Posted 5 years ago
Stegety24
(1 item)
I have a Montgomery ward wardrobe. It’s been professionally refinished. It has original screws, casters, etc. although it is missing the two mirrors. I have no idea what exactly it is. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Its very similar to English Wardrobes of the 1930's although this one is from the 40's to 1950's. No such thing really as a "chiffrobe", not in the English language !~
Chifferobe (has 2-3 variations in spelling) is certainly a word in the English language!
I have a chifferobe which belonged to my grandmother! It's lovely in my bathroom full of linens!
Keramikos, no, I’ve turned this piece every which way to find some sort of marking and there is nothing other than the one stamp.
Keramikos, I actually chuckled at your not knowing what was being spoken of in To Kill A Mockingbird when a chifferobe was mentioned. I saw the movie as a small child and I remember trembling with fear but I knew that the broken chifferobe was a piece of furniture. ;-)
I just read online that the word chifferobe was noted in a 1910 Sears Roebuck advertisement so it was certainly in general use among the population then.
The one I use to store linens probably dates to the early 1920s. I have another, also from grand or great-grand parents, which probably is a few years older. Treasures, both!
Maybe "the word" is now spread to a few more people. But in reality, that piece of furniture has hardly any function now that houses have closets and people own too many clothes to be accommodated by a chifferobe, so the word will, at some time, fall into obscurity.
PhilDMorris, any idea what this piece could be worth?
Defending the word "chifferobe", however it gets spelled, is getting too tiring for an old lady!
I have the Merrimack-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Eleventh Edition copyright 2008 in hand (which was a gift from me to my grandson).
It defines chifferobe as a combination of a wardrobe and a chest of drawers.
With all the words in the English language, with new words constantly evolving, it's expected that every person cannot be expected to have heard of every single word.
This is one of those words that has not reached everyone.
That's Merriam-Webster's--technology changed my spelling. ;-)
Thanks for the info and the knowledge on how to say/spell chifferobe! Ha