Can someone identify this cabinet by chance?

[JJT]

The last time I posted one ya'll helped out quite a bit.

If anyone has anything It'd be great to hear.

[cogar]

Nice, verrrrrrrrrry nice, especially the curved glass. The feet on it dates it, me thinks, ….. hafta wait until Mart takes a look at it.

[JJT]

Nice, verrrrrrrrrry nice, especially the curved glass. The feet on it dates it, me thinks, ….. hafta wait until Mart takes a look at it.

The front door does have a real nice curved glass door. 

[mart]

Are there numbers on the back by any chance ??  Have to go by what I can see !!  Looks to be late 30`s 1940`s  or could even be early 50`s just going by the style !!  I call these transition pieces !!  Does the lock work,, some are just for looks ??  The scroll feet are similar to the Empire Revival period but not nearly as pronounced !!  You find many details from earlier furniture during the transition of styles !!

[JJT]

Are there numbers on the back by any chance ??  Have to go by what I can see !!  Looks to be late 30`s 1940`s  or could even be early 50`s just going by the style !!  I call these transition pieces !!  Does the lock work,, some are just for looks ??  The scroll feet are similar to the Empire Revival period but not nearly as pronounced !!  You find many details from earlier furniture during the transition of styles !!

127-H
557.

Is on the back in yellow hand paint.  The lock does work. My key from another cabinet ALMOST throws the lock but its not quite the right tooth on the key I have for the other one.

[mart]

Thats what I thought !!  They started numbering furniture in the mid 30`s so could be any time after that date !!  They had about stopped putting locks on most things by then and you saw fewer and fewer as time went on !!  Early furniture had locks on every drawer in a bedroom set and others that are a bit beyond my comprehension !!  But the theory is that household help could not steal items !!  Seems that money was an issue here even though I have never heard of ones bloomers getting swiped !!  At least not back then,, have heard of a few instances more recently however !!
The reason the locks continued for a while on items like this is because on the breakable nature of the items kept for show !!  Even now they are still used on some china/curio cabinets !!
The numbers are really only helpful to the company that made the cabinet but it does give you a timeline !!

[JJT]

So what your saying is, you have no clue when it was made  =)

Thats ok.  Between 30 and 50 seems about right.

[mart]

My feeling is that it was made mid 40`s or after but as I said,, can only go by the one pic !!  Usually antique shops will have a bunch of these keys or look on ebay !!  Shouldn`t be too hard to find one that will work !!

[cogar]

I use to have a big collection/assortment of those "furniture" keys ….. so that after refinishing a piece for "resale" I had a key for it. It will sell "quicker" with a key …… than without a key.

When the new owner shows it off to his family or friends, …… having the "key" for the door/drawer locks is "important" …. whenever he/she is asked if they have one.

[JJT]

I use to have a big collection/assortment of those "furniture" keys ….. so that after refinishing a piece for "resale" I had a key for it. It will sell "quicker" with a key …… than without a key.

When the new owner shows it off to his family or friends, …… having the "key" for the door/drawer locks is "important" …. whenever he/she is asked if they have one.

I can post another pic of something that you may need to help determine.

[JJT]

I use to have a big collection/assortment of those "furniture" keys ….. so that after refinishing a piece for "resale" I had a key for it. It will sell "quicker" with a key …… than without a key.

When the new owner shows it off to his family or friends, …… having the "key" for the door/drawer locks is "important" …. whenever he/she is asked if they have one.

I can post another pic of something that you may need to help determine.

The key that I ahve for another cabinet with the same style lock will LOCK it, but wont unlock it.  Which is odd to me, so its not far off........

[mart]

Can`t get much closer on something of that vintage !!  There can be as much as a ten year production period between the time they started making it and when it ended,, if it ended at all !!  Styles were not made year to year but followed the trends and the designers of the day !! 

[JJT]

Can`t get much closer on something of that vintage !!  There can be as much as a ten year production period between the time they started making it and when it ended,, if it ended at all !!  Styles were not made year to year but followed the trends and the designers of the day !!

Makes sense.  But theres no real way to know who made it or where it came from?

This is in the USA.

[ghopper1924]

I think by the mid 20th century it could have been any one of dozens of manufacturers. Not sure if Grand Rapids was still a big furniture manufacturing center at that point, but that's where I'd start.

[JJT]

I think by the mid 20th century it could have been any one of dozens of manufacturers. Not sure if Grand Rapids was still a big furniture manufacturing center at that point, but that's where I'd start.

Ok.  Well, when I " search " for something, what should I be using as a keyword with this particular cabinet ?

If I search for " old cabinet " I get millions of pictures