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Antique English Break-Front Bibliotheque Bookcase in Mahogany, circa 1870

Name: Antique English Break-Front Bibliotheque Bookcase in Mahogany, circa 1870
Brand: S.E. & R. Johnson. Warrington
Price: 42500 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

A handsome and very well crafted English break-front bookcase or bibliotheque in solid mahogany by S.E. & R. Johnson of Warrington, England, circa 1870. Features six doors with glass panels in the upper section over a base with ten drawers on each side, flanking a middle section consisting of three doors with wooden panels. There are two adjustable shelves in each of the three upper sections, with a total of ten interior drawers. Original tear-drop pulls on doors turn to release a lever allowing the doors to be opened with the pulls as well as locked, a most unusual and attractive feature. All of the hardware is original to the bookcase including the locks. Comes with working locks and keys. Measurements: 13' 8 1/2" long x 21 1/2" - 27 1/2" deep x 101" high (8'5" high) All of the drawers are stamped with the cabinetmaker's stamp, "S.E. & R. (Ralph) Johnson, Warrington". This fine bookcase was manufactured prior to 1880 in Warrington in Cheshire, England. While information is scant, it would seem that S. E. would have been Ralph's father's workshop listed at 78 Bridge Street in Warrington, England, circa 1878. Ralph would have likely been an apprentice at that time. He opened his own workshop, presumably when his father retired. By the Edwardian period, Ralph had become a cabinet maker of some renown. Drawer locks are original and stamped "Chance Son & Co. W Chance, Son, & Co" and are listed in the 1850s directories as "Merchants and Factors" in Birmingham, England. They would have been middlemen having various merchandise made for them, primarily for export to North America. The type of locks employed in this bookcase is a lever combination lock. In the cabinet lock trade, lever locks became available circa 1855 and superseded the earlier tumbler and back-spring locks. Some points about the breakfront to note are that it is made entirely out of solid mahogany which is unusual; there are no veneers. Even the drawer sides, backs and bottoms are made of mahogany. The interior wood, i.e., the back and the insides of the cabinet is pine. One of the great features is that the upper door hardware has a dead latch that operates with the tear drop pull. You can lock the doors, but if you don't want to lock them, you can use the tear drop pull to operate the dead latch to open and close by turning it to the right. There are 20 exterior drawers and 8 interior drawers. Lower cabinets each have 1 fixed shelf; upper cabinets have 2 adjustable shelves each. There are enough extra original cast iron shelf supports to add 3 additional shelves in the upper units. inside dimentions of upper and lower cabinets ID = inside depth UPPER CABINETS right and left cabinets are the same 17" ID Center cabinet 21" ID OVERALL INSIDE DIMENSIONS OF UPPER CABINETS RIGHT & LEFT are the same 47" wide x 55" high x 17" deep (adjustable shelves) CENTER 61" wide x 55" high x 21" deep (adjustable shelves) LOWER CABINETS inside depth of lower cabinets lower cabinets are only in the middle of the unit flanked by drawers on the right and left right, left and middle are the same 27 1/2" ID OVERALL INSIDE DIMENSIONS OF THE LOWER CABINETS CENTER 22 1/2" wide x 27" high x 27 1/2" deep (fixed shelf) RIGHT & LEFT are the same 17 1/2" wide x 27" high x 27 1/2" deep (fixed shelf) SUMMERY UPPER CABINETS right and left cabinets are the same 17" ID Center cabinet 21" ID LOWER CABINETS inside depth of lower cabinets lower cabinets are only in the middle of the unit flanked by drawers on the right and left right, left and middle are the same 27 1/2" ID Shipping quote reflects cost to disassemble, pack and crate the cabinet

Creator:

S.E. & R. Johnson. Warrington (Cabinetmaker)

Dimensions:

Height: 101 in (256.54 cm)Width: 164.5 in (417.83 cm)Depth: 27 in (68.58 cm)

Style:

Victorian (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Mahogany,Polished

Place of Origin:

England

Period:

1870-1879

Date of Manufacture:

circa 1870

Condition:

Refinished. Replacements made: Some of the glass was replaced with 19th-century restoration glass that is made in Germany and has the beautiful but subtle waves like the original. Wear consistent with age and use. Composed of solid mahogany, including interior of drawers, sides & bottom, which are also made of solid mahogany, an unusual feature. As is frequently the case, secondary wood is pine in interior of cabinet. Restored w/ French polish in our workshop.

Seller Location:

Miami, FL

Reference Number:

Seller: BKC000251stDibs: LU988120211992

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