Mobile Alabama plantation desk I bought today part one

Mobile Alabama made plantation desk

 New addition to the family. Just paid off my antebellum plantation desk today. This piece is as good as it gets when it comes to Deep South, Southern made antebellum furniture that has been in the same family with family oral history. This fabulous piece is made of solid and veneer Cuban crotched flamed Mahogany. The secondary woods are cypress, yellow pine & poplar. The piece dates from the 1820's-1830's. And by family oral history was made in Mobile Al and used on Steamboats in the 19th century and steamships during the 20th century by the male descendents of a prominent Mobile family of Captains. This piece is in the late Federal style. It has it's original finish and patina and has never been refinished. The two upper paneled faux Cuban crotched flamed Mahogany doors with working lock and original key pulls down to make a slant writing surface with it's original sage green felt. Revealing the inside fitted with compartments, pigeon holes and document compartments each with a scalloped design, One drawer base on beautifully turned Sheraton legs. One of the inside drawers is singed with one of the owners name. Mobile, Al, Oct 1902. This piece also has a hidden compartment. The classical cornice lifts up to reveal a space to store stuff on the top of this desk. I will have this desk restore to how it would have looked originally. The old alligator wax will be removed keeping the original finish of the wood and rewaxed. The chipped veneer repaired using Cuban Mahogany veneer from old frames dating from the 1840's and the turn-of-the century pulls taken off and replaced with period mahogany turned ones.

 

Writing surface with it's original sage green felt. Revealing the inside fitted with compartments, pigeon holes and document compartments each with a scalloped design

 

The classical cornice lifts up to reveal a space to store stuff on the top of this desk.