Antique Hamilton Printer's 24 Drawer Industrial Cabinet c.1920-1930
ABOUT
An early 20th century printer's wooden cabinet by Hamilton Mfg Company with 24 wooden drawers used to house steel typeset letters. Each drawer has a metal number plate and army green "Hamilton" metal pulls. Original brass label. The piece is structurally sound and has retained the naturally distressed look of an industrial piece of this kind.
- CREATOR Hamilton Mfg. Co., Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
- DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1920-1930.
- MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Metal, Wood.
- CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Crack on top professionally repaired. Front corner left missing small part of the trim.
- DIMENSIONS H 44 in. D 24.25 in. W 36 in., Drawers: H 1.5 in. D 15 in. W 30 in.
HISTORY
Hamilton Manufacturing Company was incorporated on January 1, 1889.
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.
