Arene Burgess

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19th Century Wooden Boxes

Pandora would have had the best of times between these two covers. For those who just can't resist a peek under the lid, like the author, there's endless full-color satisfaction inside. An intrepid collector and antiques scholar and dealer, Burgess gives the inside scoop on every manner of containers, from apple boxes to their zinc decorations. Inside empty boxes, she finds the hopes that filled brides' chests, weaves a story about the sewing chores of housewives of yore, gives you a taste of what snuff the men were made of, and sheds light on where candles once awaited nightfall. Inside boxes ranging from Shaker plain to the outrageous constructions of wooing gentlemen, Burgess takes the lid off life in the nineteenth century.