Help me date this dresser...

Hello all. My mom just gave me this dresser. All she knows is she was told it was 19th century when she bought it at an antique store a long time ago. From what I've read to look for, it's all solid walnut, the drawer pulls seem to be pressed in with a dowel, and appears to be machine cut, as there are no dove tails. It's 3 pieces with a marble top. Id love to hear what you guys think. My guess is late 1800's.
Thanks,
Steve














Found this online.

 

Welcome, Steve!

A very nice looking dresser.

You might actually be closer to 1870 than "late 1800's" implies to me. Here's why - Marcus A. Davis, who had been a cabinet maker in Philadelphia since before 1850, had 2 sons who joined in working at the "store" by 1870. The sons were only 21 and 19 at the time and were listed in the federal census as "clerks." I found city directory entries for Davis having a business at that South Second Street address as early as 1864, but in the 1877 directory there actually appears an entry for the business as "Marcus A. Davis and Sons" as well as the entry for his personal residence. Since the label inside your dresser gives the business name without "and Sons" it's possible that it was made sometime in the 1864 - 1877 time frame.

Now, it's also possible that he had lots of those labels hanging around and continued their use until they ran out. Furniture people will no doubt be along to comment on its age from a stylistic and construction perspective.

 

I don't recall seeing the term "wareroom" before, so did a little searching on it.

The Forgotten Books site has a tool that shows how often a term appeared in books published in different years. I compared "wareroom" and "showroom" and thought the results were interesting.

It looks like "wareroom" was first used in the late 1700s, was used the most from around 1825 to the early 1900s, and was barely used after then.

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/worddata/wareroom+showroom

 

Thanks for the information so far, very interesting for sure. I'm looking forward to hearing about the construction.

 

Interesting research, Pat! This really doesn't aid in dating the bureau because y'all have narrowed it down already; however, thought I'd throw it out there. According to a couple of short orbits on Davis I found in trade journals, he was first in the furniture business with a Parson before having the company in his name. That company was Parson & Davis. Parson & Davis were in operation in 1856 per the ad in the following publishing:

The Philadelphia Merchants' Diary and Guide, for 1856 P. 43: https://archive.org/stream/philadelphiamerc00crof#page/43/mode/2up

Do note the orbit spells the other name Parson and the ad spells the bame with a F.

annd still in operation in 1864 per the following. Page 229 tells about the City of Philadelphia paying Parson & Davis for repairs - top of page.

https://archive.org/stream/ordinancesofcity1864phil#page/229/mode/1up

--- Susan

 

Good work, Susan. I suspect that his break with Parson/Farson had to be just about the 1864 date, since the city directory gives the same address as the label, whereas the 1856 ad for Parson/Farson gives an address on Walnut Street.

 

So the 1863 city directory lists William Farson and Marcus A. Davis, cabinetmakers, at the South Second Street address. So my assumption in Post 6 above is irrelevant.

 

Farson & Davis seems to be last listed in 1866 city directory. In the years following the Farson changes to Farson & Son - but at the same address as Marcus A. Davis's business location. That would still have been a tad early for Marcus to have his son(s) listed on the business as they would have been 17 and 15, respectively at that time.

 

Great info, Susan and Bakers!

 

Ya...great research gals.
Oh...& Steve...I like your Mom.....& your dresser !!!

 

Here we go - a biography of Davis says his partnership with Farson ended in 1864, he continued in the business alone and then formed a partnership with his sons in 1874.

http://www.mocavo.com/Men-of-Americ...adelphia-in-the-Bi-Centennial-Year/870464/266

 

Wow so it looks like about 1870 is pretty damn close!!! You guys are awesome.

 

Thanks, Steve. Now it would still be a good idea to hear from those in the know re: furniture style and construction. Member "Verybrad" is the one I would be most interested to hear from, but others may also be very helpful.

 

Stick around ...we can be even more ......

 

Oh I'll be here.

 

Bake, you already had the time frame of 1864 to early 1870s figured out. I just added a bit more proof. I am also waiting for Brad and other furniture gurus to show up for their opinions on this step, deck-top, chest of drawers.

I never know whether to call these pieces dressers, chest of drawers or bureaus. I usually call those wider than tall dressers and those taller than wide chest of drawers, but don't know where bureaus fit in.

--- Susan

 

You all have pegged this. I would have said about 1880 or a bit earlier. Not a whole lot of style to go on with it so pinning it by style is a bit tough. I do think it is missing a mirror which, if present, would have helped to date it.

 

Chest of drawers, bureau, dresser, they all fit. I generally use dresser for pieces with mirrors and chest of drawers for those without. However, very tall chests with small mirrors would not be called a dresser. Bureau seems to be more regional in use. It is not a term I ever use.

 

Thanks, Brad. I'm glad the logic Susan and I applied to the label evidence was consistent with your expert opinion.

 

So I talked to my mom today and she mentioned casters. The movers placed the dresser in my room and I never noticed it actually has casters. The house I bought has white carpet that is super soft, but also super destroyed. The previous owners had two boys, so that explains that. Anyway, I honestly didn't notice the tiny casters.

Thanks for all the time and effort to try to figure out the age of this thing. My mom is loving the updates