THE evolution of the chest of drawers from the chest with drawers was natural and practicable. The greater convenience of the drawers over the chest must have been apparent from the time the chest first had the drawer added. Then, when the piece grew higher and the two drawers were added, the top became useful to place articles upon. The inconvenience of having a chest with lifting top, from which the articles must be removed before opening, naturally suggested making the piece all drawers with no chest part.

A few chests of drawers are mentioned in the earliest New England records:

One at Plymouth in 1642 valued at £1; one in 1643 valued at £2 10s.; one at Salem in 1666 valued at £2 10s.; one at New York in 1669 valued at £1 6s.; and at Philadelphia in 1685 "a chest drawers oake £1" - which are very high valuations when compared with the other articles in the same inventories. The York County, Virginia, records between the years 1633 and 1693 mention only a very small number of chests of drawers, and most of these valued at but eight to ten shillings; but the expression "cupboard of drawers" is used, perhaps, to describe the same thing, and these are valued higher. In 1674 "a cupboard of drawers £1 10s" is mentioned at York-town, Virginia.

These chests of drawers are constructed in the same manner as the chests. The rails are mortised into the stiles. The sides and backs are panelled, and the drawer fronts are either carved or panelled or ornamented with turned applied spindles in the manner of the chests. The drawers slide on side runners; that is, the sides of the drawers, which are of heavy material, are, at about the centre, grooved out. The upper edge of the grooved surface slides on a strip of wood fastened to the frame bo that the drawn bangs suspended. The tops were usually rather thin and finished with a thumb-nail moulding. The handles on chests of drawers are sometimes turned wooden knobs and sometimes iron or brass drop handles, variously shaped plates of the metal being fastened to the drawer, and through these passed a heavy wire bent at right angles inside the drawers to hold the drops. How early brasses were used is difficult to say, but there is an item in a New York inventory, taken in 1692, of the estate of a st<>rekeeper, which mentions "12 doc. wrought escutcheons, 5 1/2 doz. filed and brasse handles." We believe them to have been in use as early as 1665, for the high chests of drawers dating as early as that had the brass drop handles. The handles and escutcheons, for the most part, were imported. The earlier papers Contain among the advertisements notices of brasses and escutcheons for sale, and this continued down to the Revolutionary War. This is probably the reason that there is such a similarity in design in handles throughout the colonics and that the same designs are found on English furniture of the same period.

Figure 41. Oak Chest of Drawers, 1675-1700.

Figure 42. Oak Chest of Drawers, 1675-1700.

A beautiful two-drawer chest of drawers in the Metropolitan Museum of \rt is shown in Figure 41. The stiles and rails are carved in the tulip design found on the chest shown in Figure 19. The drawers are broad, and on the surface of the upper one are carved conventional flowers set in lunettes. On the lower drawer are carved palmated molls set upright. The top is finished with the usual thumb-nail moulding.

Figure 42 shows a three-drawer chest of drawers in the Bolles Collection well-designed and executed palmated scroll design covers the surfaces of the drawers. The design is accentuated by having the background coloured. On each stile is carved a single-leaved stalk with a flower at the top. On each end is a double panel. The handles are simple wooden knobs and the top is in the usual chest form but stationary.

Figure 43 shows a chest of drawers, the property of Mr. H. W. Erving. There are four drawers, each divided into two panels. The design of the carving on the upper drawer is palmated scrolls and on the second drawer foliated scrolls, and these designs are repeated alternately on the lower drawers. On the lower rail and skirt is carved a foliated scroll design. Tall ball and ring turned feet are on the front, while the rear legs are an extension of the rear stiles. Above the top drawer and extending on the sides is a dentil moulding, alternately a wide and narrow dentil. Under the top, both on the front and sides, are a series of small corbels. On the outer stiles are pairs of split spindles applied, and two short spindles of the same design separate the panels on each drawer. A peculiar feature of this chest of drawers is the length of the legs as shown from the side view. From the front this is concealed by the lower rail and skirt.

Figure 43. Oak Chest of Drawers, 1675-1700.

Figure 44 shows a chest of drawers, the property of Mr. Dwight M. Prouty, of Boston. The drawers are panelled in two panels, the edges being straight, except those on the inside, which are redented. Split turned spindles placed in pairs horizontally finish the surfaces of the panels, a very unusual treatment, and on each stile is a very long heavy split spindle extending the full length. A single split spindle is on each drawer between the two panels. The rail between the drawer is carved in design of horizontal gouging, each pair being separated by a short reed. The skirt is serrated and a moulding finishes the overhanging top on the front. The ends arc panelled in quarters.

Figure 44. Oak Chest of Drawers,1675 - 1700.