Featured Help in ID the Style and Age of this Secretary

Hello. New to this forum and first post. I appreciate old things and have been fortunate in having many family treasurers passed on to me. This secretary was brought over in a covered wagon to Kansas in the 1870's. Relatives lived in Pennsylvania and then in Champaign IL. Stands close to 9ft. Has 3 sections. Top decorative piece attached with dowel wooden pins, the center bookshelf and then the bottom half.

All original. Leaded (wavey glass), assume handles are original, all designs are found on all three pieces, drawers are hand plained (bottom) and still have original pencil markings, drawers have what I would call locked rabbett joints with the larger joints (drop down front) and all doors being Mortise and Tenon joints. The book shelves are attached by hand carved scrolls on each side (what the shelfs set in). Many carved areas and many small designs equal throughout. But very refined and somewhat conservative, not "fancy".

Think the wood to be Mahogany but not sure. I have had this for 40 years and it does continue to get a bit darker. Glass bookshelf doors has shrunk a bit so they can simply open by themselves. I have all the keys. The feet are very simple. Wide and flat. I have tried to research and was thinking possibly this to be an Eastlake Style.. Just trying to identify where this may have been made and when. I like knowing history on what I have.. Any information or educated guesses are certainly appreciated.. It is just part of our home decor... Thanks

C.I.

 

Lovely piece.
Walnut and walnut burl, I think.

I was thinking 1870s - 1880s, but that doesn't jive with when you think it came to Kansas. Sometimes stories past down, change a little over time.

Brad will pop in and tell you the time period and style. He's our furniture go to person.

Oh! almost forgot.
Welcome to the board.

 

That's magnificent.

 

Hi,
Did you find any "hidden" compartments? I had a very large American Empire piece and could not find any hidden compartments. I decided to ask my internist if I could have it x-rayed in her office. She laughed and said sure. Found four compartments. Found wonderful stuff, one signed George Washington letter, several fifty dollar bills from the 30s, one large coin silver ladle from 1860s and several little trinkets. The spoon was in a leg. The large pillar in the front of the piece pulled out. The rest were in 1 inch high "secret" drawers" under the letter slots and the large cabinet in the inside. I looked for several years and never found them until it was x-rayed.
greg

 

Another welcome to the forum! This is a magnificent piece! Clutter's description is very good. It very well may be of the Eastlake idea/style. Eastlake furniture (1870-1890) was angular, notched and carved with the emphasis on simplicity. This piece is certainly a, n and c, but not necessarily simplistic. It seems "heavy" in style for a true Eastlake tag, which may make it more 1880s-90s??? I usually think of Eastwood stuff and such lighter in form. Walnut was a favorite wood of that era along with cherry, rosewood and oak.

A good page on Eastlake:
http://www.buffaloah.com/f/fstyles/east/east.html

Do wait for Brad to chime in, the forum furniture guru.

--- Susan

Edited: I meant to add it seems to have the original lovely Eastlake ebony drop drawer pulls and ebony wood door knobs!!

 

This is a transitional piece between the Renaissance Revival style and the Eastlake. It has characteristics of both. This type of furniture would typically be done in walnut but this does look more like mahogany in these pictures. It was probably fairly new when it came to Kansas. As to where it was made, it is hard to tell. Much of the quality furniture of this era was made either on the East coast or Chicago. I would think the latter if this was purchased while your relatives were in Champaign, IL. If it originally came from PA, it is probably an East coast piece.

Welcome to the board from one who has lived on and off in Champaign, IL for most of my life. I currently live just outside.

 

I've had a few writing boxes for years that came from my cousin's house when she went in a nursing home. I posted this recently. Even though I thought I'd looked at them carefully, I only recently found a hidden compartment with $187 dating from the early 70s that she must have put in there. You never know.

 

My great grandparent's secretary had little pillars inside the roll-top that you pulled on that concealed thin vertical drawers. There was also a shallow drawer at the very bottom that was concealed by a molding that you had to pull to open. There was nothing in them when we took possession.

 

Brad, I use to live in Rantoul, IL (when the AFB was there). I've been to Champaign many times.

 

Between the base in Rantoul and the university, a huge number of people have spent some time in this community. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who have lived here at one time or another. A heck of a lot more pass through than stay, yet there are always those like me who show back up. I have left twice and come back. I am hoping to leave a third time and never look back at some point.

 

We were actually there twice - once in 68 and again in 75. The first trip I worked at W T Grants in downtown Champaign. First time I ever had a Reuben sandwich or bread pudding - they had a little eatery in the store. I was quite young (18) the first time and was teased constantly about my Mississippi accent but it was all good natured.

 

There is one secret compartment I know of. Must slide out a piece below a drawer which opens up the space. Only holds very flat objects. 3-4 check books would fill the space. Grandma and dad told me of this one when very young...

But after reading Greg's response, looked again. Have not found any others as of yet.. Thanks for all your comments. Think I was headed in the right direction with this.

C.I.