The Apothecary Table - Post #3

 The Lighting

These pieces I picked up at an antique store in Salado TX, called (I think) Antique Rose of Bell.  At the time, I didn’t know what I would do with them, but they appeared to be in working condition although they were not exactly pretty to look at.  However, at ~$5 apiece, the price was right and I knew I would do something with them at some point.

This was a complete restoration project - rewiring, refinishing, remounting, etc.  I still have two pieces that I want to refinish and mount on the tabletop outside corners, pointing diagonally at the spice rack.  At some point, I'll find the time to do this.

The Apothecary Table - Post #2

 The Stained Glass

This is a true miracle story and I’m not making it up.  When I refinished the table, I wanted to enclose it – actually, I needed to buttress the top since it sagged in the middle.  An antique store in Brenham, TX had a large selection of stained glass; unfortunately, it has gone out of business.  I took a drive up there and found three pieces that matched the dimensions for the doors I wanted to build.  Bought them, and went back to refinishing.  

After we decided where to place this and I decided to build the side cabinets, I remembered that there were more pieces of the same style, so back to Brenham I went.  There were five pieces left, so I bought them all even though I didn’t quite know what I was going to do with the fifth piece, which was quite small.  The owner of the store said that she had gotten those pieces in a shipment of furniture from England.  This I can’t confirm, but I’ll take it on face value.

This is not a picture of the windows as I bought them.  I can't find those, but this is fairly soon after. I've sanded off the original paint and trimmed the frames.  But you get the idea...

Adventure #2 - The Apothecary Table

The Table’s Back Story

We ran across the table while we were antique shopping in Bellville Texas, at a shop called Nothing Ordinary.  When I saw it, I was obsessed; then I saw the price tag, which was more than I wanted to spend.  We left, but I never quite forgot about the table; especially the mortar/pestle on top.  After two or three more visits (we would get to Bellville every couple of months), it was still there.  After talking to Victoria, I made an offer and it was accepted.  After another week, we rented a U-Haul, heaved that thing into the back and very carefully drove it home – I was petrified the glass, which was original, would break.  Luckily, it did not, although I still have nightmares that it will accidentally.

According to the dealer, she was told the table was originally from a pharmacy in Brenham, TX.  I’ve never been able to confirm this, although I’ve spent several weekend in Brenham asking about old pharmacies and showing pictures of the refinished table around, but no one was sure.  During the thirties, there were 3 or 4 pharmacies that may (or may not) have owned it.  If you are ever in Brenham and you're into this kind of thing, I encourage you to visit Glissmann's Gift Gallery & Historic Drug Store.  This is like walking into the past - they've preserved an entire apothecary from the '20s there.  My table would have fit in perfectly.  I spent an hour or so with the daughter or grand-daughter (I can't remember, but it was her 70th birthday), looking at photos and just going through the museum piece by piece 

The table was actually two pieces, they are now the center section of the finished Apothecary Table.  There is a bench or table that the backdrop sits on top of; they were not attached.  Neither was in very good condition but the table was in far worse shape.  There is a plaque underneath the mortar that reads “Houston Showcase & Mfg. Co. Houston TX”.  I did some research on that company and found they were in business from the late 1920s until about 1932, when they were bought.  I think I can safely say that it is Depression Era.

As I said, the side panels and the very top of the back panel are the original etched glass.  The lower back panel broke when I tried to take it out, but it was a pane of cheap clear glass which I do not believe was original.  I wasn’t happy that it broke, but it didn’t break my heart and I figured out a suitable replacement.

[Photos coming soon]