Antique Grain-Painted Pine Document Box

Item Details

An antique grain-painted pine document box, mid 19th century. The dovetailed box retains it’s original grain-painted surface in shades of brown and black. It features a rectangular, hinged lid centered by the initials ‘NC’ in yellow and opening to a vacant interior with a later, pencil inscription reading ‘This trunk was the property / of Nelson Collins for / 60 years who died March 1903 / and then pased (sic) into the / hands of his grandson / J Howard Gile’. The exterior front is fitted with a metal latch and lock plate and the underside is numbered ‘N77 05 / 42355’ with a later stamp.

According to U.S. Federal Census records, Nelson Collins (American, 1828-1903) lived in Danville (Rockingham), New Hampshire where he worked as a farmer. In 1853, he married Mary Ella Dunn (American, 1834-1923) and the couple had a daughter, Mary Ella Collins (American, 1854-1891), less than one year later. By 1870, they had relocated to Haverhill (Essex), Massachusetts before returning to New Hampshire, this time Plaistow (Rockingham), around 1900. Nelson died on March 16, 1903. His grandson, James Howard Gile, was born on December 27, 1880 to Mary Ella Collins and Frank H. Gile (American, 1843-1898). He worked as a clerk in Charlestown, Massachusetts before passing away on February 7, 1959.

Condition

- to fair; painted surface with scattered/light wear and marks; lid had a handle at one time, which is now missing; interior with a couple stains to baseboard; leather lid support strap is broken; exterior latch and lock plate with small paint losses and alligatoring; no key; lock plate missing a couple nails.

Dimensions

Item #

18DCC352-959