Anyone know what this is?? Top shelf 13 3/4″ deep; 2nd 15 1/4″ deep; third; 17″ deep. In other words too deep for a bookcase, I think. The shelves are all 13″ wide and the case is 36″ high.
Edited 7/6/2008 12:16 pm ET by 9michael9
Edited 7/6/2008 12:17 pm ET by 9michael9
Replies
thanks for nothing
Just a guess... If it was used as a plant stand, there you would see 'water rings' on the shelves where flower pots stood. Or...
it could be a linen storage shelf.
SawdustSteve
No water rings. It is made of oak and is old. The estate I purchased it from used it for books, but I feel quite sure that was not the original purpose. I know it is arts and crafts style but there are no markings anywhere on the piece. It is definitely not home made because of the construction.
It's an arts and crafts bookcase.Gretchen
Just wondering how you know its an Arts and Crafts bookcase?
One thought is to contact Bob Lang at Pop Woodworking. He's the grand master of arts and crafts style furniture projects, and just might be able to identify the purpose, the maker, and even the catalog number if it's a manufactured piece.
It is the recognized style of Arts and Crafts. Someone below has made it a magazine stand which also makes sense. But A&C it is, from looking at them for decades in antique stores. I have never cared for them, and especially "oak" when I was into pine in the 60's, but as with other styles, as I matured, the lure of different styles became more interesting. I don't have any--well, I do have a child's rocker in the basement I need to sell.
Gretchen
As for the maker, if you were really lucky it would be Stickley, as the other poster said. But it could be just "anyone". But look for the Stickley signature (burned in, I think).
Edited 7/9/2008 8:52 am ET by Gretchen
What styles do you like at this point in time? Arts and crafts included many makers including Vosley, Green Brothers, C.R. Mackintosh, Limbert, etc. As you may surmise, I am now doing research on the origin of this piece.
I prefer early American primitive still. Back when I eschewed those A&C pieces they were CHEAP CHEAP. My sister and I still just shake our heads at what we passed over!! Truth be told, the antique market has pretty much declined in recent years. I am not talking about museum quality stuff, needless to say, but just nice old furniture with good wood and lines. I am pretty much done in my "collecting"--need to have a tag sale myself and help the market!! I have never done any research on it, although our kids did live in a wonderful A&C style house in Denver for a while. I do like the architecture, and when someone carries it through on the interior with proper furniture, it is a beauty to behold.Gretchen
Check out a book by Judith Miller titled Arts & Crafts. I just purchased it from Borders, and it has the furniture, the pottery jewelry, textiles, glass and lamps, and silver and metal ware with the prices realized. If you look at it you will realize how arts and crafts spread all over the Occidental world and is still a major influence on all of art. Have a cup of Seattle coffee while you peruse it.
~Michael
p.s. The magazine rack was a sears catalog item I'm quite sure because of the amount of nails I removed when it was disassembled. 58 of them to be exact and the oak was second or third grade. I still expect it to bring over $150.00 in my antique booth. I have never been lucky enough to find an original piece of arts and craft furniture. I had some roycrofters desk stuff once and it went fast.
Edited 7/10/2008 5:11 pm ET by 9michael9
Just not my cup of tea, but thanks for the rec. I really do not care for oak furniture of that age. I do admire some pieces, and the art pottery of the time has become a real favorite of mine, although I just "admire" it--I have too many collections as it is.
Is this the first you have encountered? And have an antique booth? ;o)
Gretchen
Edited 7/11/2008 12:36 pm ET by Gretchen
I have seen other cheap Art and Crafts stuff, but never a book stand, therefore the post. I think all the "good" pieces are in private collections and the chances of anyone running into a piece is extremely rare. If you go to an auction that sells this genre you must be well off. I do not attend auctions anymore, just go to estate sales and rummage through junk not wanted by the survivors.
I don't believe I said I went to any auction that features this. Assumptions!! I said I used to see a LOT of it in shops and I still see some from time to time. I do know that private collectors make it hard for dealers to get pieces they want at prices they can afford to resell it. The market has really dropped out, in my experience recently. Not much around any more.OUr DD had several shops at times in the past. It was fun going to shows and big fleas with her then.
Gretchen
Edited 7/13/2008 8:02 am ET by Gretchen
I didn't assume anything, I said "if".
It is either a magazine stand or a phone stand.
In the old days when Ma Bell provided the phones, phone stands were popular places to keep the phone and the local phone books.
Kind of went the way of buggy whips.
Mike
I have done more research and found it is a magazine stand. These were very popular in the 1900's thru the 1940's. I think it may be worth a fair amount of dollars. I would like to know who made it, but haven't come up with the maker as yet.
m19,
To me it looks familiar , sort of a lodgy / primitive . I like it and I am sure I've seen similar , it could have been used as a dresser or food storage .
regards dusty
High chair, for children
Funny you said that because that's what the estate seller thought. I don't think that is the case though because of the number of shelves.
Michael, Some antique high chairs were dual purpose. High chair / writing table. This piece seems to be of some dual purpose design. The top shelf would serve as the seat, the middle shelf as a lower table for the child's bowl to rest as mama stops feeding, as she tends to the messy face without turning way. The bottom shelf, so it dose not look like a chair after the little one has outgrown its usefulness. The vertical slats limit a child from climbing the sides and back. My guess is that its a one off piece.
Just guessing here, Tom
I don't think it was a highchair because the designer would not have needed that much shelf depth. It would not pull up next to a table at the proper height, and the seat is too large.
