Antique Victorian Cast Iron & Cherry Dictionary Stand - RM Lambie New York For Sale

Bay Colony Antiques is pleased to offer for sale this fantastic 19th century antique Victorian cast iron & cherry library stand by RM Lambie of New York. The stand is signed by Lambie on the mechanism with a few patent dates from the 1880’s alongside it. These stands were not simply fancy book holders, but rather an important piece of working equipment to a Victorian man or woman. These would certainly be found in institutional settings like government offices, universities, libraries, etc. but were also quite popular in homes as they could be used for Dictionaries, Bibles, reference books, or music. In a home the object communicated that this was a household in which learning mattered. Furthermore Victorians were often fascinated with mechanical sophistication which would have been part of its appeal. We seldom find these in Cherry and we really enjoy the contrast between the black paint and the red tones of the Cherry. The stand adjusts in height so it can be used either standing or sitting. The book rests can adjust to a number of different viewing angles and the distance between them can be adjusted. The ingenious design of the cast iron legs allows the stand to easily be folded up simply by raising the collar at the top of the legs. This example is in very good condition with our only notes being some negligible paint loss. If you’re looking for an Oak one we have one in stock at the moment and also have a very rare tole painted one. The stand measures 18 1/2” wide x 18 1/2” deep x 44 1/2” tall at the top when it’s fully extended.