The Story of a Small Chest of Drawers

More from Michael’s Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures

(A divergence, not part of Prism & Pen)

Taken by author at Chicago Children’s Museum on Navy Pier

Once upon a time, there was a small chest of drawers. I know not its origin or the type of wood from which it was crafted. I do know that it is a beautiful piece of treasure and it speaks to me somehow of its past but in mutterings so faint that I cannot make out what it is saying.

All photos taken by author

It is approximately 10” long, 4” wide, and 4” high. It has a hinged top, with a small metal closing hook. When open, the top reveals a ¾”empty compartment. There are four columns of drawers with three drawers in each, that makes a total of a dozen drawers. The wooden knobbed drawers were filled, in their past, with I know not what.

The drawers across the top of the chest are 2 ¼” x 3 ½” x ½”. The second and third rows down drawers are a slightly bit larger: 2 ¾” x 3 ½” x ½”. When you open the top section, there are four nail type pieces of metal that would be lowered in a hole at the front of the section thereby locking the drawers below to keep them from opening by mistake and losing their contents.