Pair of French Napoleon III or Second Empire Bookcases in Mahogany, circa 1870

This cabinet displays an exceptional level of craftsmanship. Made of exotic & rare rosewood, this fine & tall Louis Philippe bookcase or china cupboard has a carved pediment top with glazed door panels on the top cabinet for displaying...

A very beautiful French Charles X bookcase in cherry, circa 1820 with original glass panels and key. Original French polish finish. Makes a great bookcase or display cabinet! Measur...

A small French Louis Philippe vitrine or bookcase in beautiful figured walnut with a single door that has two long glass panels, with a long glass panel on each of the sides. All of ...

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 In the cabinet lock trade, lever locks became available circa 1855 and superseded the earlier tumbler and back-spring locks.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...

An Austrian Biedermeier cupboard in cherrywood with carved, open fretwork gallery, with ebonized details above crown molding. Arched Gothic style tracery work on interior of glass do...

Period French Napoleon III sofa in ebonized wood, with triple hump-camel back and turned and fluted front legs resting on casters, with uphols...

19th Century French Napoleon III Period Mahogany Bookcase ~ Vitrine is a marvel of fine artisanry, with elegantly arched crown festooned with hand-carved floral and foliates cascadin...

This mid-19th century French Napoleon III period vitrine or bookcase is constructed of burl walnut and features clean simple lines. Providing an elegant contrast, the piece is trimme...

19th Century French Napoleon III Period Louis XIV Bookcase is a masterpiece of the genre, with bold styling creating a magnificent presence for any setting! The amazing triple arche...

Large Vitrine, bookcase, showcase 3 doors in Napoleon III Boule style large showcase or library. This bookcase is sold by itself, but it can also be sold with the corresponding desk...

Pair of Late Empire style bookcases. Small in size, they are composed of elements in solid walnut and others in folder and feature a wick shellac...

Beautiful French Showcase Or bookcase with Two Doors in Napoleon III and Boulle style. Two-door display case in fruit wood veneer and curling, significant ornamentation of gilded bro...