Bookcases & Display Cabinets
Whatever type of writing furniture you come across in antique shops and salerooms, you can be sure it does not date before the 1750`s. The reason is simply that not many people, apart from a few members of the nobility and a large number of ecclesiastics, could read or write or had possessions to display before this time. During the 1700`s literacy increased dramatically, and with it the manufacture of desks and writing tables. As more people began to own books, bookcases were more frequently added to desks to form bureau or secretaire bookcases, which had a flap that pulled forward to provide a writing surface. To cater for the new fashion for collecting silver and porcelain, some cabinets were made with glazed upper sections to better display these highly-prized possessions. Smaller library furniture, such as revolving bookcases and library steps, which were made from the end of the 1700`s, are very collectable as they can fit easily into most modern homes.
Mahogany Bureau Cabinet
The architectural pediment on this bureau adds elegance and gives it a slight edge over other plainer examples. The carved wooden eagle was a common addition of the period, but unfortunately, in this case, does not enhance the piece because the workmanship is poor. Often the paralleled doors of the upper sections of these bookcases were removed and replaced with astragal glazing. It is usually possible to detect that this has been done, because astragal added later will simply be stuck to the door frame or butt up against it: original astragals would slot properly into the frame.
c.1760
2.28 m high
1.04 m wide
Mahogany Secretaire Bookcase
This is a standard example of a secreaire- bookcase in common use by this date, with a flat rather than an angled front. To get to the desk section, you pull out the deep drawers and press a button on either side, which causes the front to hinge down on brass quadrants. This example is made more interesting by the elegant, curved astragals that divide the glazed bookcase section. The feet are replacements for the original; typically 1700 are narrow out swept feet.
c.1780
2.13 m high
1.24 m wide
Collector’s Notes
Because bureau bookcases were made in standard sizes they were easy to take apart, so many examples are marriages between different pieces from the same or even different periods – for example a Georgian bureau is often topped by a modern, reproduction bookcase. Before buying, check the following:
The Sides
The timber should match exactly all the way from the top to the bottom, as it should have been cut from the same plank.
The Base
The plain pine carcase should be visible, as in genuine examples the top of the bureau would not have been veneered. You will have to take the bookcase off to see it, but a veneered bureau will have started life without an accompanying bookcase.
The Moulding
Disguising the joint between the two sections, the moulding should be on the bureau not the bookcase.
The Decoration
Any cross bandings, stringings and mouldings should be in the same style on both sections.
Collecting Tip
A good quality late-Victorian or Edwardian copy is a better buy than a married or poor quality 1700’s original.
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