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Rocco Antiques
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Non UK callers :
+44 7402787460
W. Day Secretaire Campaign Chest Early 19th C.
Trunk maker W. Day established his London workshop in 1812. His growing business soon expanded into the manufacturing of campaign chests and other items designed for military campaigns. High quality materials, sturdy construction methods and beautiful workmanship speak for itself, and it was not long before William Day would be supplying his products to Royal customers too.
This campaign chest is made of solid teak and the drawers are lined with oak. The secretaire has a beautiful interior that consists of five pigeon holes and two slim drawers. The smaller of the two drawers has space for two inkwells, a pen tray and two accessory sections. A working lock, the key also supplied, is fitted to the larger stationary drawer. A new baize fabric in a striking green colour was fitted to the dropdown writing surface. To keep the contents and drawers of the secretaire section in position during (campaign) transportation a thin wooden board was slotted to the front. We commissioned our restorer to make a replacement.
To the right of the writing section is a smaller drawer, most likely designed for storing military headwear. Underneath the secretaire and top drawer are three large well made drawers. They are all of a similar height, with ample storage space for the thickest of jumpers. The drawer locks are in full working condition, again the key is provided. The Bramah style lock (Mordan and Co.) of the secretaire is unfortunately no longer serviceable.
The chest can be split into two halves making the unit much easier to move, handle and place into position. Standing on four period feet that complete the look of this amazing piece.
But there is more to meet the eye of this campaign chest by W. Day. For a number of reasons it is very special. The first thing that is noticeable immediately is the actual size. The unit is much taller than most secretaire chests and other campaign chests. It stands 135cm tall, which is almost 20cm taller than most chests. This equates to almost an extra drawer of storage space. As the fold-down writing surface was designed to be used whilst standing up, the officer that owned this chest must have been a very tall man!
The second point is that it is unusual to find a makers mark on a campaign chest. In two drawers we find the original paper labels used by William Day and his Royal Warrant. The header of both labels carry the coat of arms of the Order Of The Garter. This consists of a shield held by the English lion and Scottish unicorn. Surmounted is the Royal crown with the motto of the sovereign, Dieu et mon droit.
The printed text also reads: W. Day, Manufacturer to their Majesties, 353 Strand, London. One label is found in the top righthand drawer. The second label is found in the long and slim drawer inside the secretaire section.
These marks make it possible to attribute the chest to a manufacturer which is often not possible with campaign furniture. They will also help to date the chest more accurately. The recorded business address was 353 Strand, London. William Day did not expand his business with the building at 378 Strand until 1841. From 1865 the firm was trading as W. Day & Son. Hence the chest is an early W. Day piece, made in the earlier part of the 19th Century, no later than 1841.
Product summary
Manufacturer: W. Day
Manufacturer's mark: Royal Warrant Paper labels in hat and stationary drawer. Printed with W. Day, 353 Strand, London.
Period: early 19th Century
Material: Wood - Teak & oak
Before purchasing please contact us to obtain a quote for home delivery by a trusted specialist courier. Alternatively you are welcome to collect your purchase from our premises in Ipswich, Suffolk.
SellerRocco Antiques
View all stock from
Rocco Antiques
Private dealer
By appointment only
Ipswich
Suffolk
Tel : 07402787460
Non UK callers : +44 7402787460
This campaign chest is made of solid teak and the drawers are lined with oak. The secretaire has a beautiful interior that consists of five pigeon holes and two slim drawers. The smaller of the two drawers has space for two inkwells, a pen tray and two accessory sections. A working lock, the key also supplied, is fitted to the larger stationary drawer. A new baize fabric in a striking green colour was fitted to the dropdown writing surface. To keep the contents and drawers of the secretaire section in position during (campaign) transportation a thin wooden board was slotted to the front. We commissioned our restorer to make a replacement.
To the right of the writing section is a smaller drawer, most likely designed for storing military headwear. Underneath the secretaire and top drawer are three large well made drawers. They are all of a similar height, with ample storage space for the thickest of jumpers. The drawer locks are in full working condition, again the key is provided. The Bramah style lock (Mordan and Co.) of the secretaire is unfortunately no longer serviceable.
The chest can be split into two halves making the unit much easier to move, handle and place into position. Standing on four period feet that complete the look of this amazing piece.
But there is more to meet the eye of this campaign chest by W. Day. For a number of reasons it is very special. The first thing that is noticeable immediately is the actual size. The unit is much taller than most secretaire chests and other campaign chests. It stands 135cm tall, which is almost 20cm taller than most chests. This equates to almost an extra drawer of storage space. As the fold-down writing surface was designed to be used whilst standing up, the officer that owned this chest must have been a very tall man!
The second point is that it is unusual to find a makers mark on a campaign chest. In two drawers we find the original paper labels used by William Day and his Royal Warrant. The header of both labels carry the coat of arms of the Order Of The Garter. This consists of a shield held by the English lion and Scottish unicorn. Surmounted is the Royal crown with the motto of the sovereign, Dieu et mon droit.
The printed text also reads: W. Day, Manufacturer to their Majesties, 353 Strand, London. One label is found in the top righthand drawer. The second label is found in the long and slim drawer inside the secretaire section.
These marks make it possible to attribute the chest to a manufacturer which is often not possible with campaign furniture. They will also help to date the chest more accurately. The recorded business address was 353 Strand, London. William Day did not expand his business with the building at 378 Strand until 1841. From 1865 the firm was trading as W. Day & Son. Hence the chest is an early W. Day piece, made in the earlier part of the 19th Century, no later than 1841.
