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Tall narrow bookcase with no doors, English, unknown maker, early nineteenth century
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Tall narrow bookcases, XF341 and XF342, English, unknown maker, early nineteenth century, mahogany. ©Sir John Soane's Museum, London. Photograph: Hugh Kelly.
Tall narrow bookcase with no doors, English, unknown maker, early nineteenth century
Unpolished mahogany
Height: 45cm
Depth (top): 22.5cm
Depth (bottom): 19cm
Depth (top): 22.5cm
Depth (bottom): 19cm
Museum number: XF342
Not on display
Curatorial note
One of a pair with XF341, with adjustable shelves but unpolished and without doors.
These cupboards, which are the carcases of mahogany bookcases, neatly trimmed and with provision for doors (recesses and screw holes for hinges are present), resemble the interior fittings of Soane’s built-in bookcases. They may be the ‘2 Skeleton bookcases’ listed as being inside the Closet at the north-west corner of the South Drawing Room in the Furniture and Fittings inventory. They do not appear in early lists of items in store and this seems to indicate that they may have been removed from their original position by Sir John Summerson during his major renovation of No. 12 in 1969 – when he moved the Research Library out of the No. 13 drawing rooms and into No. 12.
These cupboards, which are the carcases of mahogany bookcases, neatly trimmed and with provision for doors (recesses and screw holes for hinges are present), resemble the interior fittings of Soane’s built-in bookcases. They may be the ‘2 Skeleton bookcases’ listed as being inside the Closet at the north-west corner of the South Drawing Room in the Furniture and Fittings inventory. They do not appear in early lists of items in store and this seems to indicate that they may have been removed from their original position by Sir John Summerson during his major renovation of No. 12 in 1969 – when he moved the Research Library out of the No. 13 drawing rooms and into No. 12.
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