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<p>[QUOTE="lizjewel, post: 2411717, member: 13874"]1920's, early 1930's in style. Forgive <i>profiling</i> but it was not a socalled <i>hi-end piece</i> at any time.</p><p><br /></p><p>For general info: Homes, houses, built for residential use in the early part of the 20th century, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, were property-taxed not just on size, locale, grounds, but even on number of bedrooms, and, also, [oh, horror!] the number of <i>closets</i> it held.</p><p><br /></p><p>Not having yet arrived at the conspicuous consumption the later part of the 20th century became known for, people in general had fewer items of clothing before, say, 1950s.</p><p><br /></p><p>When not in use, or out of season, clothing was then generally stored in chests in the attic, preferably of cedar as moths do not like it. Or there'd be naphtalene powders in them, same purpose.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ladies' dresses were often taken apart as well, seams ripped out because in the season that followed they'd be refitted either for the size the wearer had then become, or for another wearer in the family. Local seamstresses, often spinsters or widows, made a nice living refitting, restitching the wardrobes of the better-off members of the local society.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>What's this all gotta do with the pictured wardrobe</i> someone asked?</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Easy</i>: If there were no clothes closets where one lived one would buy a wardrobe like this one. If moving around some, maybe in different boarding houses, or in domestic employment, one's wardrobe traveled with, was one's own in a new unfamiliar environment. Nicer wardrobes even had locks, keys, to keep sticky fingers out.</p><p><br /></p><p>This one appears to show a keyhole in the door on the right in the image. I'd say it was probably a "traveling wardrobe," therefore small, lightweight, could be carried up to a high floor by one very strong person or two average strength ones. It has the look of a maid's wardrobe, just big enough to fit in a maid's room and hold a few dresses, a coat, hats, toiletries, shoes.</p><p><br /></p><p>As for country, I think it's European since I have no ref. to where it now resides. Do correct me if I'm wrong. Similar wardrobes were common in the U.S., Canada, Australia, etc. as well.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="lizjewel, post: 2411717, member: 13874"]1920's, early 1930's in style. Forgive [I]profiling[/I] but it was not a socalled [I]hi-end piece[/I] at any time. For general info: Homes, houses, built for residential use in the early part of the 20th century, both in the U.S. and elsewhere, were property-taxed not just on size, locale, grounds, but even on number of bedrooms, and, also, [oh, horror!] the number of [I]closets[/I] it held. Not having yet arrived at the conspicuous consumption the later part of the 20th century became known for, people in general had fewer items of clothing before, say, 1950s. When not in use, or out of season, clothing was then generally stored in chests in the attic, preferably of cedar as moths do not like it. Or there'd be naphtalene powders in them, same purpose. Ladies' dresses were often taken apart as well, seams ripped out because in the season that followed they'd be refitted either for the size the wearer had then become, or for another wearer in the family. Local seamstresses, often spinsters or widows, made a nice living refitting, restitching the wardrobes of the better-off members of the local society. [I]What's this all gotta do with the pictured wardrobe[/I] someone asked? [I]Easy[/I]: If there were no clothes closets where one lived one would buy a wardrobe like this one. If moving around some, maybe in different boarding houses, or in domestic employment, one's wardrobe traveled with, was one's own in a new unfamiliar environment. Nicer wardrobes even had locks, keys, to keep sticky fingers out. This one appears to show a keyhole in the door on the right in the image. I'd say it was probably a "traveling wardrobe," therefore small, lightweight, could be carried up to a high floor by one very strong person or two average strength ones. It has the look of a maid's wardrobe, just big enough to fit in a maid's room and hold a few dresses, a coat, hats, toiletries, shoes. As for country, I think it's European since I have no ref. to where it now resides. Do correct me if I'm wrong. Similar wardrobes were common in the U.S., Canada, Australia, etc. as well.[/QUOTE]
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