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1920’s antique Hoosier cabinet is a unique item for any home. These cabinets used to be used as kitchen storage and featured everything from flour sifters to meat grinders and spice carousels. Many of these cabinets also included grocery list wheels and cookbook holders.
1920’s antique Hoosier cabinet
If you are in the market for a vintage cabinet, you may want to consider a 1920’s antique Hoosier cabinet. These cabinets are made from oak and were painted in either ivory or apple green. Later versions were made from pine or light maple. They feature a central work-table and a closed cupboard.
These cabinets were made by dozens of manufacturers, many of which were located in Indiana. Some of the larger manufacturers included the Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Company, Coppes Brothers and Zook, the Napanee, and G. I. Sellers and Sons. These cabinets are now highly coveted collector’s items.
While this style cabinet may seem outdated, it still has its uses. Its practicality and classic beauty make it a highly desirable item in the antiques market. If you’re interested in owning one, consider sourcing it locally, but be prepared to pay a little extra for shipping.
A Brief History of Antique Hoosier Cabinets
One of the most popular kitchen cabinets of the 1920s was the Hoosier cabinet. It was designed to make kitchen labor easier for women. The cabinet’s popularity grew along with changes in society and technology. After the Civil War, women sought more modern ways to make their home more efficient. The Hoosier cabinet was a good choice because it was small, easy to use, and produced by the Hoosier Manufacturing Company.
Early Hoosier cabinets were made of oak and were painted ivory or apple green. Later, the company produced these cabinets with other woods, such as pine and light maple. The cabinets were equipped with many useful features, including a spice rack, dish-rack, and a flour sifter.
After the first book on Hoosier cabinets was published, the Hoosier Cabinet Company was formed. This company relied heavily on advertising and a well-organized sales force. They sold modernity and efficiency, as well as the ability to create built-in cabinets.
Where the Name Hoosier Cabinet Comes From
The Hoosier cabinet was an early form of modern kitchen cabinets with storage and work spaces. It was first manufactured in 1898 by the Sellers furniture company in New Castle, Indiana. Later on, other Indiana companies began producing them, gaining popularity with housewives.
Hoosier cabinets are marked with a manufacturer’s mark, usually a small stamp or metal plate that shows the manufacturer’s name, date of manufacture, and patent number. These marks are important when determining the value of a Hoosier cabinet.
The Hoosier cabinet became increasingly popular a century ago. Its rise coincided with changes in society. Post-Civil War women were looking for new technological advances to help them in their household tasks. Its design and construction made it an attractive choice. The Hoosier Manufacturing Company could produce as many as 600 cabinets a day.
The Hoosier cabinet is an important kitchen piece. It was the kitchen’s tool chest and kept everything within arm’s reach. It also saved cooks countless miles of walking every year. In the early 1900s, there were at least 40 manufacturers, and they all came from Indiana. However, in the mid to late twentieth century, built-in kitchen cabinets took their place, and Hoosier cabinets became a thing of the past.
The Purpose of Hoosier Cabinets
Hoosier cabinets were once staples of American kitchens. They helped make mealtimes faster. They featured metal-lined flour bins, cookbook holders, calendars, grocery lists wheels, nutritional charts, and more. However, the popularity of the Hoosier cabinet began to wane after World War II.
Antique Hoosier cabinets are beautiful examples of craftsmanship and design. They feature a three-compartment design with deep upper and shallow lower cabinets. There is also a spacious workspace where you can keep jars, flour, and sugar. There are also drawers for storing bread and other baked goods. These cabinets typically measure 6 feet tall, four feet wide, and two feet deep.
Hoosier cabinets were originally designed to make cooking and baking easier. These 100-year-old kitchen cabinets also have a distinctive look and are highly collectible. Collectors and hobbyists alike appreciate these beautiful, functional cabinets.
Identifying an Authentic Antique Hoosier-Style Cab
When you are considering purchasing an antique Hoosier cabinet, there are a few important steps you should take to ensure its authenticity. To start, you should look for the manufacturer’s mark. Many Hoosier cabinets are marked with a metal plate or simple stamp that says the company name, manufacturing date, and patent number. If your Hoosier cabinet has a mark, then it is likely from the early 20th century.
Authentic Hoosier cabinets feature carefully-designed storage space. Many also feature accessories and features to improve their utility. These include a dish rack, flour bin with a sifter, spice racks, and hooks for hanging utensils. Some Hoosier cabinets also feature a tin hopper or sugar bin.
Antique Hoosier cabinets were popular in the early 1900s and are popular collectibles today. They are made from oak and porcelain work surfaces, and were a staple of American kitchens during the Depression. They can be found in many antique shops and are also reproduced by craftsmen. Collectors prize these vintage kitchen cabinets for their retro designs.
Popular Hoosier Cabinet Manufacturers
In the 1920s, the Hoosier cabinet was a popular kitchen cabinet. With features such as cookbook holders, flour bins and sifters, it helped women get their meals ready in less time. The cabinet was also useful for organizing items like spices and Tupperware.
When it came to size and shape, antique Hoosier cabinets were usually about six feet tall, two feet deep, and four feet wide. Most of these cabinets had a center work-table and an upper closed cupboard. The doors were often glass. In addition, some of these cabinets included accessories such as drawers and shelves.
Antique Hoosier cabinets usually come with a manufacturer’s mark. In most cases, this mark is hidden on the fasteners of the doors. Other companies used stamps or metal tags to identify their products.
Antique Hoosier Cabinet Values
The value of your antique Hoosier cabinet will depend on several factors. While the original hardware may be solid, the cabinet may be missing some parts, such as the doors or handles. This will lower the value of the cabinet. You may have also had some parts replaced for aesthetic or functional reasons, which will make it less valuable.
Besides looking beautiful, Hoosier cabinets were also known for their practicality. Their classic style has made them a hot commodity in the antiques market. Be sure to look for a genuine item with reasonable shipping costs. If possible, try to find a cabinet that is in good condition.
Besides their unique appearance, Hoosier cabinets were also notable for their number of accessories and moving parts. Some of these accessories included a sugar bin, a meat grinder, a pull-out bread board, and other unique kitchen gadgets. Some of the Hoosier cabinets even included an ant trap.
The Invaluable Hoosier Cabinet
A kitchen cabinet from the 1920’s called a Hoosier cabinet was made to be functional as well as beautiful. It included storage for rice, flour, sugar, spices, and meat grinders. Some models had additional features like a cookbook holder and a pull out breadboard. Some even featured a nutrition chart.
Most pre-1920s cabinets were made from oak, although some were made from pine, white maple, and walnut. Most of these pieces were marked by the manufacturer with a special stamp on the hidden part. For instance, Hoosier cabinets were marked with the letter “H” on the fasteners on the doors. Other furniture manufacturers left a stamp on the bottom or back of the cabinet. This way, you can tell which ones were made in the early 20th century.
Many Hoosier cabinets contain the manufacturer’s mark, which is a metal plate or simple stamp that displays the company name, manufacturing date, and patent number. The mark is helpful for determining the value of a cabinet.
