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ID #SA1236820
FOR SALE
£11,500
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Xl Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library a Blain Liverpool 1880
For sale by Canonbury Antiques
for sale €13,455     $14,605
£11,500
Canonbury Antiques

Canonbury Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Apr 2021
Browse dealers 283 items
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Xl Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library a Blain Liverpool 1880

19th century
Description

Superb monumental Victorian mahogany breakfront bookcase in the Lancashire Gillows style

Made by A Blain & Son of Liverpool and bearing the impressed maker’s stamp - on the drawer (please see close up photo)

Standing almost ten feet tall - 302 CM - so massive

The imposing dome-topped central section is flanked by two glazed bookcase compartments

This was salvaged from Liverpool University then fully restored to it's former classic glory and condition

The upper section offers extensive adjustable shelving behind four glazed doors

Circa 1880

The lower section features a series of panelled cupboard doors and useful drawers

Standing ten feet wide and almost ten feet tall, this is a magnificent statement piece for a library or grand reception room

A. Blain & Son was a prestigious 19th-century cabinet-making and upholstery firm founded in Liverpool by Arthur Blain in 1835. The company was highly regarded for producing premium, expertly crafted library and domestic furniture made from fine timbers like figured mahogany and pollard oak.

Dimensions are in inches (CM)

Width x Depth x Height

120 (304.8) x 23 (58.4) x 119 (302.3)

Two Side Sections

Width x Height

29 (73.7) x 62 (157.5)

Wide Central Section

Width x Height

58 (147.3) x 80 (203.2)

Physical Dimensions
Height
302.3cm (119.02")
Width
304.8cm (120.00")
Depth
58.4cm (22.99")
Declaration

Canonbury Antiques has dated this Victorian Breakfront Library Bookcase to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1236820
Description
Superb monumental Victorian mahogany breakfront bookcase in the Lancashire Gillows style
“
Made by A Blain & Son of Liverpool and bearing the impressed maker’s stamp - on the drawer (please see close up photo).
Canonbury Antiques
fig 1. A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.
fig 1. Xl Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library a Blain Liverpool 1880

Standing almost ten feet tall - 302 CM - so massive

The imposing dome-topped central section is flanked by two glazed bookcase compartments

This was salvaged from Liverpool University then fully restored to it's former classic glory and condition

fig 2. A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.
fig 2. Xl Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library a Blain Liverpool 1880

The upper section offers extensive adjustable shelving behind four glazed doors

Circa 1880

The lower section features a series of panelled cupboard doors and useful drawers

Standing ten feet wide and almost ten feet tall, this is a magnificent statement piece for a library or grand reception room

fig 3. A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.
fig 3. Xl Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library a Blain Liverpool 1880

A. Blain & Son was a prestigious 19th-century cabinet-making and upholstery firm founded in Liverpool by Arthur Blain in 1835. The company was highly regarded for producing premium, expertly crafted library and domestic furniture made from fine timbers like figured mahogany and pollard oak.

Dimensions are in inches (CM)

Width x Depth x Height

120 (304.8) x 23 (58.4) x 119 (302.3)

Two Side Sections

Width x Height

29 (73.7) x 62 (157.5)

Wide Central Section

Width x Height

58 (147.3) x 80 (203.2)

Height
302.3cm (119.02")
Width
304.8cm (120.00")
Depth
58.4cm (22.99")
Date of Manufacture

Canonbury Antiques has dated this Victorian Breakfront Library Bookcase to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1236820
Canonbury Antiques
Canonbury Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Apr 2021

London UK antiques & decorative arts - ships globally

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Canonbury Antiques Profile Page

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A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.
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Archive I A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.

Xl Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library a Blain Liverpool 1880

Archive II A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View II
Archive III A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View III
Archive IV A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View IV
Archive V A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View V
Archive VI A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View VI
Archive VII A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View VII
Archive VIII A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View VIII
Archive IX A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View IX
Archive X A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View X
Archive XI A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View XI
Archive XII A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards. View XII
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Canonbury Antiques

Canonbury Antiques
Telephone 01707 644877
Location
Potters Bar
Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/canonbury
Verified Since Apr 2021
Items For Sale 283
Items Sold 498
Canonbury Antiques
Canonbury Antiques
Verified Since Apr 2021
View Dealer Info
Location: Potters Bar , Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/canonbury
Verified
Apr 2021
For Sale
283
Sold
498
A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.
XL Victorian Breakfront Bookcase Gillows Library A Blain Liverpool 1880
Ref: SA1236820
A large Victorian mahogany breakfront library bookcase featuring an arched central section with glazed upper doors over solid panelled cupboards.
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Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectBookcases
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian
  • MaterialMahogany, Glass
  • ColourWarm Brown
  • MotifsBreakfront profile, Arched central pediment, Glazed doors, Flame mahogany panels
  • SizeH 302.3 cm (119 in) x W 304.8 cm (120 in) x D 58.4 cm (23 in)

FAQs

A Victorian breakfront bookcase is a large storage cabinet featuring a central section that projects forward from the two flanking side sections. Popular in 19th-century libraries, these pieces traditionally incorporate glazed upper doors for book display alongside solid lower cupboards for concealed storage.

Victorian library cabinets were predominantly constructed using dense hardwoods such as mahogany, walnut, or oak, often finished with flame veneers. Construction relied on traditional joinery methods including hand-cut dovetail joints, brass locks, and mouth-blown glass panes secured with wooden glazing bars.

Authentic 19th-century pieces display signs of period craftsmanship, such as hand-cut joinery inside drawer construction, original brass fittings, and subtle irregularities in hand-blown glass panes. Stamped maker marks or paper trade labels on drawer edges or rear backboards also indicate genuine provenance.

A large Victorian breakfront bookcase serves as an architectural anchor in a contemporary living area or home office. Pairing dark mahogany with neutral wall tones, modern soft furnishings, and curated art or ceramics creates a balanced, eclectic aesthetic.

Keep mahogany furniture away from direct sunlight and central heating sources to prevent wood movement and veneer cracking. Dust regularly with a soft cloth and apply a natural beeswax polish twice a year, while cleaning glazed door panels with a mild glass cleaner applied directly to a cloth.
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