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Title image: Within this piece is a hidden drawer or
false bottom underneath, perfect for storing important
paperwork. Photo: westlandlondon.com

Secret

Storage

Exploring the Hidden Side

of Antique Furniture Some Victorian bookcases have built-in books which
were originally used to hide secret compartments and
drawers and occasionally even a Gentleman’s bar.
By Kary Pardy Another feature could be a hidden safe to hide
important documents and money.
photo: westlandlondon.com

onsider the humble blanket chest: a piece of furniture that might travel with its owners obvious bottom of this storage compartment
across an ocean or a country. Such a solid, practical item seems like the last place for is not the true bottom of the box. In fact,
Csurprising features, but without fancy safe deposit boxes or other high-end precautions, abrasions on the wall of the chest may indicate
the average person needed a place to hide their treasures, no matter what shape they might take. to a careful collector that the front of the
Enter: furniture with hidden storage. compartment slides up and reveals a secret
When it came to hiding important ephemera tied to history, these compartments performed area at the compartment’s base.
their duty as added security to keep secrets away from any who may wish to “explore” an office of These all illustrate a central rule when
an adversary or “get lost” into areas of a home or building where they should not be exploring. dealing with hidden compartments in
Keeping personal and public secrets safe is something that continues to plague each of us today furniture, best stated by the Chief of Police in
despite the current tools at our disposal to use in-person and online. Many of the original examples Edgar Allan Poe’s The Purloined Letter: “Any
enclosed within beautiful pieces of utilitarian and not-so-utilitarian furniture can still be used man is a dolt who permits a ‘secret’ to escape
today, and many are incorporated into contemporary
furniture for the same reasons they were created originally –
keeping secrets.
As these pieces of furniture were being created, some
examples demonstrated a cabinet maker's crafting and
engineering skills or entertained with their frivolity. Most
were useful, offering hiding places at a time when advanced
security, or space, wasn’t available. In this article, we’ll explore
the many forms concealment took in antique furniture
through the years, and where to look on the pieces you may
come across in your collection.

Early Renditions
Italian cabinetmakers popularized multi-purpose furniture
in the late 16th and 17th centuries, and the handy trend made
its way around Europe and to the western world in the 18th
century. That same blanket chest mentioned before likely
traveled with an immigrant to America and hid his or her
secret documents or valuables from prying eyes. Blanket chests
often open to reveal storage, such as a box compartment
built into the side. A careful inspection might reveal that the Example of one of many ways to create and access secret storage. photo: woodsmith.com

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