A Classical Bookcase Secretary
Albany, New York
Circa 1830
Attributed to John Meads and William Alvord
This simply remarkable piece is attributed to the cabinetmakers John Meads and William Alvord. The cornice is composed of multiple moldings and is veneered in crotch mahogany. The doors have elegant Gothic arches. Behind the doors, silk is pleated on the original frames attached to the doors. Centering the silk, the original large rosettes provide striking accents. Below the doors, two drawers have their original glass pulls. In the base, a wide drawer pulls out to display a writing surface covered in a fine wool baize. Behind the two drawers faced in crotch mahogany, a storage space with a shelf is concealed. The feet are robustly carved acanthus leaves draped over acorn-shaped elements.
John Meads and William Alvord were the premier Classical cabinetmakers in Albany. A similar secretary attributed to Meads and Alvord is in the collection of The Minneapolis Institute of Art. There is also a related desk and bookcase attributed to Meads and Alvord in The Baltimore Museum of Art which had been purchased by a member of the Vanderpoel family. Meads and Alvord supplied much of the furniture to George Hyde Clarke for Hyde Hall, in addition to clients such as Governor De Witt Clinton, Solomon Van Rensselaer, and Erastus Corning I.
https://collections.artsmia.org/art/167/desk-and-bookcase-attributed-to-meads-and-alvord
Mahogany, (Secondary woods: pine and poplar)
Height: 94 ¼” Width: 57 ½” Depth: 25”
C1096
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