them in melinex which is held in place with 3M 415 double sided tape.
These labels are from framers who worked in the 19th Century, an excellent resource on old framemakers can be found on the National Portrait Gallery frame site, where there is a directory of British Framemakers from 1630-1950.
The information in this invaluable resource can also help to accurately date a frame, for example W.A. Smith traded from the address on this label from 1880 to 1890. He made frames for artists like G.F. Watts, and John Singer Sargent.