I'd echo the thoughts of others that it's designed as a telephone stand. I'd be very careful about what I did to a piece like that. It's likely to be worth a hundred bucks as a useful piece of antique furniture, but there is a -small- possibility that it's a piece from a famous Arts and Crafts designer in 1910's (particularly because it's in ebonized oak).
If that's the case, it could very well be worth a rather large sum of money, but it will be worth very little if stripped or re-finished in any way.
A stand for LP records and a player??? What does the contest winner get?
The Professional Termite
My appreciation and awe of their knowledge.
Toilet paper rack.
Holds 64 double rolls.
F.
Could be, most don't remember the hoarding of T paper during the great depression. Just imagine not being able to purchase this product, and the alternatives. Could be coming again soon because of the terrible leadership in both houses and the presidency, of course.
most don't remember the hoarding of T paper during the great depression.
I do! My Grand Pa worked for the Chicago CTA.. I got alot of the OLD paper street car transfers.. I gave em out to the neighbors.. I'd yell out OLD RAGS AND IRON and This weeks transfers to wipe your butt with...
most don't remember the hoarding of T paper during the great depression.
Gee1932.. Was born ALOT after 1932. Maybe GRANDPS Ghost made me do it?
1942 here..
Edited 7/8/2008 1:48 pm by WillGeorge
Any oldster who went through the depression always has many many rolls of T paper stored in their houses. They never forgot how used to this product one becomes, and how things are without it. Newspaper, old rags, ones hands, and countless other substitutes are never forgotten.
I agree!
But I knew grandpa had a bunch of GOLD coins.. Or maybe it was an Uncle?
I'm thinking an Uncle with a wooden leg.. RR Break man... He would pull out the sack of coins from his leg! Amazing! I later realized they were vent holes to help keep the stub cooler! ( I was about 22 when I figgure that out!)
We played with them (from the leather sack)..
Thinking back... he was very affraid to spen them!
I have a similar piece, in solid walnut with slats up each side but no back. Grandpa, who built it sometime in the 1920's I think, called it a catch-all. I'll never give it up!
Pete
I'm the grandpa now and am making things for my offspring, and their children. We woodworkers pass along our love through love of our craft.
I've seen literally thousands of pieces of furniture in different houses all over the Seattle-Tacoma area and have never seen anything that resembles that one closely. My guess is that it was a hobbyist-made piece, designed for something specific in his/her house. It could have been a phone stand, with room for telephone and note pad on the top, telephone books on the second shelf, and maybe newspapers on the bottom. Could have been for storage in just about any room of the house -- the bathroom (ooooo, kinda dark, eh?), the laundry room (sorting linens?) or a bedroom. Have you looked carefully at the bottoms of the shelves? Is there any writing there?
I bought one old nightstand at an estate auction, and on the underside of the drawer was a record of some debt -- payments made or received, I can't remember. In that old, old writing that was obviously the turn of the century. It was really cool to see that.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Edited 7/6/2008 10:41 pm by forestgirl
I think I'll buy your description. It is factory made because of the joinery, and is Arts and Crafts style. Perhaps an old Sears catalog item??
Your thought that it might be a Sears Catalog item is certainly a possibility. It's amazing how many different things came out of Sears, and I'd love to have a few of the catalogs from early 20th C.
I wouldn't dismiss out of hand, though, that it might be home-made. A very good home craftsman could easily have done the joinery. Granted, he'd be in the smalll minority. ;-)forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
To me it looks familiar .. Somebody posted.. For me also.
As in a plant stand was my first thought. My mom had BUNCH of stands like that on the covered front porch AND inside the house..
Telephone stand.. Could be but I remember the one we had you could sit down at??
Not sure.. Somebody said it looked BAD.. or something a bit harsher... I kind of like it for some reason. Maybe it reminds me of that GREAT old screened in wrap around the house front porch and all the plants and the stands?
It is a piece that bring back memories to older folks. Happy memories of times that weren't so damn rushed and crazy.
Vegetable storage shelves?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
There is a very similar copy of the stand in a Hard back hobbiest book Circ. 1928. It was my Dads when he was a boy. It has magazine racks, pipe holders, a wagon, lamps, The old butler holding an ashtray, pedel car & airplane. Can't find it right now but I believe it was a "Popular Mechanics" book.
Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
My first thought upon seeing the piece is that of a music rack. Maybe storage for 78's or even sheet music.
Other posters are right though. Be careful if you're considering refinishing or any other type of restoration. I like the piece, though, and I agree that it's an Arts and Crafts piece.
A & C bookshelf. Seen a million of em in upstate ny. (original home of the Stickley boys)
Edited 7/8/2008 9:44 pm ET by Jimmy
any idea on the maker?
It strikes me as an end table/figurine display shelf. The slanted front is intended to provide a clear view of items displayed on the progressively lower shelves.
Looks like a cabinet/rack to hold Storage baskets / boxes.
Dunno..........but the yard can use some work
Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
I'll get the wife right on it.
It's purpose is less obvious that one might think. It was actually an early 20th century child disciplinary device. The misbehaving child would be folded as necessary, and placed in one of the lower sections. The unit would then be turned against a sturdy wall. The slats were spaced closely enough to prevent escape, but widely enough for the family cat to reach through and play a role in family discipline. Large rural families might use several of these in tandem. Only after the children were too large to fit would the unit be used for book, magazine, or household knick-knack storage and display. ;-)
You just gave me a hell of an idea. I'm headed to the shop now to build one wife size. Thanks!
I hasten to add that it has been my experience that wives tend to appreciate the device even less than small, folded children. ;-)
one would think that you have a subservient role in your life planned for the wife.Wicked Decent Woodworks
(oldest woodworking shop in NH)
Rochester NH
" If the women dont find you handsome, they should at least find you handy........yessa!"
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