Brunswick Monarch table
swede
Just wondering if anyone has any info on a Monarch model table made by
Brunswick,Balke,Collender (according to the badge at the head rail). What
years they were produced and so on.
I was at an acquaintance's house and in is basement was a 9 foot Monarch
table. I asked him about it and he told me the his uncle years ago found it
in a farmer corn crib in very bad shape. His uncle took it home and with a
friend refurbished it. Not very well I might add, but there it sits with red
painted rails, diamond shaped sights that are crooked and not flush with the
surface of the rail. Green worsted cloth on the cushions and blue on the
slate. One cushion rail made the ball hop off the slate on rebound. The
cushions were spongy, not firm. But it was extremely fast, solid and very
quiet. The room was too small for proper play.
His uncle passed away about 15 years ago and he acquired the table at that
time.
Any info would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Swede
Sherm Adamson
would have mentioned the most obvious characteristic of such a table. I'll get
back to that. What I imagine you have is a "Brunswick, Balke & Collander" pool
table with "Monarch" cushions. This was very common and many people are confused
by this as it states "Monarch" in big letters on the name plate but if you read
it a little closer it usually states that the table has "Monarch Cushions"! The
"Monarch" model table was very distinctive in that the legs were 4 cast iron
Lions , Heads facing the four corners, tails towards the middle. A true
"Monarch" 9' pool table will bring well upwards of $50K and I've been told that
the actor Andy Griffith paid in the neighborhood of $250 for an exceptional one!
A little known fact:
Brunswick started their manufacturing plant here in my home town of Cincinnati.
There were also a couple of other pool table manufacturers here and a bar
equipment manufacturer named "Rothchild". Rothchild built the first "Monarch"
pool tables, complete with the famous "Lions Head" leg assemblies in the early
1850's to go with some of their more elaborate bar fixtures. Brunswick was also
big in the bar fixture business back then. They liked the "Monarch" so much that
they bought out "Rothchild" lock, stock & barrel and produced the "Brunswick
Monarch" as their flagship table for many years.
There was a big hotel in downtown Cincinnati about a century ago, which had 20
of these "Monarchs" in it's basement poolroom (sorry I don't know the name, I
wasn't around then either) I've been told that the building was torn down in the
1920's or 30's to make room for the Carew Tower, or another major project. Pool
tables had little or no value then and this building was, I'm told, leveled upon
these tables. What a waste!
8^)
Sherm
swede wrote:
--
Sherm Custom Billiard Cues
by Sherman L. Adamson
3352 Nine Mile Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45255
shop(513)553-2172 cell(513)509-9152
http://www.shermcue.com
swede
You are exactly right. It did say 'cushions' at the bottom of the name
plate. Funny-I wrote it down when I was taking notes about the table but
left that detail out in my original post.'Monarch' was at the top in a
semicircle and at the very bottom was 'Cushions' also in a semicircle.
So Sherm, what happened to 'Balke and Collander' and what was so special
about Monarch cushions?I couldn't believe how fast that table was.
The legs were just square shaped that tapered toward the floor. The sides if
the table slanted inward to the center of the table which made the legs
closer together. There was alot of solid wood braces under the slate.
Thanks for the info.
Swede
Sherm Adamson
swede wrote:
> Sherm-
>
> You are exactly right. It did say 'cushions' at the bottom of the name
> plate. Funny-I wrote it down when I was taking notes about the table but
> left that detail out in my original post.'Monarch' was at the top in a
> semicircle and at the very bottom was 'Cushions' also in a semicircle.
>
> So Sherm, what happened to 'Balke and Collander' and what was so special
> about Monarch cushions?I couldn't believe how fast that table was.
Originally they were 3 different companies building billiard tables and bar
fixtures. Balke merged with Collander and later Brunswick bought out "Balke and
Collendar" forming "Brunswick, Balke & Collander". This was later shortened back to
just "Brunswick". The Monarch cushions were made from natural gum rubber as were
their replacements the Brunswick True Speed and Super Speed cushions. Unfortunately
as I understand, all of the cushions made today are synthetic rubbers and just don't
play the same!
> The legs were just square shaped that tapered toward the floor. The sides if
> the table slanted inward to the center of the table which made the legs
> closer together. There was alot of solid wood braces under the slate.
Sounds like an Brunswick "Aviator". A lot of them had tiger striped oak veneer which
was beautiful. You may consider having it professionally restored. It sounds like it
would be worth the effort!
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> Swede
>
No problem, glad to help!
8^)
Sherm
>
>
> > You probably don't have a "Monarch" model table because if you had I believe
> > you
> > would have mentioned the most obvious characteristic of such a table. I'll get
> > back to that. What I imagine you have is a "Brunswick, Balke & Collander" pool
> > table with "Monarch" cushions. This was very common and many people are
> > confused
> > by this as it states "Monarch" in big letters on the name plate but if you
> > read
> > it a little closer it usually states that the table has "Monarch Cushions"!
> > The
> > "Monarch" model table was very distinctive in that the legs were 4 cast iron
> > Lions , Heads facing the four corners, tails towards the middle. A true
> > "Monarch" 9' pool table will bring well upwards of $50K and I've been told
> > that
> > the actor Andy Griffith paid in the neighborhood of $250 for an exceptional
> > one!
> >
--
David Malone
wrote:
>The
>"Monarch" model table was very distinctive in that the legs were 4 cast iron
>Lions , Heads facing the four corners, tails towards the middle.
Sherm, so that's what those wonderful tables at the Academy of
Spherical Arts are? They actually have two of them in great condition.
You can see one of them in pictures at...
David "The Hamster" Malone.