Product summary
Manufacturer: W. Day
Manufacturer's mark: Royal Warrant Paper labels in hat and stationary drawer. Printed with W. Day, 353 Strand, London.
Period: early 19th Century
Material: Wood - Teak & oak
Before purchasing please contact us to obtain a quote for home delivery by a trusted specialist courier. Alternatively you are welcome to collect your purchase from our premises in Ipswich, Suffolk.
Price
Click here to message the seller The price has been listed in British Pounds.
Conversion rates as of 2/JAN/2025. Euro & Dollar prices will vary and should only be used as a guide.
Always confirm final price with dealer.
DimensionsSize: Width 99cm (39 inches), Depth 53cm (21 inches), Height 135cm (53 inches) approx.
Inside measurements hat drawer: Width 49cm (19.25 inches), Depth 25cm (10 inches), Height 25cm (10 inches) approx.
Inside measurements drawer 1: Width 92.5cm (36.25 inches), Depth 49cm (19.25 inches), Height 26.5cm (10.5 inches) approx.
Inside measurements drawer 2: Width 92.5cm (36.25 inches), Depth 49cm (19.25 inches), Height cm (10 inches) approx.
Inside measurements drawer 3: Width 92.5cm (36.25 inches), Depth 49cm (19.25 inches), Height 25cm (10 inches) approx.
Category Antique Furniture
Date Early Victorian
Early 19th Century Antiques Material Teak
Origin English
Condition This piece of furniture was acquired by us in a good solid condition. A few small areas needed some attention and all surfaces were cleaned, wax was applied and it was polished. This has been sympathetically done without erasing all the history of the piece. The brass straps and drawers handles have been cleaned but left in the used condition that we want to see them. The secretaire unit was worked on by our furniture expert. This W. Day secretaire campaign chest is now ready to be used and enjoyed by the next owner.
Item code as1238a004 / RA-202432
Status For Sale
£4799.00 
$5938.76
€5780.40
$5938.76
€5780.40
Looking to Buy?
Arrange a final price and delivery details directly with the dealerClick here to message the seller
Conversion rates as of 2/JAN/2025. Euro & Dollar prices will vary and should only be used as a guide.
Always confirm final price with dealer.
Terms and conditions
Terms Of Sale
We thank you very much for shopping with Rocco Antiques. Your support is very much appreciated, it means that we can continue to offer our customers a range of beautiful antiques and collectables.
We do our very best to describe our items with an accurate and detailed description. High quality photography accompanies all our listings. Due to the restrictions of this medium it is not always possible to represent the precise size, appearance or colours of a product fully.
The used and aged nature of antiques and vintage items means that it is not always possible to describe or photograph every imperfection, blemish, dent or scratch. The vast majority of our customers will know this and not expect to receive their antique in factory new condition. The worn look is a large part of the charm of buying old pieces after all.
We try to give the best information possible in our product descriptions. If known we provide details about the age, history, style, materials and of course the provenance of a piece. However Rocco Antiques cannot guarantee any of this information, it can only be given as a guide. By appointment we can provide the opportunity to view a piece in person.
As with all internet purchases we allow our customers 14 days to return any items. Unfortunately we are not able to contribute to the cost of returning your purchase. For returns we recommend that an insured and tracked delivery service is used by the customer.
Transportation damage caused by our delivery partner must be reported within 48 hours. We will do our utmost to help with an agreeable solution for the encountered issue. Please note that we cannot accept the worn and used condition of our antiques and collectables as a reason for reporting a damaged item.
If you have any problems, no matter how small, we will do our very best to find a solution for you. We pride ourselves on our customer service and want all our customers to be completely happy with their purchased goods and shopping experience.
We thank you very much for shopping with Rocco Antiques. Your support is very much appreciated, it means that we can continue to offer our customers a range of beautiful antiques and collectables.
We do our very best to describe our items with an accurate and detailed description. High quality photography accompanies all our listings. Due to the restrictions of this medium it is not always possible to represent the precise size, appearance or colours of a product fully.
The used and aged nature of antiques and vintage items means that it is not always possible to describe or photograph every imperfection, blemish, dent or scratch. The vast majority of our customers will know this and not expect to receive their antique in factory new condition. The worn look is a large part of the charm of buying old pieces after all.
We try to give the best information possible in our product descriptions. If known we provide details about the age, history, style, materials and of course the provenance of a piece. However Rocco Antiques cannot guarantee any of this information, it can only be given as a guide. By appointment we can provide the opportunity to view a piece in person.
As with all internet purchases we allow our customers 14 days to return any items. Unfortunately we are not able to contribute to the cost of returning your purchase. For returns we recommend that an insured and tracked delivery service is used by the customer.
Transportation damage caused by our delivery partner must be reported within 48 hours. We will do our utmost to help with an agreeable solution for the encountered issue. Please note that we cannot accept the worn and used condition of our antiques and collectables as a reason for reporting a damaged item.
If you have any problems, no matter how small, we will do our very best to find a solution for you. We pride ourselves on our customer service and want all our customers to be completely happy with their purchased goods and shopping experience.
View all stock from
Rocco Antiques
Private dealerBy appointment only
Ipswich
Suffolk
Tel : 07402787460
Non UK callers : +44 7402787460
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