Francis Smith of Glasgow Collector Cabinets (Pair)

Stunning near pair of vintage Scottish oak tambour fronted indexing/collector cabinets, with 8 drawers, manufactured by Francis Smith of Glasgow.  Dating from the early part of the 20th Century, the design of each is virtually identical, except the makers label on the front - 1 is bone/ivory and the other is metal.  These rare cabinets must have been part of the standard catalogue of furniture at the time, and popular, to have been produced maybe 10 years apart. Although the company's history dates back to the 1870s, the Francis Smith name comes into existence in 1893 when they moved to 78 Gordon St, Glasgow and specialised in 'library & office furniture, revolving bookcases, consulting tables, club chairs & office desks'. After a move again around 1900 the company continued to produce furniture until the company was sold in the early 1950s. The tambour fronts are fully operational, but one cabinet may need some minor attention as the fabric backing has weakened over 100 years of use.

Each cabinet measures:  110cm high x 54cm deep x 37cm wide

 

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