The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

A nice piece. I've been aware of sheet music and record cabinets before, but being relatively new to talking machines, I had never seen a cylinder cabinet until I came to this Forum. A few observations. It was pointed out that the back molding seemed inconsistent with the piece going up against a wall. Why put it there if it weren't visible? In that vein, I see that the back stiles are chamfered like the front. That would probably not be the case if the cabinet went up against a wall. Also this back molding is not one continuous piece. Now, it looks like the ogee feet are a lighter color than the the rest of the cabinet. May indicate the feet were added later. (Also the back brackets are finished off as if the cabinet went against a wall.) If the feet are not original, then this raises a number of questions. It may have sat on top of a store counter, or it may have been the upper part of something like a chest on chest. Or the original feet were lost. Well, this is speculative; I'd need to see the piece up close. Whoever earlier wrote that he or she liked it, I agree. I've never been a great fan of oak furniture (I've seen enough ca. 1920s bureaus to satisfy me for a long time), but I do like the look of this oak very much.

(A couple of minutes later . . . after looking at the pictures again.) I go with this: the feet are not original and the cabinet sat on top of a store counter. The back, with the chamfered stiles and molding, was what the customer saw. That's why it was finished off to the extent that it was. Later someone added feet and made a nice piece.