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Victorian Writing Slope - My Pride & Joy!

Marlow

By Marlow
in Paper and Pen Paraphernalia

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Hex Extremely Rare

Hex

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Oh, that's a lovely piece of provenance for your box! :thumbup:

 

Re the keys, they've just informed me that the lock will need to be dismantled to create a duplicate key as these locks were designed to be secure. This means I will have to get a professional restorer to remove the lock for me and then to replace it afterwards! This may well be quite a chunk of money! If and when I choose to do it I will certainly have two of each key made!!! I'm going to wait until after the 6th of september when a tv show called The Antiques Roadshow comes to a town near me to do valuations and appraisals. By then I will have done a lot of my own research to complement what the expert tells me!

 

:happyberet:

 

Sweet.

I am going to watch for you on Antiques Roadshow. I watch that program regularily and eat my heart out.

Hex, aka George

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Marlow Extremely Rare

Marlow

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Going to cost very close to £150 to get two keys made for the slope by the original manufacturer of the lock! I can't see the cost of having a restorer remove and replace the lock being much less than £100. Think I'd better wait to see the expert in september before I shell that out! Plenty of other work to do in the meantime! lol

"Every job is good if you do your best and work hard.

A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have

nothing to do but smell."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

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pen2paper Donor Pen

pen2paper

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Wonder if the original manufacturer of the lock might have some history/ephemera related to the manufacturer of your box?

 

Also, If the company or person was in business during on the the Expositions, (see Ad above), there may be copies of exhibitor catalogs.. check Google books too, which often had trade publications.

 

http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-animal-007.gif~Hi! fountain pen enthusiast here~

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Shangas Donor Pen

Shangas

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I can't think of what that "International Exhibition" would've been though. What happened in 1862? The only thing I can think of is the Great Exhibition, but that was in 1851, eleven years before...

http://www.throughouthistory.com/ - My Blog on History & Antiques

 

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pen2paper Donor Pen

pen2paper

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right on as usual.. didn't pick up that it was 1862. Civil War in un-united US, so it would have to be an event elsewhere. There might have been a trade event or attempt to have the item warranted by official Monarchy approval? This effort ought to have a paper trail?

 

http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-animal-007.gif~Hi! fountain pen enthusiast here~

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Marlow Extremely Rare

Marlow

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All fascinating stuff, for sure! The person I spoke to from Bramah said they were unlikely to have anything on the box itself but would be able to date the lock fairly accurately. I suppose that's something!

 

So, p2p - you tantalised us re a 'fun photo'....?! :happyberet:

"Every job is good if you do your best and work hard.

A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have

nothing to do but smell."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

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pen2paper Donor Pen

pen2paper

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edited to remove close-up to conserve bandwidth, as this is merely a brief side discussion, (exercise looking for details in old photographs - pertinent to customs of the period)

 

1st the close-up, you can't see exactly why it interested me.. but, for the sake of our, (earlier), discussion, I was concerned that one of the children was "posed' for a last photo. Can you see which one, and why?

In the full shot I'll share why this is such a fun photo.. (to me anyway ; )

Edited by pen2paper

 

http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-animal-007.gif~Hi! fountain pen enthusiast here~

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Marlow Extremely Rare

Marlow

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The eyes of the boy 'holding' the child appear to be somewhat dim and lifeless and it looks as though the child is, in fact, resting on something and not being held? The other three all look properly 'alive'... :hmm1:

"Every job is good if you do your best and work hard.

A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have

nothing to do but smell."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

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pen2paper Donor Pen

pen2paper

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Sometimes I give difficult clues.. perhaps it helps to say this scene is sort of Tom Sawyer(s) meets the Wizard of Oz.

 

edited to add, my initial interest was in the Buster Brown (pictorial buttons), gaitors wore by the little sister. Dates the photo to the Teddy Roosevelt era.

Edited by pen2paper

 

http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-animal-007.gif~Hi! fountain pen enthusiast here~

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pen2paper Donor Pen

pen2paper

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To me it appears that there is something or someone behind the curtain, perhaps holding up the tallest boy...

thumbup.gif Hidden mother photo! you can see where her shoes slightly bump out the curtain between the eldest son, and her left hand is very likely gripping the neck of the angelic appearing ; D second son.. Also notice the doll tossed to one side. I imagine this was parental warfare to get these children to behave, all at once, for the lengthy camera shot. Also of concern was the baby balance on the fern stand. Eldest son must have been warned this Would be his last photo if he loosened his grip on the littlest one... what a scene - I love this photo!

 

 

 

 

http://www.freesmileys.org/emoticons/emoticon-animal-007.gif~Hi! fountain pen enthusiast here~

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colrehogan Vintage

colrehogan

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p2p beat me to this; I was going to suggest that it was an ambrotype photo too. I have one (ambrotype) of myself that I did during a photo workshop a while back and they really are cool! I call them the Civil War polaroid, since they have to be made, taken and developed before the emulsion dries on the surface.

Smith Premier No. 4
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Marlow Extremely Rare

Marlow

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Update: The Antiques Roadshow has invited me to submit my contact details in case they might wish to feature the slope on an upcoming programme. This invitation came after their standard reply to my initial enquiry that simply said they 'cant do valuations by email'. They have looked at this thread and then invited me onto the 'list'. This is quite encouraging as they must have some pretty incredible items offered for inclusion! If this doesnt transpire I'll definitely take it to the september 6th appraisal day when they guarantee to have it seen by an expert.

 

:happyberet:

"Every job is good if you do your best and work hard.

A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have

nothing to do but smell."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

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Marlow Extremely Rare

Marlow

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Your box is quite exceptional, Marlow. The AR people would be IDIOTS not to film it.

 

 

LOL! Thanks for the vote of confidence! I'm sure they're highly astute in their selection of items to feature and, this country being full of wondrous old items of furniture, they will also be inundated with gems from which to make their selection! We can but hope that my item is somehow convenient for them to come and have a look at in the first place!

"Every job is good if you do your best and work hard.

A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have

nothing to do but smell."

Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

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SamCapote Antique

SamCapote

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I'm blown away. That is absolutely unbelievable. What a great thread!

With the new FPN rules, now I REALLY don't know what to put in my signature.

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drifting Vintage

drifting

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http://i49.tinypic.com/wtsx9j.jpg

 

http://i46.tinypic.com/2iidh93.jpg

 

What a fantastic slope!

 

That's one of the best secret drawers I've seen. Very cool.

 

Would it be presumptuous to ask to see a picture of your repair work?

 

Ryan.

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