Antique Burr Walnut Microscope Slide Cabinet

Fantastic specimen cabinet dating from around 1900. The cabinet itself is made of mahogany with the most beautiful burr walnut veneer. This particular cabinet has 29 drawers, the bottom one being bigger than the rest. All of the drawers have numbered handles and plaques which can be written on and act as labels for the drawers. Each drawer is divided internally into three rows, each capable of holding 12 standard microscope slides, giving each drawer a capacity for 36 slides and meaning the cabinet can hold 1008 slides! In addition to these drawers the bottom drawer is deeper and has many sections for holding spare slides horizontally. The drawers have been lined in paper with blue velvet strips to rest the slides on.

The cabinet itself is exceptional quality, like nothing I've ever seen before. The burr walnut is just beautiful and covers every face of the cabinet including the back. The grain of the wood flows across all of the drawers as one continuous piece and the doors have beautifully carved arches set into both the inside and outside.

It is in excellent original condition and looks absolutely stunning. It has clearly been well looked after over the years. It is not new and has some minor signs of age and wear but nothing that is detrimental. There is a small chip on the number 7 handle and some wear to the veneer around the edge of the door where it locks. The lining paper has spotted slightly with age and there is also a small split in the back panel of the cabinet which has been repaired and filled (see photo). The drawers all run smoothly and it comes with its original working key. It is certainly usable and the new owner should be proud to display their collection in such a beautiful cabinet. The nature of the cabinet means that it could be used for a variety of things and not just slides - it would display a collection of coins very well too.

Approximate Measurements :

Height : 19 1/2" (49cm)

Width : 15 1/2" (39cm)

Depth : 14" (35cm)

Drawer base : 3 rows, each 12 1/2" (32cm) long by 3 1/4" (8cm) wide capable of holding 12 slides in each row so 36 in each drawer which gives a capacity of 1008 slides plus an extra drawer.