Antique 36 Drawer Printer's Typeset Industrial Cabinet c.1910-1920

Details

Description

ABOUT

An early 20th century printer's wooden typeset cabinet with 36 wooden segmented drawers used to house steel typeset letters. … Read more ABOUT

An early 20th century printer's wooden typeset cabinet with 36 wooden segmented drawers used to house steel typeset letters. Original cast iron pulls and font labels. The piece is structurally sound and has retained the naturally distressed look of an industrial piece of this kind.

CREATOR Unknown.
DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1910-1920.
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Wood, Cast Iron.
CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Slight lean. Bottom drawer was replaced with an antique drawer and handle of the same age. Handle is slightly larger than the other handles.
DIMENSIONS H 44 in. D 22 in. W 26.75 in., Drawers: H 1.25 in. D 16.5 in. W 21.75 in.

HISTORY

The terms "upper case" and "lower case" originate from the layout of old printing presses, where the larger capital letters were stored in a separate compartment on the top ("upper case") while the smaller, more frequently used lowercase letters were kept in a lower compartment ("lower case") that was easier to access; essentially, the placement of the type cases dictated the terminology we use today. See less