Property from the Collection of the Laird Family of Wilmington, Delaware
"The Ultimate as Produced in Philadelphia" The Laird Family Chippendale High Chest Base, attributed to the Shop of Benjamin Randolph (1721-1791), carving attributed to John Pollard (1740-1787), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1775
Auction Closed
January 25, 06:34 PM GMT
Estimate
40,000 - 120,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
mahogany
height 36 ⅝ in. by width 44 ¼ in. by depth 24 ¼ in.; top width 43 ½ in. by top depth 22 ¾ in.
appears to retain its original fire-gilt cast brass hardware; top replaced and lacking upper section; knee returns replaced.
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Joseph Packard Laird, Sr. MD (1876-1927)
To his son, Joseph Packard Laird (1920-2003);
By descent in the Laird family.
The high chest base was acquired by, Dr. Joseph Packard Laird, Sr. (1876-1927). He was an astute antique collector and was occasionally paid for his medical services via gifts of furniture from patients. When Dr. Laird died the base was inherited by his son, Joseph Packard Laird, Jr.1 (1920-2003). However due to Joseph, Jr. young age, he was placed in the custody of his stepmother, Eleanor Blackford "Bunny” Smith (1886-1962). Tragically, Joseph, Jr.’s mother, Matilda Coleman Page (1889-1921), died in childbirth along with the child, who would have been Jospeh, Jr.’s only sibling.
Joseph, Jr’s uncle and aunt, William Winder Laird, Sr. (1878-1927) and Mary Alletta Belin “Dookie” DuPont Laird (1878-1938), approached Eleanor and requested to relocated him to their Wilmington, Delaware home. Joseph, Jr’s relocation to the W.W. Laird home was not contested as Dr. Joseph. has made these arrangements in the event of his death.
The high chest base was relocated to Wilmington when Joseph, Jr. went to live with William and “Dookie.” To ensure that ownership was properly noted, “Dookie” had a metal tag, embossed J.P. Laird, placed on the high chest base thereby identifying it as having belong to Dr. Joseph. In this manner every piece Joseph, Jr. inherited was uniquely identified from other items in storage. It was during this time, while the piece was in the care of William and “Dookie,” that it was illustrated by William MacPherson Hornor, Jr. for his publication Blue Book: Philadelphia Furniture. When Joseph, Jr. married Frances Sumner Swan (1924-2010) and they had a home of their own, the high chest base came to reside with them.
While the high chest base passed to Jospeh, Jr.’s children upon his death, it remained in their mother’s home until she moved out and they acquired the home and its contents, circa 1987.
1 Joseph Packard Laird, Jr. had his name legally changed to Joseph Packard Laird … dropping the Jr.
William MacPherson Hornor, Jr., Blue Book: Philadelphia Furniture, William Penn to George Washington, (Philadelphia: 1935), pl. 150.
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