Description:

Rare American Federal Carved Mahogany Bookcase and Collector's Cabinet, 1807, Philadelphia, upper case with molded cornice, rectangular mullions, original glazing, lower case with standing writing desk, 2 doors with oval inlay opening to specimen drawers, shaped apron, "French" feet, inscribed, h. 98 in., w. 52 1/2 in., d. 25 in.; accompanied by original bill of sale from English & Jones to Charles Wister dated 1807. Note: The secretary bookcase in the present lot exhibits features typical of writing furniture made in Philadelphia during the Federal period, including richly figured mahogany veneers, oval panels on the cupboard doors and front of the secretary drawer, and an elegantly shaped apron accentuated by the curve of the flared French feet. According to the surviving bill of sale, dated November 7, 1807, this secretary bookcase was made by the Philadelphia firm of English and Jones, located at 118 Chestnut Street. The firm was listed in Philadelphia city directories for the first time in 1807. The partners in the firm may have been Samuel English and Samuel Jones, each of whom was listed as a cabinetmaker in Philadelphia directories of the early nineteenth century. The bill of sale for the secretary bookcase is made out to Charles Wister. In all likelihood, this gentleman was Charles J. Wister (1781-1865), a Philadelphia merchant who worked in partnership with his brother, John Wister. Charles began as an associate in the counting house of Wister, Price & Wister, whose principal owners were his older brother, John, and his uncle, William Wister. Upon the death of his uncle in 1800, Charles became a partner in the business, which was located at 143 High Street. William Wister bequeathed to his nephew the family’s country residence in Germantown, a rural township located north of the city of Philadelphia. Built in 1744 by John Wister, Charles J. Wister’s grandfather, the stone house that still stands along Germantown Avenue, which was the main thoroughfare in the township, is believed to be the first example of a residence constructed as a summer home for a Philadelphia merchant in the eighteenth century. The Wister family’s country seat, named “Grumblethorpe,” included eight acres of land comprising gardens, orchards and crops. Charles Wister, an avid gardener with a passion for the natural sciences, began to rigorously develop the garden and farm in 1806. He took advantage of the latest scientific technologies and always used the most modern plant varieties. During his period of ownership, Grumblethorpe achieved acclaim for its horticultural significance. In 1811, Charles made Grumblethorpe his permanent residence and retired from business, devoting his time entirely to his interests in agriculture, horticulture, botany, mineralogy, and astronomy. Fitted in the cupboard section of the secretary bookcase are multiple “specimen” drawers, a feature that reinforces the speculation that this case piece was made for Charles J. Wister of Grumblethorpe. An enthusiast of the natural sciences, Wister is known to have collected minerals and other specimens. He was a founding member of the Twilight Club, which was responsible for developing the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences. Ref.: Jay Davidson Susanin, “Grumblethorpe: An Historic Landscape Report,” master’s thesis written for the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation, University of Pennsylvania (1990), pp. 26-38; Roger W. Moss, “Historic Houses of Philadelphia” (Philadelphia, 1998), pp. 140-142; Beatrice B. Garvan, “Federal Philadelphia, 1785-1825: the Athens of the Western World” (Philadelphia, 1987), p. 48; Philadelphia City Directories, 1797-1810.

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November 21, 2015 10:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
$3,000,000 + $20,000