Time period and origin of this washstand

This website says pinning down the origin of a piece will help date it when it comes to early circular saw cuts

"A better approach in understsanding the age-significants of circular saw cut marks on timbers is to try to pin down when circular saws were in use in a specific area.
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In North America mechanized equipment use generally moved from the east coast westward. Earliest use of circular saws is likely to appear on the eastern seaboard, probably in New England, as early as 1800 (Matchell 1813, Rees 1819) but in my OPINION more commonly throughout the eastern U.S. after about 1830.
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I look at the area where timbers were probably cut and the distance from that area to the nearest larger city to infer that saw cuts would have been by a portable machine used in building or in very small saw mill operations versus larger sawmills that would have moved to mechanized and faster circular saw cutting methods.

Our patent research on circular saws in the U.S. found circular saw sophistications being patented by Wisconsin inventor as early as 1877 that tells us that they were in use before that time and that circular saws were in use through the U.S. at least as far as the mid-west and probably further west.

Early stationary sawmills were most likely found in New England in the very late 1700's where they could be located by streams providing water power for mills. "
http://inspectapedia.com/structure/Lumber_Cutting_Methods.php

 

Yeah, not much difference design wise is there. Mostly these were a utility type pieces, somewhere to stash your necessaries before indoor plumbing came about. Saw marks look like rotary saw.

 

Interesting. If it weren't for the marble top, that shape would be a nice little early Georgian sideboard or even music cupboard in my neck of the woods. I own one: hand made, rather than any mechanical tools.

 

bear,
You are in great britain? If so, it's my understanding that in england, they built furniture entirely by hand until the 1930s because of the guild (union) system. Do you know if that is correct?

 

Nope, it isn't, it's totally wrong. The Industrial Revolution started here in the 18th C and included the mechanisation of furniture processes: machine cut veneers, parquetry and dovetails for example. Mouldings and decoration, carving, the lot. The Victorians were great ones for technology and would apply it to anything in sight. What did happen was that our Arts and Crafts Movement, in the late 19th Century, went back to simplicity and hand made furniture. But that was just one strand.

Guilds and Unions are two different things. Guilds were and are for craftsmen and specialists in certain trades or occupations - that might include apprenticeships, ranks and grades and so forth. That actually includes IT, now. Trades unions were all about organised labour to gain better working conditions.

You might like this: http://www.crafts.org.uk/getdoc/892...a97d8b86/2--A-Short-History-of-Furniture.aspx

 

OK! thanks for clearing that up, not sure where i heard that but it did seem odd.