Posted 3 years ago
GreyGoose
(1 item)
I'm trying to more accurately date this old quarter-sawn oak Victorian woman's dresser with small vanity mirror which could also likely be called a "high-boy". There are no marks on it anywhere, save for a few indistinguishable pencil marks and carpenters marks. I've looked at countless images of mid to late 1800's dressers and simply cannot find anything remotely similar or as basic a style as this is. All examples I've seen with mirrors have the more common and larger "harp" shaped mirrors and more ornate details overall but do have similar drawer pull hardware with variations of cast and stamped brass on 3" centers. However most dressers from the 1700s to 1800s all have very similar style draw pulls.
The top two pulls are cast brass with a central engraving plate (no name or date) while the rest are all thin stamped brass backs, as are the 5 lock covers. The flat-head screws which hold on the top mirror-board are also straight, not tapered which indicates earlier than roughly 1860 from what I've researched. All the nails are however round-head, not square which could indicate 1700s. The small mirror also has a slight beveled edge but I don't know if that may help dating (the bevel). I think overall the appearance of the top board, while Victorian is very basic and somewhat greco-roman compared to default victorian style motifs. For it's day I wouldn't consider this to be a high-end piece of furniture as the back of the drawers are just slotted, not dovetailed like the fronts.
The drawer front dovetails show both pencil and chisel marks in various places and some are loose fitting, indicating to me that they were possibly hand cut, but I do believe overall that this was possibly factory made or at least that the builder likely purchased wood from a sawmill. The leafs and wreath details around the mirror are 100% hand cut and chiseled as each side is not a perfect mirrored opposite. You can see the slight differences when looking closely.
Lastly, as for the drawer construction, the bottom of the drawers are solid 1/4" walnut, all drawer sides are solid poplar, and all rears are solid pine with the rear faces of the pine having what are large, rough circular sawmill blade marks from a 30" blade (I ran the numbers via arc width and height formulas online). In considering the blade marks I've read conflicting information about powered tools of the mid to late 1800's and have found references to many water-powered mills of the upper east coast USA (which is where this came from) which operated as early as 1800, and eventually mills moved on to steam in the late 1800s, then electricity of course around the turn of the century.
So water-powered mills with circular saws were in use on the east coast much earlier (which makes sense of course) than they were on the west coast. Given all that and the condition of this, which also includes beetle holes in various places, coupled with the fact that the man I bought it from (aged around 55 in 2022) said it was his grandmothers and great grandmothers from NY / NJ, I'm thinking it is potentially made around 1850 give or take 20 years. But if earlier it is anyone's guess since I've seen nothing similar for comparison. It's very hard to find any more specific details beyond what I've explored. I'm hoping someone else can throw in their opinions.
I'm not looking to sell, I got it cheap ($80) and was planning to fully refinish, re-stain, restore, and put on modern hardware. Victorian is just not my thing. But if this truly is old..old and early 1800s then maybe I should just do a light rehab and leave it as it was? Even restored to original condition I know it's not going to be worth much more than I paid so I'd rather make it my own as I bought it to use it. And even if I tighten everything up and modernize it my thoughts are it will still be a great conversation piece and is now the oldest thing I own save for a single Megalodon tooth. ;)
Gorgeous, on this piece it does look late victorian and the wreath decoration makes it just so desirable. Sometimes you can find some nice oils for oak and walnut, such as Howard Restor-A-Finish (correct spelling used) and also Howard Feed-N-Wax Wood Polish for a beautiful finish. Beeswax and Orange Oil. Your hardware should have it.
Everything I see is indicative of very late 19th century. I'd put this in about 1880- 1900.
Definitely not early 19th century.
scott