Accession Number

2003.007.001.001a-k

Alternate Name

dining table

Description

A large red oak dining table stained with the so-called "golden oak" colour, the plain top with a French-polished finish, the apron with two sets of deeply-cut horizontal groves with a plain flat band in between the two sets and trimmed at the bottom edge with a narrow carved band in an egg and dart pattern, the four corner legs heavily carved, the legs' top supporting the tabletop and even with top of the skirting, each leg bearing a large floral-like rosette (11.5cmH X 19cmW) and below it a flattened knob shape with a carved relief of repeating acanthus-like leaf tips, the carved bulbous main section of the leg (11.5cm dia) with four identical large vertical carved reliefs of repeating acanthus leaves, one on each side, the bottom leg section consisting of two more flattened knob shapes with the outside of the two similar in design as the one on the top of the leg, each leg with double-wheeled brass castors at the foot, a fifth carved leg attached to the centre underside of the table for support, a hand-powered removable metal crank (k) used to operate the threaded steel double-extension screw beneath the tabletop, the seven loose oak extension leaves (b-g, 152cmL X 2.2cmH X 32.8cmW) matching the table, leaves i & j previously separated from the table by the second owner who cut them from the table, but now glued back into place (see Treatment Report in Document File). Each loose leaf has five equally spaced dowels on one side and on the other side are five equally spaced holes, each leaf on each side with a Roman numeral cut into the wood (I-VI) to aid in matching the dowels with the holes in order to achieve grain-matching from one leaf to the next.

Narrative

This red oak extending dining table with 7 loose leaves,  which once had 14 matching dining chairs (12 sidechairs and two armchairs), and one matching chaise longue, was purchased new in 1890 for Craigdarroch’s dining room. The table was sold from Craigdarroch at the June 21, 1909 Dunsmuir Executors' auction as lot #119, and the chairs and chaise longue sold as lot #120. The buyer was Victoria saloon owner Henry Siebenbaum.

According to Mr. Siebenbaum's family members, the table was too large for his dining room at 1109 Catherine Street in Victoria, so he cut two planks out of it and stored these in the leaf storage box already containing 7 leaves. The steel double-extension screw was shortened at this time. He only kept 5 sidechairs and 1 arm chair from the original 14-chair set. He did not keep the chaise lounge. It is not known what happened to the missing 8 chairs and 1 chaise longue. The Castle Society commissioned Sooke, B.C. furniture maker Anthony Balzer to make reproductions of the missing chairs. Mr. Balzer also made a chaise longue using a design created for the Society by Baltimore architect and Victorian furniture specialist Andrew VanStyn. His design for chaise longue draws upon numerous elements found on the table and chairs. 

This table and its matching chairs came to the attention of Craigdarroch's Executive Director after a Craigdarroch volunteer visiting the Jefferson County Museum (JCM) in Port Townsend casually mentioned to a JCM volunteer that she volunteered at Craigdarroch. That volunteer said she knew a woman in Port Townsend that owned Craigdarroch's dining table set. It was learned that the actual owner of the set did not wish to part with it, and so Craigdarroch's Curator and Restoration Maintenance Supervisor were dispatched to take detailed measurements and photographs so that it could be replicated sometime in the future.

In 2003, Mr. Siebenbaum’s grand nephew in Port Townsend, WA sold the table and the surviving 6 chairs to The Castle Society before the reproduction was commenced.

History of Use

This table and its 6 matching chairs were purchased new in 1890 for Craigdarroch, the home of Robert and Joan Dunsmuir located in Victoria, B.C. After the death of Joan Dunsmuir in 1908, her daughters directed H. W. Davies, M.A.A. to conduct an estate auction at Craigdarroch in June, 1909. At this time, the table and chairs were sold as lot #119 and lot #120 to Henry Siebenbaum, resident of Port Townsend, Washington.

In 1893 Siebenbaum and his family moved to Victoria where he owned a saloon. They placed the table and chairs in their home at 1109 Catherine Street in Victoria West. The furniture remained with Mr. Siebenbaum on Catherine Street until his death in 1942 when it was transferred to his brother in Port Townsend, WA. Later, the table and chairs were given to Henry Siebenbaum's great-nephew, of Port Townsend, WA, from whom The Castle Society acquired it.

Date

circa 1890

Dimensions

77 x 152.5 x 421.7 cm
The table is 421cm long with all 7 leaves installed.

Material

Wood, oak; Metal, steel; Brass

Technique

Flat sawn; Carved; Cast; Tooled; Turned; Turned

Inscription

I; II; III; IV; V; VI