Thread: A George II Irish Elm Dressing Table

Originally Posted by Woodwould

What... because of a pointy-eared gnome saying "Good for you"? I think it might have been because of the Golliwog – which was still a case of PC gone mad.

I gave my grandson the book Little Black Sambo because it was a favourite in my youth. His teacher told him not to bring it to school again!

I thought it was because they shared a bed!

Rest assured, Little Black Sambo still sells well.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

I thought it was because they shared a bed!

Rest assured, Little Black Sambo still sells well.

It also was brought out in Little Golden Books as "The Boy and the Tigers" with Sambo changed to Little Rajani, his mother becomes Ramita and his father Kapaali. It also had new illustrations.
In tiny print it says that the author, "Helen Bannerman, an Englishwoman who lived in India for thirty years, made up The Story of Little Black Sambo for her two daughters on a long train ride in 1899. For this edition of Bannerman's story the little boy and his parents have been given new names".
Sorry for the aside. Beautiful work as ever WW.
Cheers,
Jim

Any room for a late arrival?

Another educational thread WW. It's always good to see a master at work.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

What... because of a pointy-eared gnome saying "Good for you"? I think it might have been because of the Golliwog – which was still a case of PC gone mad.

I gave my grandson the book Little Black Sambo because it was a favourite in my youth. His teacher told him not to bring it to school again!

Man now that just blew me away WW so long ago had forgoten all about it thanks saved will make sure my grandkids get to read it.

Think you should liste watch some of the UK latest Thomas Postman Pat and others.

How about Bill n Ben and weed pulled because they felt that Weed was reference to doing drugs LOL.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

How about Bill n Ben and weed pulled because they felt that Weed was reference to doing drugs LOL.

I watched Bill and Ben and never once thought they were talking about drugs or anything related to drugs, from memory all they wanted to do was stay out of the farmers way.

I glued the carcase together, including the drawer guides which are tennoned into the front and back panels. The following day I rubbed the partially formed ears onto the sides of the knees and the carcase. Once dry, the ears were faired into the legs and the upper legs were rounded over.

The carcase completed.

Fair ye well.

A single wide board forms the top of the dressing table. The corners are radiused and the edge moulding is a simple ovolo.

One-piece moulded top.

Outstanding work as always WW, is the dressing table going to have a mirror attached?

Originally Posted by Phil Spencer

Outstanding work as always WW, is the dressing table going to have a mirror attached?

No, they never did have mirrors en suite: The Victorians started that nonsense about 250 years after this piece dates from. A walnut toilet mirror from the same period as this might make a pleasing addition at some point though.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

No, they never did have mirrors en suite: The Victorians started that nonsense about 250 years after this piece dates from.

Did the fashion start with the availability of larger quantities of sheet glass?
What a lovely wood elm is.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by jimbur

Did the fashion start with the availability of larger quantities of sheet glass?

I don't believe so. Commensurate toilet mirrors are as plentiful as dressing tables, so it's fair to assume that the sort who would have owned such a dressing table would most likely have owned several mirrors – probably a toilet mirror sitting on the table and possibly at least one wall mirror in the same room.

Originally Posted by jimbur

What a lovely wood elm is.

It certainly is. As you know, I have a fair amount of elm furniture and I intend making much more.

Lovely piece! Not many pics between start and finish though! I have the off cut of the elm board cut into a large platter blank now! Will be turning it into something platter shaped.

The solid drawer fronts of the dressing table are lipped on three edges and moulded on all four edges. Lipped drawer edges enjoyed brief popularity on all types of case furniture between 1730 and 1760; coexisting with the more abundant cockbeaded drawers which were introduced circa 1720 and continued throughout the eighteenth-century and beyond.

Lipped and moulded drawers.

Moulded top, drawers and legs.

The dressing table in-the-white.

Nice work WW Mrs Phil likes it also, tell me which drawer will be for your socks and which drawer will be for your jocks.

Originally Posted by Phil Spencer

Nice work WW Mrs Phil likes it also, tell me which drawer will be for your socks and which drawer will be for your jocks.

Ruffles in the left hand drawer, cuffs in the right and kneckerchiefs and pins in the centre.