Why do some dressers have no top rack?

Bases were often made as standalone pieces. They functioned well as serving tables and storage units without needing a tall shelving section above them. Over the centuries, racks also got separated from their bases when families moved to houses with lower ceilings. Many dressers you find today started life with a rack that was discarded long ago.

I have a big wall in my dining room and want to know if these dressers come in standard widths or if they were made to measure for specific houses?

They were custom built. A country joiner would construct the piece to fit a specific alcove or wall space in the client's kitchen or dairy. You will find them ranging from narrow four-foot examples to massive pieces spanning ten feet. The internal layout alters to suit the width, changing the number of drawers and cupboard doors accordingly. Take exact measurements of your room, including ceiling height. The cornices on the racks often project further than the base.

Can you take the top off for moving?

Yes. The rack simply rests on the base section. It is usually held in place by wooden brackets or iron straps screwed into the backboards. Moving them is straightforward once you separate the two halves.

When I look at the handles on the drawers they are all wooden knobs but I thought eighteenth-century furniture always had brass fittings?

Brass handles were standard for town pieces. Rural joiners frequently fitted turned wooden knobs on country forms. Fashion also played a part. By the turn of the nineteenth century, turned wooden knobs became a popular design choice across all furniture types, replacing earlier brass hardware. Many earlier pieces had their original brass handles removed and updated with wooden knobs during the Victorian period.

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Georgian Dressers from the 19th Century

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Georgian dressers are substantial wooden storage pieces consisting of a wide base with drawers and cupboards, often topped by an open rack of shelves used for displaying plates and storing kitchen wares.