THE SIDEBOARD HISTORY
The sideboard seen here is constructed entirely of mahogany. Even the drawer & cupboard interiors are of mahogany. Furniture manufacturers of the late 19th Century usually imported mahogany in whole logs squared off to aid stacking in the cargo holds of ships. If one looks closely, one will note that this sideboard’s main surface is one solid plank, not a laminate made of several planks.
This sideboard was built in London, England by Jas. Shoolbred & Co. around 1880. At that time Shoolbred was a small firm made up mainly of family members. Most of the furniture made by this firm was probably custom-made to order.
This sideboard was made for a well-to-do English gentleman’s family in an income salary level which would support a large house and a number of servants. It would most likely have graced a large dining room. Servants would have served meals to family & guests from bowls & containers set upon the sideboard during meals. Drawers and Cupboards held towels, napkins, cutlery, and the like.
This sideboard is designed also for use as a desk, even a vanity. One can imagine the lady of the household taking paper from a drawer and writing out instructions for the evening meal for the cook, or for a family outing in the country for the butler, while seated at the sideboard.
It is believed that the sideboard came to Canada at the turn of the century, but just when & how it came to Saskatchewan is not known.
