25 February 2019

Widman Barrister's Bookcase

This bookcase originally belonged to my maternal great-grandfather, Charles Augustus Bedgood, shown below with his second wife, Anna Euphemia Lundborg Peterson.

The bookcase has been kicked around a lot and, at some point. lost it's glass doors.  It also suffered some breakage to the foot section, which I repaired by replacing the missing panel and re-gluing the legs.


There is a sizable chunk missing which I hope glue will help hold together.


The top has some water damage that I hope I can remove.

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I started the refinishing process today.  Here is a picture of the shelving units before restoration.


There is birdseye maple veneer in the back and some other kind of wood for the bottoms.  Oak on the sides and front edges.

I am using Formby's Refinisher to take off the old darkened varnish and some of the dark finish and will then re-varnish.  I'm not touching the back panels, as they are in good shape.  There is a decal on each of them that says "Widman".  Looking up that company has yielded the following information:  J.C. Widman & Company started in 1899 in Detroit making furniture, then merged with the Humphrey Bookcase Company in 1910 to form the Humphrey-Widman Company.  They were bought out before 1923 by the Udell Works, who continued to make bookcases using the Widman patents in the 1930's.  The J.C. Widman Company changed to manufacturing automobile bodies.

"Since 1873 The Udell Works has held to high ideals of better 
workmanship, careful and progressive design and the best of material in 
building furniture.

The name Udell has been synonymous with quality for more than half a 
century. Always, the name Udell has stood for the best in materials and 
the finest skill in wood working. Udell sectional bookcases are typical of 
every article that has ever borne the name. They have niceties of 
construction and finish that stamp them as the peer of any bookcase on 
the market.

The non-binding door does not and cannot stick. The door guide 
absolutely prevents friction. Doors operate on roller bearings and are 
instantly removable. The sections are dust-proof and practically 
moisture-proof. A metal dust shield at the top of each section protects 
the books. The doors are air cushioned, and slide back over the dust 
shield.

Several years ago, The Udell Works purchased the stock, machinery and 
patents of the J. C. Widman Company of Detroit, Michigan. Udell 
bookcases retain all of the valuable and exclusive mechanical features of 
the Humprey-Widman bookcases that were manufactured by them for 
twenty-two years, plus our advanced designing and manufacturing.

Udell sectional bookcases are offered to the retail trade as profit-making 
merchandise. They have the same Udell quality, dependability and 
workmanship, that have for more than fifty years distinguished the 
products of this pioneer firm. You can depend on Udell."

This company is selling PDF's of 5 Udell catalogs of furniture from 1899 through 1932.  I'll bet my No. 190, Class F is in one of those catalogs.  Here is a blurb about the 1927 catalog:

1927 The Udell Works - PDF

This is a high resolution digital reproduction of an original 1927 
catalog for The Udell Works. This catalog features Udell Sectional 
Bookcases and includes a net price list dated 1/25/27. It is 24 
pages, including the price list and front and rear covers. Specific 
models pictured include "The Library" Combination No. 57; 
Standard-Combination Nos. 26-F, 46-F, 28-F, 29-F; Standard for 
Law Books-Combination No. 130-F; Standard High 
Base-Combination No. 476; "Adam" Combination No. 456; 
"Queen Anne" Combination No. 486; and the "Colonial" 
Combination Nos. 43-F, 71-R, 32-F. Product features include the 
Non-Binding Door "Door guide absolutely prevents friction, or 
sticking of any door, furthermore, they operate on steel roller 
bearings and are instantly removable without the use of tools."; 
Air-Cushioned Doors "Perfect air-tight construction gives you an 
absolutely cushioned door without the use of felt or packing."; 
Metal Dust Shield "A steel division between the books and 
receding door, protecting the tops of the books from dust or 
damage. No sectional bookcase is perfect without this protection."


After using the Refinisher these rings are still showing.  I had hoped they were just in the varnish. I guess they will have to stay, along with the spilled ink on the other side of the top.


Finished.  Used an oil-rubbed finish.  Sibley approves.




I added my collection of vintage Tom Swift books.


I don't know if this bookcase was obtained new and was just plain abused over the years, or was second-hand, but I think my great-grandfather would admit it looks pretty good now.

5 comments:

Evelyn said...

Wonderful job, Marilyn. Grandpa would be proud. Really beautiful.

Evelyn Croskey

Margaret said...


Marilyn, I'm glad I gave you the bookcase. You are the only one who would go to all that work to make it beautiful again. Would you be able to do the same for me? Love you, Mom.
Margaret Bedgood Hamill.

Seth said...

That looks great! It's a nice balance of restoring it, without hiding it's age and character.

I've never used Formby's Refinisher before. How does it compare to using alcohol for stripping shellac, or methyl chloride strippers for other varnishes?

Marilyn said...

Seth, I have used it on a lot of old furniture when I don't want to change the color, just the finish. I really like it. I don't believe I've ever stripped shellac, but may have. I haven't tested it first. The Formby's is stinky, but does a good job, and you can smear it around to make the item uniform in color.

Seth said...

Thanks for the feedback!