I bought this lovely press in Virginia. It is mahogany and pine. I believe it’s Cuban Mahohany- certainly the veneer top and bottom are. I realize that a proper identification requires a sample to be tested, but the aged coloring is very tell-tale. The doors are solid mahogany and I believe also Cuban Mahogany, although they are a bit lighter and I’m not ready to bet my favorite hat on it. I have milled a lot of Cuban Mahogany and restored a lot of mahogany furniture. The construction at first led me to believe it was of Caribbean origin- or I should say very possibly so. The rest of the casing is pine, which is very common in West Indian furniture. Pine was shipped down for making homes but also used in furniture in conjunction with Mahogany.
Well, I got it home and it is signed “I. I. Murray, Williamsburgh, VA”. The “gh” at the end tells me it’s not just some recent person staking their claim, but more than likely a maker’s signature. Anyone have any history on this guy? Is George Wilson still around? He might know.
Should I gloat about what I paid, or will that lose me friends? $350 on Facebook Marketplace!