Posted 9 years ago
Lilkin
(2 items)
Hello All, I purchased this old box complete with the key from a flea market a few weeks back to strip and use as a coffee table, it was covered in the old brown thick glue like paint that i was struggling to shift, i had stripped the top and bottom edging when my partner appeared with his sand blaster and proceeded to blast the middle section revealing the 1807-1810 date, or is it a date? My uncle seems to think it was on a ship and the 1807-1810 is the number of the cabins it was allocated to??? i disagree, i think its a date! The inside of the box was covered in old green felt that i removed to reveal an old news paper clipping stuck to the bottom from The Globe dated 1878 september 4th and is referring to the princess Alice that had sunk the day before, really interesting to read, i would love to know what the 1807-1810 stands for, if it is a date or not, regardless of this i absolutely love it and i have loved showing my friends and family and has already brought many a conversation
I don't think its from the early 1800s but think its from the late 1800s as the article shows us. (I'm not an expert sorry if I'm wrong) I think some call this a sugar chest and that whoever had it had felt put in so they could use it as a trunk.
Hello robin, its very odd, the felt was nailed in quite crudely and was also full of ancient wooden tools, there are runners nailed in either side so maybe had shelving? also the hinges have been replaced at some point, i have never heard of a Sugar Chest so thank you for that, i am off to do some more research i think x
I would concur with robin56 and date it later in the 1800's. Often times these were carpenters trunks thus the heavy construction. I have seen dowry chests or wedding chests that have had the birth dates of the couple on them.... but that is speculation. It is interesting that there is only one piece of newspaper referring to a specific tragic event, usually if it is lined with paper there are layers and multiple pieces -- perhaps there was a loved one on the ship? Well the story line could go anywhere and a great conversation piece... thanks for the post!
Hey Trunkman,i think your right about the newspaper, it was only stuck to the bottom of the box not lined with it so i think the paper cutting meant something to the person that put it there..... then someone came along and lined it with Floral wall paper, and then green felt, yes lots of speculation and many a conversation to come i would imagine....Thank you
You aren't going to like my comment but I will state my opinion anyway. This is a mismatch made to appear old.
@fhrjr2 Just a few questions, is your computer newer or older? What sort of resolution does it have?
OP: Speculation on my part, but the dates maybe for book keeping records or accounts, samples, etc., someone put in storage at one point in it's past. As you figured, this box has been a few different things, to quite a few different people over the years.
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Well I have computers new and old, running everything from Windows 8.1 back to XP.
As for the dates on this the OP says it was sandblasted. Odd that a stenciled date would remain in wood after being sandblasted. Regardless of whether you use actual sand, coal slag, walnut shell or glass bead. The dates on the front of this look bleached in to me. I concede that the picture isn't great but I have been sandblasting furniture for three decades and I question the dates. I question the hardware, the joints that are visible and the supports on the inside.
No doubt some of the parts may be old but I see it as a an attempt to "make an antique" and a poor attempt at that. The chain on this looks like it belongs in a toilet tank.
I would think that the "sandblaster" would have the effect of making the wood look newer.... however the interior is consistent with age as is shape design and materials... a coat of light stain will really make it "pop".... (or tung oil)
Its hard to say anything really about this chest. However if were a piece someobe was trying to make "old" it would not have contained a news clipping from 1878 and cover it up with wallpaper and felt.
I would go with tung oil hand rubbed
I think it's at least an antique. It's just been used over and over again, added to; so yes, it may be a toilet chain from the 1950's. That's the nature of frugal recyclers, it's still a good box, repaint it and repurpose it. After all, it survived to this day and OP is going to repurpose it yet again.
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Look close, the numbers look like they had pinstripped accents (fire/railroad apparatus style).
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I agree with TubeAmp. Things lije chains break over time due to wear and tear. Replaced chaibs and hinges are common in antique trunks. The numbers on the front are probably going to remain in the wood for the life of the trunk. Companies used lead paint and other chemicals to mark boxes.
Sorry for the late response, ( i am from England ) I am not in the habit of trying to make fake Antiques, Our country is full of them so why would i? this is as genuine as i am alive,silly.....If i had carried on with the stripper and sander i would have probably sanded the dates off that i didn't know was there, or maybe not, The sandblaster wreaked havoc on the wood making deep grooves so you would think it would have cleared the dates but it didn't so what did they use to engrain it into the wood back then?? !!!! Now they are uncovered i worry the light will fade them...What to do?????
I am sure the chain inside could well be a toilet chain, its definitely an add on, as are the hinges and the wooden slats inside have also been added, The Newspaper is The Globe, i think it was a London paper..... Thank you so much for the input, if i find out any more about it i will be sure to let you know x
Trunkman, i have Tung Oil, do you think that would make the dates stand out more?
Tubeamp, my computer is a mac,?????? the camera is a cheap Olympus.
fhrjr2, The joints on the sides are Dovetail with a few added nails for good measure,lol, the supports on the side have been added along with the chain, the hinges have been changed along with the strip of beading they were attached to, the lid is very heavy so this makes sense, i don't know how where or when it started its journey but in 1878 someone stuck that newspaper spread to the bottom for whatever reason, It was then painted, ( the under paint was like glue, brown and minging ) lined with wall paper so whatever was being stored in there it needed to be clean.....Then at some point it was painted white, the inside lined with felt and used as a tool box, the tools were old carpentry tools, its as if the owner has passed away and someone has cleared his shed ( i have pics of it half way through stripping), its not a fake my friend
Hi Lilkin -- we are with you on its authenticity.. I would think that the tung oil will bring out the numbers a bit more... it will not make them any less... as you are aware they will always be faint...
Lilkin, sorry for the confusion, I was asking fhrjr2 about his computer as he seems to not see things as they are (Do you know of Count Arthor Strong, it's our version of him here at CW).
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Ha ha ha ha, TA you are funny , okay trunkman, on your sound advice i will go tung my trunk ha ha, am i aloud to put up anymore pics? x
Welcome to CW! As you see, Lilkin, many experts, many opinions ;-)
Trunkman and TubeAmp up :-))
To put more pics, you'll have to post another "My new old coffee table Chest", part 2.
Hey kyratango, thank you for having me, its been brilliant, and i have lots to show :-) x
Seems we are all in.... post away.... (I would like to see a post tung oil pic s.v.p.)
Yes, please do post more. I look forward to seeing the finished project.
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Beautiful! I like the trunk too. Since you probably live in a humid climate, you might want to thin the tung oil so it doesn't stay sticky a long time. Welcome to CyberAsylum, aka CW. "Count" who? I've just been passing thru lately & maybe missed a private or regional joke. You might want to ck out the seaman's chest I posted long ago that had newspaper glued it from 1812(?)