Featured Mid 19th Century Chest of Drawers

Front by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Veneer figure by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Side by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Little drawer by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Leg by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

I recently bought this chest of drawers for the simple reason that I needed one for my new apartment. It was only $40, the right size, and I liked the figured veneer, proportions, and the straightforward design.

I’d like to know more about it. I bought it in Minnesota. It measures 47” wide, 51” tall, and 20” deep. The drawers appear to be poplar, but I’m not confident about that. The top is applied solid mahogany. The sides appear to be solid slabs of mahogany (does that make sense?). The front is veneered. The back consists of three thin vertical boards, the middle of which is thicker than the other two. The drawer pulls each have a ring around them suggesting that they are replacements. The feet are capped with copper (or brass?). It is not excessively heavy and seems to be efficiently and consistently made. I couldn’t find any labels.

What is the age of this piece? Where was it likely made? Is it factory made or from a smaller workshop?

It’s missing some edge-band veneer and the applied solid mahogany top has split and come loose. The person I bought it from had left it outside in the rain, no doubt causing some of this damage. I’ve worked with veneer and hide glue before and plan to patch the missing pieces along the edges. Does anybody have thoughts on how to reattach the mahogany top without harming the edge-band veneer? Also, should I attempt to French polish this piece or only touch up the patches?

Chipped veneer by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Applied solid mahogany by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Poplar by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

Dove tail by Gold Dial posted Sep 13, 2023 at 8:19 PM

 

Not able to see your pics

 

Hello, Gold Dial. Your pictures are set to Private instead of Public. Unless you change them to Public no one else will be able to see them.

 

I think I fixed it

 

You did.

 

Nice Stromberg-Carlson radio, 1937.

 

Love this! Warts 'n all!

 

Interesting chest. Late Classical, circa 1850. Very plain in comparison to most and part of its appeal. Was once told that these more simple geometric pieces from this era were typical of NYC manufacture. Not sure this is true, as I have never been able to verify this information.

Not sure I know exactly what you mean. Can you show a picture? Any way to screw it down from the underside with the drawers removed? As to the second question, once patched and touched up, a French polish would certainly benefit the whole thing.

 

The top surface is 5/16” mahogany on some kind of substrate with edge band veneer, as shown in the above photo. It’s come loose in some places and sounds hollow. Here’s a picture of the split:

I’m sure this is a common problem. Should I just try to get as much watered-down hide glue inside as I can?

 

Thanks for the information. I do like the sharply geometrical design.

 

Also, would it have had metal pulls originally (given the marks) or just larger wooden knobs?

 

Knobs look original to me. You might need to live with the splits in the top. Gluing won't do any good if you can't get some clamps on this somehow. Even then, I am not sure the gaps will close sufficiently to get a good bond. Cutting some very thin wood strips to push down into the splits with some glue might be another option. If you can't find some matching mahogany, they might stand out worse than the splits.

 

Maybe it's the lazybones in me, but I'd probably leave bad enough alone. Give it a good waxing and call it a day. A real artist of a restorer could probably fix most of it, but he or she would charge more than the dresser is worth. Probably by a lot.

 

I did some searching on NYC dressers. That seems to be correct. The sharp, boxy design, extensive use of edge-band veneer, and the drawer arrangement consisting of three wide drawers, gradually decreasing in height, each with a single mahogany veneer, surmounted by a deep drawer with fancier veneers, and the possible inclusion of two (in my case three) small drawers at the top, is characteristic of NYC design from about 1800 to 1815. In particular, this design seems to be associated with Michael and Richard Allison. Most dressers of this design were from the Federal period and usually included French feet but sometimes included Sheraton inspired turned feet.

Assuming the drawer pulls are a later replacement, and that the originals were stamped brass, could this be a Federal era dresser, made during Jefferson’s presidency?

 

Here is one of the ring marks.

I have to say, I prefer the current wooden pulls. They don’t compete with the simple form and mahogany veneers.

 

Perhaps it originally looked something like these:

There are no signs of nails, so I assume it was some sort of knob with a back plate.

Are there any details of construction that would pin down a date and settle the question?

 

This is an example of a similar dresser:
https://www.andrewjonesauctions.com...d-mahogany-chest-of-drawers-attrib_7634137B7D

And this one has similar brass feet:
https://www.charltonhallauctions.co...ssical-mahogany-chest-of-drawers-s_33ECCC6729

Another similar dresser attributed to Duncan Phyfe (1770-1854).
https://www.charltonhallauctions.co...gany-chest-of-drawers-attributed-t_667032ADBA

 

That’s a lovely looking dresser. I’d keep it as is.

 

Me too. Maybe a little old English here and there.