small chest / hidden chamber pots

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R

rac50

Well-known member
Does anyone have any info on where I might find photos of period furniture that contains a hidden chamber pot. I started my search looking for "commodes" but that term now means much more than a chamber pot. Frequently these are disguised as seating furniture and I don't recall having seen them hidden in small chests of drawers which is what I found today while browsing the antique stores.
I'm hoping someone will be able to point me to some published articles and photos. Thanks,
Ross
 
Check out A Catalogue of American Easy Chairs by Mark Anderson and Robert F. Trent in American Furniture 1993 (http://www.chipstone.org/framesetAFintro.html), specifically Figs. 22 and 26. Easy chairs often doubled as "close stools" or potty chairs. As you've already found, "commode" just means "convenient" in French and could describe just about any piece of furniture.

 
Mark,  Thanks for the quick reply. The chairs you noted are pretty much what I've seen however I am more interested in finding small chests, sometimes referred to as "bachelors chests". The piece I found was federal style solid mahogany single board top and sides, single white pine board dovetailed into the bottom, same with the back and the partial top ( to allow for sitting ) also dovetailed to the sides. The false front and top are: single board mahogany top hinged to a white pine front that is veneered with 2 crotch mahogany panels framed with crossbanding and string inlay on the bottom of the front to resemble doors.  The top of the front has 2 birds eye maple panels framed with crossbanding and string inlay to resemble drawer fronts. There are 4 Hepplewhite pulls to complete the illusion of drawers. There are 2 brass carrying handles on either side. I will try to post photos later.
 
I have seen these too.  Small 3 drawer "chests" maybe 18" high, with the top 2 drawers being fake, hinging down to allow the pot to be removed.  The lid is also hinged to allow access to the top of the pot.  When I first saw them I thought they were cool apothecary chests.

The thing you need to remember about chamber pots was that they weren't the preferred or typical method. They are almost always associated with the aged or infirmed. They weren't a one to one substitution for our toilets.  Not every house or bedchamber would have had one.
 
Adam
 
Adam,  That is how my piece works. Where have you seen them? could you point me to any examples? I have seen one in Robert Mussey's  book on the Seymours ( entry 33 ) and mine has many similarities but I'm still anxious to see as many examples as possible.  Thanks,
Ross
 
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