Hi Pamela,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The Hoosier Cabinet grew out of the baker's cabinet and other freestanding kitchen storage furniture of the late 19th century. There isn't a single universally accepted inventory; several manufacturers were developing similar ideas. The name comes from Indiana, where many of the major manufacturers were located.

The Hoosier Manufacturing Company began producing its distinctive cabinet in 1898-1899, and the company's product became so successful that "Hoosier cabinet" eventually became a generic term for the entire category, regardless of manufacturer (some other manufacturers were GI Selelrs & Sons, McDougall, Coppes Brothers & Zook, Campbell-Smith-Ritchie, Napanee, and many other smaller Indiana manufacturers).

These cabinets were revolutionary because they more more than just storage, they were ergonomic. Before built-in kitchen cabinetry, a kitchen might contain a table, a few shelves, a cupboard and miscellaneous containers. Food preparation required walking between them. The Hoosiers consolidated the process into one workstation, and they were cleverly marketed to American housewives as "step savers," promising to reduce the amount of walking and labor required of the homemaker.

Their popularity peaked in the 1910s and 1920s and by 1920, Hoosier Manufacturing Company had made more than 2 million. By the 1930s, built-in cabinetry and standardized kitchen layouts were increasingly common and instead of buying a large freestanding workstation, homeowners could have cabinets and counters integrated into the architecture of the kitchen.

While there may have been many makers of similar cabinets, those made by the Hoosier Manufacturing Company usually bring a premium at auction compared to those made by other sellers. I don't see a label on this cabinet in your otherwise excellent photos so I've appraised this as unattributed cabinet but if you can identify this as having been made by the Hoosier Manufacturing Company I will re=evaluate this.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Hoosier cabinet cabinet
Probably by Hoosier Manufacturing Company, 1920s-30s
The upper cabinet fitted with three cabinet doors over two funnel dispensers for flour and a rotating canister caddy the lower cabinet surmounted by a white painted enamel prep surface over two short drawers, over a large cabinet door over three short drawers, all on short legs on casters. With a light olive-green paint with yellow/gilt accents.
Complete with Hoosier Manufacturing Company menu planner.
Height: 72 inches; width: 41 inches; depth: 26 inches
CONDITION: This appears to be in good condition with wear commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 700-1000*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia