Hi Falcon,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

This is an Eastlake style six-drawer tall chest of drawers; it would likely have been part of a larger suite of bedroom furniture that included a lower, wider dresser or bureau, bedside tables, a vanity and a bed.

Eastlake furniture is noteworthy because it marked a major shift in Victorian design, rejecting the heavy, overly ornate furniture of the mid-19th century in favor of simpler forms, honest construction, and geometric decoration. Although named after English architect and designer Charles Locke Eastlake, the style became far more popular in the United States than in Britain.

Eastlake believed furniture should be attractive, practical, and well made, rather than burdened with excessive carving and upholstery that collected dust. His influential 1868 book Hints on Household Taste inspired a reform movement in domestic design.

Eastlake's emphasis on honest workmanship and functional design foreshadowed the later Arts and Crafts movement led by figures such as William Morris and Gustav Stickley. It represents an important transition from ornate Victorian revival styles to the simpler aesthetics of the late nineteenth century.

Unlike elaborate Renaissance Revival furniture, Eastlake pieces were often machine-produced, making stylish furniture affordable to America's growing middle class.

The Palmer House was one of America's most famous historic hotels, first opened in 1871 by Potter Palmer. However, the hotel's name is frequently found on antique furniture because it commissioned custom furnishings for its guest rooms and public spaces. This was a common practice among hotels of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which commonly ordered furniture from commercial manufacturers and marked the pieces with the hotel's name for inventory control.

The furniture itself was usually manufactured by contract furniture companies or regional cabinetmakers rather than by the hotel.

The provenance to The Palmer House hotel may allow potential collectors to forgive the losses of the side rails.

In recent auctions, similar tall chests in good condition and with no losses have been selling for around $1,000; I would expect this to perform comparably if offered for auction.

If you're thinking of selling this privately, I would recommend pricing it at or above $1,500, to avoid the risk of underselling it; you can lower your asking price if it doesn't find an immediate buyer.

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

An antique Eastlake style maple and walnut six-drawer tall chest
purportedly commissioned for The Palmer House hotel, Chicago, fourth quarter 19th Century
DESCRIPTION
Height: 54-1/2 inches; width: 36-1/2 inches; depth: 19 inches
CONDITION: Losses to side rails
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 800-1,200*
*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