Vintage Industrial Steel Three-Stack Barrister Bookcase, u.s. Government Provenance

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Description

Vintage industrial three-stack steel barrister bookcase or stacking display cabinet, retaining its original gray painted finish and an especially appealing … Read more Vintage industrial three-stack steel barrister bookcase or stacking display cabinet, retaining its original gray painted finish and an especially appealing history of U.S. Government use.

The cabinet is constructed in modular sections with three large glazed lift-up doors, each opening to a spacious interior compartment. The glass-front doors provide excellent display and storage while giving the piece the classic profile of an institutional barrister bookcase. The stacked case rests on a simple raised steel base and is topped by a fitted metal cap.

Particularly interesting are the surviving government inventory labels, including a blue “U.S. Department of Agriculture – Federal Crop Insurance Corporation” label and a metal “Property U.S. Government – FAA” inventory tag. These markings suggest the cabinet remained in federal government service during different periods or within different agencies, adding an unusual element of documented institutional provenance.

The original gray painted surface has been intentionally left untouched and displays scratches, scuffs, paint loss, oxidation, surface rust, old inventory markings, adhesive residue and other wear accumulated through years of government and institutional use. We feel this honest patina is an important part of the character of the piece and have made no attempt to cosmetically restore it.

The combination of utilitarian steel construction, glass fronts and wonderfully worn original surface gives the cabinet a strong Industrial, Machine Age and Mid-Century Modern presence. It would work equally well as a bookcase, display cabinet, collectible storage, retail fixture or architectural storage piece.

The three modular sections can also make transportation and installation considerably easier than a comparably sized one-piece cabinet.

Condition: Good vintage industrial condition with substantial age- and use-related cosmetic wear throughout, including scratches, scuffs, paint loss, oxidation, surface rust, markings and remnants of labels or adhesive. Government property and agency labels remain present. Glass shows age-appropriate wear. Please review photographs carefully as the existing patina and institutional wear are considered part of the character of the piece.

Note: An Eames wire chair with dowel base is visible in some photographs for scale only and is not included. See less