14
The time I stripped a dresser and found a secret message
Working on a 1920s oak dresser from a Portland estate sale last month. Started stripping the old varnish off the top. Underneath, someone had carved 'Mabel hates this thing, 1947' into the wood with a nail. The client thought it was hilarious. Anyone ever find something weird hidden under a finish?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
nina_jenkins2d ago
What makes it just graffiti, @the_pat? To me, finding that is like opening a tiny time capsule. It's a real person's private thought, hidden where only someone stripping the finish would ever see it. That's different from a public desk carving. It's a secret complaint meant to last, and now Mabel's 1947 bad day is part of the dresser's story forever. That's pretty special.
7
the_pat2d ago
That's a funny find but it's just a bit of graffiti. People carve stuff into desks and tables all the time. It's not exactly a big secret message, just someone venting about a piece of furniture. Makes you wonder what Mabel would think about her complaint lasting this long though.
3