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sellingantiques.co.uk
ID #SA933133
FOR SALE
£5,500
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19th Century George III Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase
FB Antiques
for sale €6,435     $6,985
£5,500
FB Antiques

FB Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Jul 2014
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19th Century George III Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase

18th century
For Sale by FB Antiques
Description

For sale is a top quality George III mahogany breakfront bookcase. The top of the bookcase has flour glazed doors, each opening to reveal a fitted interior. The centre doors open to display various pigeon holes over several drawers. Each side door encloses two shelves, over two sliding trays, above two drawers. Below this, the base section has two ebony and mahogany cupboard doors to the centre, flanked by four mahogany lined, graduated drawers on either side. All of the drawers and cupboards are fitted with Bramah Locks, and the piece is in excellent condition having been refinished using traditional methods.

Bramah locks were designed by Joseph Bramah in 1784, a true innovator of the time. Bramah locks were renowned for their resistance to lock picking and tampering. Famously, the company had a "challenge lock" on the front of their shop from 1790. The lock had an inscription stating:

"The artist who can make an instrument that will pick or open this lock shall receive 200 guineas the moment it is produced."

The challenge lock remained unpicked until the Great Exhibition of 1851, where Alfred Charles Hobbs, an American locksmith, picked the lock, managed to pick the lock after spending 51 hours trying to do so. This lock is still on display at Science Museum in London.

Measures: Width 71.75", depth 26.5", height 77.75".

Physical Dimensions
Height
197.5cm (77.76")
Width
182.2cm (71.73")
Depth
67.3cm (26.50")
Declaration

FB Antiques has dated this Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase to the Georgian era.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA933133
Dealers Internal Reference
S25-572
Description
For sale is a top quality George III mahogany breakfront bookcase. The top of the bookcase has flour glazed doors, each opening to reveal a fitted interior. The centre doors open to display various pigeon holes over several drawers. Each side door encloses two shelves, over two sliding trays, above two drawers.
“
Below this, the base section has two ebony and mahogany cupboard doors to the centre, flanked by four mahogany lined, graduated drawers on either side.
FB Antiques

All of the drawers and cupboards are fitted with Bramah Locks, and the piece is in excellent condition having been refinished using traditional methods.

fig 1. A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.
fig 1. 19th Century George III Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase

Bramah locks were designed by Joseph Bramah in 1784, a true innovator of the time. Bramah locks were renowned for their resistance to lock picking and tampering. Famously, the company had a "challenge lock" on the front of their shop from 1790. The lock had an inscription stating:

fig 2. A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.
fig 2. 19th Century George III Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase

"The artist who can make an instrument that will pick or open this lock shall receive 200 guineas the moment it is produced."

The challenge lock remained unpicked until the Great Exhibition of 1851, where Alfred Charles Hobbs, an American locksmith, picked the lock, managed to pick the lock after spending 51 hours trying to do so. This lock is still on display at Science Museum in London.

Measures: Width 71.75", depth 26.5", height 77.75".

Height
197.5cm (77.76")
Width
182.2cm (71.73")
Depth
67.3cm (26.50")
Date of Manufacture

FB Antiques has dated this Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase to the Georgian era.

Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA933133
Dealers Internal Ref
S25-572
FB Antiques
FB Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Jul 2014
Dealer Profile

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

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A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.
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Archive I A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.

19th Century George III Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase

Archive II A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View II
Archive III A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View III
Archive IV Scale Reference for A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.
Archive V A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View V
Archive VI A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View VI
Archive VII A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View VII
Archive VIII A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View VIII
Archive IX A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View IX
Archive X A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View X
Archive XI A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XI
Archive XII A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XII
Archive XIII A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XIII
Archive XIV A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XIV
Archive XV A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XV
Archive XVI A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XVI
Archive XVII A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XVII
Archive XVIII A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XVIII
Archive XIX A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors. View XIX
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FB Antiques

FB Antiques
Telephone 01245 401 210
Location
Rawlings Farm Buildings
Unit 7 Main Road
Rettendon Common
Chelmsford
Essex
CM3 8DY
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/fbantiques
Verified Since Jul 2014
Items For Sale 305
Items Sold 1,306
FB Antiques
FB Antiques
Verified Since Jul 2014
View Dealer Info
Location: Rawlings Farm Buildings, Unit 7 Main Road, Rettendon Common, Chelmsford , Essex, CM3 8DY, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/fbantiques
Verified
Jul 2014
For Sale
305
Sold
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A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.
19th Century George III Mahogany Breakfront Bookcase
Ref: SA933133
A 19th-century George III mahogany breakfront bookcase featuring upper glazed doors with astragal glazing bars and a lower section with drawers and panelled cupboard doors.
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FAQs

A breakfront bookcase is a large piece of library furniture characterised by a central section that projects forward beyond the two flanking side wings, creating a stepped architectural profile.

Georgian cabinetmakers primarily utilised solid mahogany and flame mahogany veneers, complemented by hand-blown glass panes, brass hardware, and secondary pine or oak interior timbers.

Authentic George III examples feature hand-cut dovetail joints, oak or pine drawer linings, original astragal glazing bars, cast brass drop handles, and hand-planed timber surfaces.

Position the piece as a focal point along a primary wall in a study, dining room, or drawing room, combining antique leather-bound books with curated ceramics to balance the visual weight of the mahogany.

Dust regularly with a dry microfibre cloth and apply a quality beeswax polish once or twice a year, avoiding modern aerosol sprays and direct exposure to heat sources or sunlight.
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