Hello!

Where was I?  Oh yes, in my last post I told you I’d fill you in on the treasure I took home!  It’s funny because it was one of the very first things I saw when I went in to the antique/salvage shop, Housewerks.  I was immediately drawn to something so humble but recognizably a treasure.  I just knew it would be too expensive though so I just moved on.   I later met up with my husband after milling about separately (after all, he was slowed down with the baby!), and he told me that there was this great piece that I just had to see.  I knew we had seen the same thing.  When I went back upstairs to give it a second look, there was a buyer with her tape measure out giving it the once-over.  It was one of those sweet pieces that go fast….an old chest taken right out of a 100 year old + drug store!  Here it is, our chest from the James Drug Co…..

How many times have you found an antique and wondered where it came from, or who owned it?  This was such a rare incidence that we were told exactly where this piece came from and a bit of its history.  Recently, the James Drug Co. (also known as the James Pharmacy) building was bought so they moved right next door.  During the move several fixtures were sold – fixtures that have been there most likely since the store opened in 1900.  What caught my eye first are the amazing drawer pulls.  Yes, they are covered in paint, but I can see the detailed beauty beneath the layers.  And the pull-out counter used for mixing medicine.   There were old paper labels here and there in the drawers that stated “Poison”, or “Keep in a cool place”.   We were so lucky to fit this in the back of our SUV.  There was not a 1/2″ to spare…I was holding my breath when it came time to shut the back door.  And driving home, my knees touched the dashboard.

My husband looked at me a bit strange (but just for a moment) when I suggested we go and see the actual drug store where the chest came from.  How many times can you go and see the location where your antique spent years and years??  As it turns out, the James Drug Co. was close by in an up and coming section of Baltimore known as historic Federal Hill.  Federal Hill is steeped in Baltimore history, and happens to be where my brother proposed to his wife. 

I plan to put my sweet old find in my future studio, but it will need some work first.  I do know that I want to reclaim those amazing drawer pulls and remove the paint so you can actually see their beauty.  I imagine it would be best to try and repaint the face of the drawers (they are a peach color now) , this would be the least labor intensive.   Please tell me what you would do with these drawers and how you recommend going about it – I’d love to hear your thoughts, if you’re familiar with this sort of thing.

Thanks for stopping by and paying me a visit!