Bay Colony Antiques is pleased to offer for sale this fantastic early 20th century antique Oak 4 drawer file cabinet. The cabinet was made by Library Bureau Sole Makers and is signed on a brass tag below the top drawer. Library Bureau Sole Makers crafted files of all sizes along with a wide array of other library & office furnishing like desk, desk chairs, display cases, etc. Their cabinets were extremely well made, and their durability is a true testament to their craftsmanship. We buy Library Bureau files sight unseen regularly because we know the drawers will operate smoothly, and since they’re solid oak and not veneered, you really have to go out of your way to damage one. We've been steadily replacing our stock of file cabinets, but it seems as soon as we list them, they sell. We often find ourselves consumed with the number of papers we need in our office and can't stress enough how nice it is to have one of these in your home office.
When grading Antique file cabinets, we always start with how they are constructed. Examples with paneled sides and paneled backs will always command a premium over the ones with plywood sides. This filing cabinet has four paneled sides and a four panel back. After looking at the construction, we like to take a look at the grade of the wood itself. This file is constructed with vibrant grain Tiger Oak with large rays and flecks present in the grain. Oftentimes these go up against a wall, if you have the ability to choose which side is displayed, we’d recommend having the proper right side displayed if possible. There’s some really energetic grain on the right side and the top panel showcases a fun configuration. Condition is also important; the file is in very good condition with our only notes being minor surface wear. The file retains the majority of its original hardware with the only exception being the missing file rods. File folders that thread onto the rods have become obsolete and most people opt to use either hanging files or standard folders with tension plates. This cabinet has working tension plates so is ready for use immediately & if you wanted to switch to hanging folders the frames are cheap & readily available online. This is a letter size file with the drawers having useable dimensions of 12” wide x 24” deep x 10 1/2” tall. The overall dimensions of the file are 17 1/2" wide x 27" deep (28” including pull) x 51 1/2" tall.
