Sideboard
Furniture MakerMade by
Nathan Margolis
(Russian, 1873 - 1925)
Original OwnerOriginally owned by
C. E. Ripley
Date1914
MediumMahogany veneer and mahogany primary wood, various secondary woods, light and dark wood inlay, brass hardware
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 41 1/16 x 65 13/16 x 26 1/4in. (104.3 x 167.2 x 66.7cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of the estate of Gail Ripley
Object number1994.148.1
DescriptionMahogany veneer and mahogany sideboard in the Federal, or early neoclassical, style. The sideboard has six legs and a shaped front; the center of the sideboard is bowed, flanked by a leg at the front, a curved, recessed area, and a leg at the front and back of the sideboard. The front and side edges of the top have a thin line of geometric light and dark wood inlay. The sideboard arrangement consits of three drawers in a line over three equal-height cabinets; the center cabinet is recessed slightly and has two doors while each side cabinet has one door. The shapes of the drawer fronts and doors conform to the shaped front of the sideboard. The center cabinet is flanked by a vertical panel of wood that has a vertical, recessed, curve. There is a thin line of geometric light and dark wood inlay at the bottom, front edge of the case. The six legs extend the full height of the case; eachleg tapers below the bottom of the case down to a slender foot. At the top front and sides of each foot is a horizontal double band of light wood inlay. Each drawer and cabinet bottom is lined with pink shelf liner. Hardware includes a brass-lined keyhole on the top center drawer, flanked by a pair of stamped brass escutcheons with a pull. Each top side drawer has a single stamped brass escutcheon with a pull. Each cabinet door has a brass-lined keyhole at the interior edge, and a pair of brass hinges at the opposite edge. There is one working key.
Condition: A small area of veneer, above the left drawer, has been repaired. The top of the left side of the case has a horizontal line of scratches and dents to the surface of the wood. All of the locking mechanisms are missing, with the exception of the lock on the leftmost cabinet door. The remaining hardware appears to be original.
Design and Construction Details:
Case Construction: The top is screwed to the case from below; screws are installed through the backboard, the case sides, the rail above the drawers, and supports that extend the depth of the case, at the top, behind each front leg post. The backboards are horizontally oriented, and are joined to the leg posts with a tongue-and-groove joint. They are also screwed to the full-depth vertical dividers located behind each of the two front, center legs. The sides of the case are painted to imitate mahogany and are joined to the leg posts with a tongue-and-groove joint. A false back is applied to the interior back of the sideboard; it is separated into three parts by the full-depth dividers behind the two center legs. The bottom of the case is formed from two boards. A board in front extends about 1/3 the depth of the case, conforms to the shape of the front of the sideboard, and forms the bottom rail below the cabinet doors. A second board extends the back two thirds of the case; this board is thinner than the shaped front board. Both boards are screwed into the underside of the full-depth dividers behind the two center legs. Horizontal glue blocks are applied where the back bottom board meets the front bottom board and where both boards meet the case sides.
Door and Drawer Construction: The doors are each outlined with cock beading on all four sides; each door front is veneered. The top rails and dividers between the drawers and doors are jointed to the leg posts. Behind each center leg post is a full-depth, full-height vertical partition. The drawer runners are screwed to the vertical partition or to the sides of the case. The drawer guides are nailed to this divider or to the sides of the case. The drawer fronts are each veneered and curved, and the interior of each drawer front conforms to the shape of the exterior. The drawer sides are flat on top. The drawer bottoms each have canted edges, slide into grooves on the front and sides of the drawer, and are nailed at the back. Small wooden blocks blocks are glued and nailed to the underside of the drawer bottom, where the front meets the bottom.
NotesHistorical Note: Nathan Margolis (1873-1925) was listed in the Hartford City Directory in 1899 as "Margolis, Nathan M., antique furniture." In 1901, he was listed at 341 Asylum, and in 1919, he was listed at 343 Asylum. By 1921, Nathan Margolis was listed as an antique furniture manufacturer. After Nathan Margolis' death in 1925, the shop listing shifted to his son, reading: "Margolis, Nathan Shop antique furniture manufacturer Harold D. Margolis."Condition: A small area of veneer, above the left drawer, has been repaired. The top of the left side of the case has a horizontal line of scratches and dents to the surface of the wood. All of the locking mechanisms are missing, with the exception of the lock on the leftmost cabinet door. The remaining hardware appears to be original.
Design and Construction Details:
Case Construction: The top is screwed to the case from below; screws are installed through the backboard, the case sides, the rail above the drawers, and supports that extend the depth of the case, at the top, behind each front leg post. The backboards are horizontally oriented, and are joined to the leg posts with a tongue-and-groove joint. They are also screwed to the full-depth vertical dividers located behind each of the two front, center legs. The sides of the case are painted to imitate mahogany and are joined to the leg posts with a tongue-and-groove joint. A false back is applied to the interior back of the sideboard; it is separated into three parts by the full-depth dividers behind the two center legs. The bottom of the case is formed from two boards. A board in front extends about 1/3 the depth of the case, conforms to the shape of the front of the sideboard, and forms the bottom rail below the cabinet doors. A second board extends the back two thirds of the case; this board is thinner than the shaped front board. Both boards are screwed into the underside of the full-depth dividers behind the two center legs. Horizontal glue blocks are applied where the back bottom board meets the front bottom board and where both boards meet the case sides.
Door and Drawer Construction: The doors are each outlined with cock beading on all four sides; each door front is veneered. The top rails and dividers between the drawers and doors are jointed to the leg posts. Behind each center leg post is a full-depth, full-height vertical partition. The drawer runners are screwed to the vertical partition or to the sides of the case. The drawer guides are nailed to this divider or to the sides of the case. The drawer fronts are each veneered and curved, and the interior of each drawer front conforms to the shape of the exterior. The drawer sides are flat on top. The drawer bottoms each have canted edges, slide into grooves on the front and sides of the drawer, and are nailed at the back. Small wooden blocks blocks are glued and nailed to the underside of the drawer bottom, where the front meets the bottom.
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