Bring History Alive With a Little Repurposing

 
 

A Piece of Classic Americana - with Warmth, Charm, and it Makes a Great Conversation Starter too!

Past & Present Home Gallery is known for quality hard-to-come-by antiques. We have items from the past that can be repurposed for very practical use or delightful display.

We currently have a wonderful piece of furniture that combines the best of both worlds! Stop in our main gallery to see this beautiful American-made ribbon cabinet, circa early 1900's. It is a fine oak cabinet with a rectangular projecting top over egg and dart border. It has six glass fold-out doors on each side with wood pulls. In the middle are two slide-out drawers with brass pulls that open at the ends in either direction. A brass plate inscribed, “Manuf''d by A. N. Russell & Sons, Ilion, NY”, is mounted on the stepped plinth base. The wood is in good shape and the glass is intact.

This Ribbon Cabinet is a Piece of History with a Local Connection

antique wine rackantiques in Douglas County Minnesota

At the beginning of the Civil War, Albert N. Russell moved his family north to work for E. Remington & Sons in Ilion, NY. In 1871 he began a lumber yard, Brill & Russell. Ten years later, in 1881, the firm became A. N. Russell and Son. It was both a lumber yard and a factory built to manufacture store furniture and equipment. In 1903 he sold the lumber business. The furniture manufacturing company continued under the name A. N. Russell & Sons. The Company closed in 1932. That is how we know this piece was built between 1903 and 1932.

This piece has a local connection to Douglas County, Minnesota as well. This ribbon cabinet comes to us from the former Red Owl in Kensington, Minnesota.

Creatively Repurpose This Charming Antique…

 
 

This is a rare collectible that could certainly stand alone as a great conversation piece. For the person working with textiles or the textile collector, it could store spools of ribbon or thread or skeins of yarn.

If you are interested in historic items used in baking, it could also showcase your special collection of wood, glass or stoneware rolling pins.

For the wine connoisseur

This piece can make a unique wine rack to beautifully display your fine wine collection. It's warmth of character will have everyone talking!

Stop in to Past and Present Home Gallery to view this charming and unique piece of retail history, along with all the other amazing vintage and antique furniture pieces in our showroom.

We look forward to your visit at Past and Present Home Gallery, the antique store with character!