| Date |
c. 1860 |
| Description |
This unusual bookcase came from the library of University of Pennsylvania professor George Allen (1808-1876), a chess enthusiast whose collection of chess books, manuscripts and prints was one of the finest in the nineteenth century. Its cornice is appropriately decorated with symbols of the chess game: in the center is a board of painted squares, topped by a king's crown and flanked by two "bishop" finials; at each corner stands a "castle" as on an actual chess board.
The bookcase was presented to The Athenaeum in 1894 by a group of stockholders and is now housed in the "Chess Room" on the second floor of The Atheneaum.
The graining was restored in 1975. |
| Dimensions |
H-108 W-66 D-14 inches |
| Material |
Pine grained to resemble mahagony |
| Object ID |
AP.21.01 |
| Object Name |
Cabinet |
|
