Hidden Treasures

My Mother was an avid antique hound. She especially loved hunting for marble-top wash stands. She managed to buy five very different ones. Intending one for each of us. Each stand is unique and beautiful in their own right. I can't help but wondering when looking at them, who used them what joys and misery did they witness.

I have my own antiques. One is an East Lake washstand, circa 1880, that I bought in Chanute, KS. I love it! It's hand carved leaf design is lovely and it has the original hardware which is really nice.

 

 

But I've always gravitated towards wicker rockers, I have two. One came from a house that my former mother-in-law and her sister inherited. It's huge! With a wide seat, back and arms, I've not seen one like it before. The other one, which I bought in PA is just the opposite. It's very petite and has a geometric design on the back. I don't know how old these chairs are but that doesn't matter to me. I like them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also have a set of Victorian chairs from my brother-in-law Fred. They belonged to his Grandmother. He remembers being told that his Grandfather brought them to El Paso, TX from New Orleans, LA. Fred's brother died a few years back and the chairs were actually his, but Fred and my sister Lynn didn't want them. My mouth dropped! I immediately asked, if I could have them. Without a second thought, Fred said sure. So before he could change his mind, out to my car they went. Wouldn't it be nice to know the story behind these chairs? It's a shame how some of our stories are lost and all we have left is a piece of furniture or an undated, unidentified photo.

When my son's Dad and I were first married we lived it a great flat in Oakland, CA. I don't remember how I found this place but I'm really glad I did. When I went to look at it, it was full of the previous renters furniture. There was a beautiful red velvet Victorian couch, a Zenith radio, and a wonderful yellow Formica kitchen table with chairs set. When I agreed to rent the place I was in need of a kitchen table so I asked how much for the table. The landlord said $15! Perfect. Feeling brave I asked about the radio and you won't believe this she said, “Oh that thing, you can just have that!” The radio is beautiful and it still works! I think it's from the late 1930's to early 1940's. Okay so technically it's not an antique but as far as technology goes it certainly is! And what I love too is that my youngest son wants it. But as for the lovely Victorian couch, I could just kick myself for not taking that as well.

 

When my cousins (1st cousins, 2x removed) in Penn Yan, NY died, besides the photo albums that I previously wrote about, I took some furniture. They had a lovely Duncan Phyfe dining set, a mahogany china cabinet, a Maddox secretary desk, circa 1920 and a Windsor chair with a rush seat, circa 1920. I love the desk and chair. The desk and chair had been well used . The chair seat in fact was literally falling apart and I recently I had the seat redone and it looks fantastic. The desk is full of scratches and if the light hits it just right, you can see words where someone pressed down too hard as they were writing. I especially love the secret compartments where one can “hide” their treasures.

All these pieces of furniture must have wonderful stories behind them, especially the desk. The girls were school teachers during a time when Yates County, NY was still dotted with one room school houses. I can just see them taking turns using the desk for grading and lesson planning. Can you imagine the conversations they must have had regarding their students? Who was doing well, who was being a nuisance or who needed extra help.

Something else that was wonderful about this desk was what was hiding inside. Inside one of the drawers were two handwritten charts. Each one was for our ancestor the Roche/Roach family. Apparently the girls, would challenge each other to write down the family tree starting in Ireland and ending in present day!. It's pure gold. Not only do they have siblings written down, but who they married and the children they had and who they married! I'm even listed! I can't put enough explanation points to emphasize how exciting this was to find. Though no dates are given it certainly gives me a starting point and not to mention all the maiden names! Gold, pure gold! Downside is it's written in pencil so it really needs to be protected. But what a riot. How competitive these two sisters must have been. I'm not sure who was the winner as each one looks pretty much to be the same. But that's not all, there also were some individual family pages. These pages that were all stapled together and listed in a bit more detail names and dates of birth, marriage and death and where, and when if known

. Unfortunately they don't have any supporting documentation but just the same it's a starting point.

The Girls Family Challenge

 

 

Mildred and Carrie Adams with my Mom, Mary Charlotte in the middle

Thanks Mildred and Carrie, you two must have been quite the characters.