Antique and vintage furniture complemented with new homewares

Barnaby's of Battle
Barnaby's of Battle
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Tall Antique Printer's Chest with 34 Tray Drawers
REF: LA589538
£1,125
€1,333
$1,500
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LoveAntiques Dealersince Sep 2021Approved item599 sales by dealerAvailable for local pick-up
LoveAntiques Dealersince Sep 2021Approved item599 sales by dealerAvailable for local pick-up
Description
Very tall antique wooden printer's chest of drawers made in the 1920s probably. Similar to Hamilton style ones, apparently: these are by Caslon. It has 34 shallow tray-like drawers which were used to store typesetting letters in a print shop: around 20 still have the various little compartments left in them; the rest are mostly empty. They could all be taken out , to make the drawers more useful for plans, maps , artwork etc, or they'd make great collector's drawers. The frame is solid hardwood, of some type, with veneered panels, and can be completely dismantled. The drawers vary as some are replacements from other cabinets, though they all fit well. Some are probably mahogany, with label holders and a cast iron 'Caslon' handle; others are maybe beech, with brass handles. One has a different handle. In all, there are 4 types of drawer, and every drawer seems to have a different colour, or wear pattern, or old label, so it's quite a wonderful thing to behold (I think!)
As you can probably tell, I love this piece... still, gotta make a living.
measurements
Height:
195 cm
Width:
95 cm
Depth:
41 cm
Drawer Interiors 77cm x 33cm x 3.5cm
declaration
Barnaby's of Battle has clarified that the Tall Antique Printer's Chest with 34 Tray Drawers (LA589538) is genuinely of the period declared with the date/period of manufacture being 1920s
condition
Condition is pretty good structurally: it's solid and sound; slight flex in the structure but fine on level ground. One back board replaced and one drawer bottom: there has been woodworm in the past in many of the drawer bases, especially the plywood ones; only one was bad enough to need replacing and they've been treated for good measure. Cosmetically there are obviously many marks, scuffs and dings of a long working life (see pics), one drawer has a chipped end, one has been cut to fit, one or two are bowed. We've waxed all the outsides but the insides range from pretty clean to fairly grimy. Have a look at the photos; I've pictured all of the drawers (though i got confused so it looks like there's 36 :D).
additional info
Category:
Material:
Origin:
Date of Manufacture:
1920s
location
This Tall Antique Printer's Chest with 34 Tray Drawers is located in East Sussex, United Kingdom
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