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.