Posted 12 years ago
Tanathis
(1 item)
Any information about this piece would be appreciated. My wife is getting ready to refinish it but we want to know what it is lol...
It sits on old metal casters and the back of the dresser is made of slats and not one piece. The dovetails on the drawers are uneven and look handmade. There is 411 1/2 printed on the back as well as C.N.N. There is a label nailed to the back with a name and address on it. I think it was the name of the person who purchased it. Very hard to read. It came with a marble top that fit on the box but not sure if it's original to the piece. I looks as though there was a mirror or ? attached to the back of the box and sat on top of the dresser. This is a very neat piece and would love to know what it is.
I can answer any questions you may have.
Thanks
I've never seen a dresser with a piece on top like that!
Why would they need to lock all three drawers.
My guess is it's for something like ledgers because of the size of the upper secretary section. If that short recess is all there is to support the fold-out desk, it isn't made for heavy things. Ledgers would explain the locks. Any partitions in the drawers?
There are no partitions inside the drawers. This dresser or chest has got me baffled.
I think someone married these together and they are trying to fool someone! I been around and never seen anything like this.
Michael
Yeah fuel, crossed my mind(both cells) too but woods seem to match closely in age without doing visual. My 1st guess was for survey maps, other maps, blue prints & maps, maps, maps. Also could be for maps, - or charts but the secretary doo-dad on top is too narrow to be practical for them. That's why I was saying maybe ledgers. Drawers don't have to have dividers for ledgers. That's my story & I'm keeping to it!
If it is the real deal you have a great piece! I would restore it and bring it back to it's glory! Good luck!
Michael
I am wondering if it's a gentlemen's dresser. That's the only thing that I can compare it to. It looks as if a mirror attached to the top the dresser right behind the secretary box.
Why lock-up shirts & underwear?
He was a crossdresser?
I thought about the maps & blueprints, but why lock them up?
I thought it might have been a bookkeeper stand up desk, but that little secretary isn't big enough to hold a big ledger.
It may have been custom built for a particular need, or just done to mess with our heads a century later.
Is there a lock on the secretary door?
No lock on the secretary door. You may be right, it may have been built for a particular purpose and we may never know what it's intended use was.
Would the compartment be to hold shaving equipment & a small basin was placed on the fold down lid. The marble top to lay out the shaving equipment?
It's possible that's why I thought maybe it was some sort of gentlemen's dresser.
I have seen dressers or chests of drawers that had locks on all the drawers.