Cavalry Military Chest by A&N CSL

A teak Cavalry Campaign Chest with pull out secretaire drawer.

The Army and Navy described the chest as having a table escritoire with the lower height allowing you to sit to work. For modern use, this is very practical.

The gilt tooled leather writing area is surrounded by coromandel wood. When this is lifted up on its hinges, the walnut stationery rack underneath it can also be lifted to stand. When the writing area is then set back down it rests on a support bar to the rack which holds it on a sloped angle. Walnut slide boards cover the storage areas to either side of the writing area. To the left it is a plain well but to the right it has a desk tidy section to the front. This has compartments to take inkwells and a removable pen tray. Underneath is a secret drawer. To access it, the writing area is lifted and a button inside the lidded compartment below pressed. This releases the spring catch holding the facia board which hides the velvet lined drawer.

The top right drawer has the 'Army & Navy C.S.L. Makers' rectangular ivorine label. The lock to the secretaire drawer is a strong Hobbs & Co. Machine Made Lever and it is also stamped 1890 which is probably the date of manufacture. The reference number 19127 is stamped to the chest on the secondary wood.

The A&N CSL made this chest with a few different options available. This was the widest you could buy at 3ft 9 inches but you could also buy the standard width for a campaign chest of 3ft 3 inches. You could have a shelving superstructure with a central mirror or a plain Cavalry chest which presumably meant no escritoire. The chest was also available in mahogany and oak as well as teak.

Most Cavalry Chests that come on the market are the standard size and so this one stands out for being that little bit bigger. A good chest by a good maker. Circa 1890.

The height of the underside of the secretaire drawer for the knee is 26 1/2 inches (68cm)