Does anyone know any information about this dresser?
by
Lynn
+22
It belonged to my grandmother who was born in IL in 1903 and married in 1926. I have attached pictures of it with a makers name plate in the drawer. I can not find anything about it. Thank you for any and all help.
Makers plate
The dresser
Drawer pull and detail
Front corner detail running to leg
14 answers
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I do not know anything about this yet but it caught my eye when I saw Grandmother and 1903. My Grandmother was born in Illinois in 1903 as well. Small world. If I find out anything for you I will post. Good luck!
Kelly Kampf Sullivan
on Dec 28, 2014
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Definitely an antique, I'm looking for more info but it's actually called a vanity, because of the mirror and the time period it was made in. Are you looking to sell it? If you are, I'm not sure what antiques go for around your area, but at my shop I would start at $200 and take no less than $125, but antiques may be worth more over there. I would reach out to local auctioneers or antique dealers in your area.
June Coan
on Dec 28, 2014
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auctionzip.com to look up auctioneers
June Coan
on Dec 28, 2014
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If I'm not mistaken it should be oak, the type of wood
June Coan
on Dec 28, 2014
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it is definetly not oak. just a native hardwood. looks to be from the late 1920s to the 1930s. this was a command style then. was for the everyday American. good quality.much better than the particle board furniture produced today. this was even sold out of the sears catalogue. I have delt in vintage furniture and antiques for 40 years. the us government says it has to be 100 years old to be an antique but mainstream dealers sometimes call pieces 30 years old antique. I would call it vintage!
Richard Perry
on Dec 29, 2014
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In Googling History of National Futniture Co" I found interesting facts, including founders, mergers, years, etc. Eventually the companies became part of Basset Furn. There is a museum in NC that features the history of National and others. Due to the expanding railroad system, furniture found its way to other parts of the country. This doesn't tell you anything about your piece, but you may find this interesting.
Claudia
on Dec 29, 2014
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Beautiful piece!
Sherrie
on Dec 29, 2014
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I agree with Richard. Looks to be a 20's-30's piece. I'm leaning more to 20's. Not oak. Lots of walnut veneer was used then and it looks like that to me from the picture. The pulls do no look original to the piece. The little boxes on top are a pretty and a nice detail. My grandparents had similar pieces.
Vivian Huff
on Dec 29, 2014
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What you have is a dresser. Vanities had a break in the center where a vanity bench or chair was placed. Your dresser is from approximately the '30s and looks as though it might be made of a couple varieties of wood, one of which would be walnut. The bottom of the drawer is made of a secondary wood, which could be poplar. The small compartments on the outboard sides of the top near the mirror are called glove boxes or jewel boxes and held the lady's "special" dress-up items. Because, bear in mind, luxuries such as fine gloves or jewelry were a rare commodity at that time. Think "Depression Era." The dresser most likely had a matching chest-of-drawers and a bed and, sometimes, one or more bedside tables. This grouping of furniture was and today is called a "suite." Depending on how much money the buyers had, they could opt to purchase the bedside tables which were optional items in the suite. The drawer knobs are wooden with some sort of inlay/insert. The white portions of the knobs could be porcelain, bone, ivory, or painted. Looking at it, though, I think it's probably paint. The design on the front and down the legs is beautifully incised and the dark color of the diamond-shape in the scroll area and the legs was probably done by using a darker stain than on the rest of the piece. In more expensive furniture, those details might have been done using inlays. This was just a less expensive way of achieving a similar look. If you want to "refresh" it, it's pretty easy since from the photos, it looks like it's in relatively good condition. If it "racks" and needs tightening up, DO NOT try to do this by adding screws or nails. Either scrape away the old glue and apply new glue and clamp the loose areas until the glue is dry or have a professional tighten it up. Wash the whole piece down with a mild solution of something like Murphy's Oil Soap, dry thoroughly with a soft cloth and then either go over the whole thing with fine steel wool or very fine sandpaper. Steel wool is a better choice. Wipe it down with a tack cloth to remove any dusty residue and, finally, apply a good-quality paste wax recommended for use on furniture. Buff it down with a dense, soft cloth and wax a second time. If there are scratches that are lighter than the rest of the piece, before waxing, break an almond or walnut in half and rub the exposed part of the nut vigorously over the scratch in the direction of the scratch. Wipe any nut oil away and proceed to waxing. If you take care of the piece, it should last another 60+ years. Enjoy your beauty. If only it could talk. Now, how do I back up what I just said? Easy. For over 30 years my late husband restored and repaired antique furniture and made custom furniture, and we owned an antiques business where we sold and appraised many, many pieces of furniture.
Swan Road Designs
on Dec 29, 2014
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I agree with Swan Road Designs, it sure looks to be walnut for the most part. A really fine piece, hope you find more history, but just to treasure the family piece is such a good thing. Enjoy!
Love tiny spaces!
on Dec 29, 2014
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Your dresser looks to be made of walnut, not oak. This style was usually manufactured in the teens and twenties. You will find that it is veneered, with the piece made of secondary wood, usually something like poplar. Your Grandmother's piece is a real treasure... cherish it!
Susan sapp
on Dec 29, 2014
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Thank you.
Lynn
on Dec 29, 2014
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That grain doesn't look like oak to me, either. If it's a heavy chest, it may be walnut. I agree, it looks later than the turn of the century... more like 30's. The different wood tones suggest a veneer of a different, harder wood than the drawers are constructed with. WOW! Check this out! I LOVE to find ways to google stuff to unearth things others can't find. I put "National Furniture Company, Wheeling, W. Virginia" in quotes and this came up; a page from a 1919 book called Hardwood Record, with a list of companies that incorporated that year. One was.....the National Furniture Co. https://books.google.com/books?id=XvA9AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA356&lpg=PA356&dq=%22National+Furniture+Company%22+Wheeling+W.+Virginia&source=bl&ots=eK51Wp6eJp&sig=xYJrJxgaL-rEbQe8u0Hthwc9RGY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XVqiVIuZI8u2oQT1_oLYCg&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22National%20Furniture%20Company%22%20Wheeling%20W.%20Virginia&f=false
Songhope
on Dec 30, 2014
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The vanity would look lovely after it's been restored. Make sure you check the drawers carefully for any hidden compartments! Maybe some antique jewellery is hidden in there somewhere! You never know…
AndrewCampbell
on Jun 30, 2015
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