Antique China Cabinet/Hutch by Fort Smith Folding Bed & Table Co

[AFVet1982]

Good day, everyone-
My siblings and I are in the process of getting our mother's house emptied out in preparation to sell (she's in a nursing home and will not be able to live alone).  I wanted to share some pictures of a China Cabinet that I got as part of our work to distribute the family effects that have been in the house for some time.

This cabinet originally (as far as I know) belonged to my maternal grandmother, who used it to display some of her souvenir plate collection and similar items.  It was moved to my parents' house sometime in the late 80s/early 90s.  As far as I can tell, everything on the cabinet is original (finish, hardware, etc.).  There are four shelves that I moved from their mounts to the bottom of the cabinet in order to transport the cabinet when I picked it up.  The only real damage is one side window that's broken (and removed) and a small front pane that is cracked and will have to be replaced.

I've been looking for any information on the company and its products to try and get an idea of the value of this piece and whether or not I would harm the value if I were to remove any excess dirt, furniture polish, etc. I realize there is a connotation to the word "clean" in some circles, so I avoided using that word to describe my intentions for the cabinet.  What I would like to do is to get it looking as close to new as I can while still keeping all the hardware, finish, etc. and use it to display family mementos as my mom & grandmother did when they had the cabinet.

If anyone has any information they can share regarding this type of cabinet or any links to sources of info, I'd be very grateful for any info or steer I might be able to get.

Based on another post, the cabinet was apparently built/manufactured between 1902 and 1906.  Please take a look at the pictures (I'll post more at a later date) and feel free to share your thoughts.  Thanks!

Philip

[mart]

Hi there !  You didn`t include a full frontal pic including the legs and feet so just gong by what I can see !!  Probably late 30`s or 40`s !  I would guess it has the Queen Anne feet !!  But since you are keeping this hutch and just need to make it look good,, just get all the dust off with a microfiber cloth !!  Go over a couple of times if needed,, then get some Old English dark oil and apply it liberally !!  Let it sit 15 or 20 minutes then buff the excess off with any soft cloth !!  Old cotton socks work great for this !!  This is what many antique shops use to cover minor scratches and rejuvenate old furniture with the dark stains !!  Just make sure you let it sit in a good dry area a ffew days  so the Old English is  absorbed and the surface is dry before sitting anything on it !
I would do a  couple of  coats if the wood is very dry !!  There are several things you can do but this is the easiest !!

[cogar]

Your cabinet (20's to 30's) is often referred to as "depression furniture".

[Sulty1981]

Wow. What amazing.