Early John Haddon & Co Caxton Type Foundry Printer’s Cabinet, London & Toronto

Description

A wonderful early printer’s type cabinet by John Haddon & Co, made for the Caxton Type Foundry and dating from the late 19th or early 20th century.

Originally designed to store individual pieces of metal type, the cabinet is formed from two matching sections with fourteen wide, shallow drawers. Each drawer is beautifully constructed with fine dovetailed joints and retains its original cast metal handle, variously marked John Haddon & Co, London and John Haddon & Co, Toronto.

Perhaps our favourite detail is the row of original circular type foundry labels set into the right side of the drawer fronts. Several retain the wonderfully elaborate Caxton Type Foundry, Haddon & Co crest, while others have darkened and worn through years of use. We have retained the original brass label frames around them.

The panelled sides are particularly lovely and make this feel much more like a piece of furniture than purely an industrial cabinet. At just 90cm wide and 38.5cm deep, it is also surprisingly easy to accommodate.

A genuinely useful piece with a great history. It would make superb storage for drawings, prints, artwork, textiles, jewellery or collections, but equally works simply as a rather beautiful chest of drawers.

Dimensions

Width: 90cm x Depth: 38cm x Height: 71cm