Week 8 – Heirloom

Week 8’s topic is ‘Heirloom’ and I have focused on a collection of heirloom’s that I have in my possession. For as long as I can remember, these beautiful pieces of heirloom furniture have resided at either my grandmother’s house of my parent’s house. This matching wardrobe and dressing table along with a ‘glory box’ belonged to my great grandmother Edith Jane Hartley. As a child, these pieces of furniture fascinated me as they were so different from anything ‘modern’.

The story goes that the ‘glory box’ or ‘hope chest’ was the first item to be acquired by Edith, having been made for her by her father to store the many items she made and collected in preparation for marriage and setting up a household. Apparently, it started its life as a wash stand of some sort but to this day I haven’t figured out how that would have worked. Anyway, Edith took it with her in 1919 when she married Oscar Norman Thompson. At that time, it was used to store clothing for her future children.

On the occasion of her marriage, Edith was also given the matching wardrobe and dressing table. Unfortunately, due to a lot of moving around the wardrobe in particular is in disrepair and the mirror on the dresser has clouded over.My mother has recently shared her thoughts with me on getting rid of the wardrobe and dressing table but I have convinced her to keep them as they are a family treasure (of which we have so few). So for now they remain, and if I have any say in it they will remain forever. One day, I hope to have the money to restore them to their former glory.

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