Featured Georgian Period Mahogany Dresser? Label and Markings? ---

Hi, I acquired this dresser yesterday, and am having a hard time dating it.

The back has a lot of stamps and a tag thats 1/2 ripped off ... Most I could make from it is Merchants Page Co Page Iowa (Merchants is just a guess). The tag also says Lot#16033 / Piece#732.

The back was branded 430 , and painted "Mahg. 430" , it was also branded 1670.

Everything points to the Georgian period ( 1760-1770 ) with the cast iron casters, hand made dovetails, and Sheraton legs.

I'll take more pics of anything you would like to see if it helps.

Ive spent HOURS searching the internet ... any help is appreciated LOL thanks! ---

 

My first wild guess would be circa 1900-1910. The back and the stencilling are dead on for the turn of the last century and all wrong for anything earlier, unless someone has been seriously monkeying with that and made something new out of old parts mixed with newer ones.

 

I'd say later, ca. 1940s. Reeded stiles or engaged legs, mahogany, machine-cut dovetails, and what looks to be battleship-type construction. One thing's for sure: I'm not aware of anyone in Iowa making furniture before the U.S. Revolutionary war. Iowa didn't exist back then The numbers are likely internal reference numbers for the company that made the piece.

 

Thanks so much for your info Evelyb30! Honestly I am new to this so I trust your opinion more than what I've been finding online in odd places. I am sure the Sheraton legs just BEGAN in the 1700's and I was going off reading that the Georgian period was heavy with mahogony too ---

 

Thanks Ghopper1924 ... I thought those looked like hand cut dovetails with the shims. I dont have much experience with dovetails though. Hey, the Iowa thing is a great thing to go off of also . Do those look like hand-made nails? Did they still do that in the 40's? ---

 

I agree that this is 20th century. Would lean to a 30s-40s date but suppose it could be a decade or two earlier. The dovetails are machine cut.

 

You all are good! I just looked in the drawer and noticed one had some remnants of leftover newspaper that was glued to the bottom ( why did they do this? Ive seen this before ) ... well anyway , one of the pieces says "1943" ... looks like you nailed it. Im happy enough to just accept that as the year , its probably going to be the best guess I will get HAHAH. Thanks for the help everyone! ---

 

The wheels on the bottom fooled me; I suppose someone could have added them, or they could be a holdover.

 

back then newspapers were everywhere...and throw away......so it made a fine drawer liner...

 

They just shellacked over them? They seem like they would be more fragile than the wooden bottoms ---

 

the newsprint was a good binder for the glue

 

Ive been cleaning the old girl up ... lots of paint overspray and transfer from bumping into walls over the years. The quilting on the top of this dresser is amazing! Its hard to catch it in pics ---

 

Stuffed in a crack way in the back of the bottom drawer area , I found a treasure! LOL ... its a 1935 1 Mil Missouri Plastic Milk Cap Tax Token! Neat! ---

 

As far as castors go, it's true that the Victorians liked to use them, but the 1940s Duncan Phyfe-revival type furniture used them as well, so they're original to the piece. That furniture was so heavy that they actually came in handy when it was time to move the piece around.

Yes, and nice mahogany grain and good luck in finding the Missouri token!