Charles Limbert’s No. 367 book case.

If I were a historian of material culture, I might contemplate the staggering variety of book storage marketed in the early part of the 20th Century and its relationship to an expanding middle class and the rise of mass media. Advancements in printing technology made more books, magazines, and music available to more people, and they could store this material on magazine stands, book racks, book shelves, book cases, etc. Limbert’s Fall 1905 catalogue featured 34 such pieces, from a $4.50 magazine stand to a $54 case with three leaded glass doors.

Square cutouts at the upper sides and half-depth gallery shelf distinguish the No. 367. It is an average-sized case, 30″ wide x 50″ high x 12″ deep. Three fixed shelves set in dadoes join the case, with the two full-depth shelves set slightly proud of the sides creating some visual interest, an effect amplified by the recessed toe kick. The inset door features two large panes divided by a stile. The gallery back is a solid board, but the case back is a single panel of plywood. The enclosed portion of the case features two adjustable shelves.