DRESSERS  Pine

The pine dresser seems to be almost exclusively a Welsh product. Up to about 1840 the shelves were open, after that some parts were glazed until 1870, when totally glazed racks appeared. Pine became scarcertowards the end of the century so that back-boards became narrow; by the 1890s plywood panels came into use and bun feet appeared. Like most items in Victorian Britain decoration became increasingly important at the century progressed.Particularly since oak dressers have escalated in price pine dressers have become more popular, though early wellpatinated pine (as opposed to pieces originally painted and recently stripped in a large acid bath) has always had its keen admirers. Well-polished stripped pine fits well into kitchens both modern and old and, like the dressers on the previous pages, are find their way into the living room. For more information see the article by John Creed-Miles of John Creed of Camden Passage, London, who wrote on this subject in Antique Collecting, Vol. 11, No. 12 and from which the information in this section is largely drawn. A North Welsh pine cupboard dresser base with three drawers across the top, a plain panelied door on each side, and three false drawer fronts down the middle. The space behind the false drawers is reached via the cupboard doors. The handles are replacements for the original wooden knobs but the ivory key escutcheons are original. Originally this dresser would have had a shelved rack above it. 1800-1820 A Pembrokeshire `dog kennel’ dresser so called because of the space under the centre drawer. A very popular type since it is small having been made originally to fit into the small houses of this poorer part of Wales.They are normally simply made (notice the simple boarded side, no panelling, and the plain frieze).
c. 1830
A later development of the `dog kennel’. It is better made than the previous example with panelled sides and bracket feet. 1840s
A simply constructed piece with chamfered edges to the doors in place of applied mouldings. All the doors open. c. 1840s
A larger more sophisticated design of open based dresser. Good bold mouldings and a well-executed dentil frieze, attractively shaped sides and good broad back boards. A fine example. 1770-1780