A Despatch Box & Correspondence Tray Black Leather Victorian ANTIQUE
Victorian despatch box clad in black leather. Features a correspondence tray and ample storage space for documents. Fitted with brass hinges, Bramah type lock and carrying handle with cartouche. Engraved with the original owner's name, a Doctor of Medicine from Mayfair, London.
The most famous form of a despatch box are the red boxes used by the British Government and Monarch. In effect they function as a ministerial briefcase to provide a secure means of transporting sensitive documents.
This is an interesting and most useful version of a despatch box. Constructed from sturdy pine it is covered with a grained black leather. The edges of the lid are chamfered and tooled with tramline decoration. The brass campaign handle is engraved with a former owner's address.
Upon opening, a leather lined interior becomes visible. The underside of the lid features cross bands ideal for storing small notes and business cards. A removable correspondence tray (with dividers and pen tray) functions as a lid cover that protects items in the main storage compartment. Two small leather covered boxes fitted with two small brass handles and marked with 'INK' and 'FIRE'.
This is a high quality box, without maker's name. Supplied with original key for a replaced Bramah style lock that is spring loaded which locks the box as soon as the lid is closed. The decorative carrying handle is engraved with the following text: F. G. Reed Esq. MD, 46 Hertford Street, Mayfair, London.
In good order with signs of use and small dents. The leather shows some surface cracks and small worn away areas. In other words exactly the right worn look for a antique box from the mid to late Victorian era. A great writing and storage box with a vintage look, ideal for display in interiors old and new.
Product summary
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Manufacturer: Unknown, English
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Manufacturer's mark: No
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Period: c.1850-1890 approx.
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Material: Wood, Leather covered
- Supplied with original ink bottle & fire box
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Size: Length 38cm (15 inches), Width 26cm (10.25 inches), Height 15.cm (6 inches) approx.
- Pen not included, for scale only
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