An Arts & Crafts Yorkshire School English Oak Dresser / Bookcaseby Alan 'Acornman' Grainger (Ex-Mouseman) c. 1970. A most impressive dresser / bookcase in the classic Yorkshire School Style. The base provides copious drawer and cupboard storage while the upper section has shelves deep enough for all but the largest of books (or other display items). Featuring:

• Solid English Oak throughout.

• Well figured quarter-sawn English Oak (quarter-sawing is a way of sawing oak to produce boards with superior strength which also reveals decorative 'medullary rays' in its grain).

• Subtly adzed on all visible surfaces (the subtle surface rippling synonymous with Yorkshire School furniture) Adzing does not interfere with use and objects will happy stand steadily on an adzed surface.

• Base with 4 drawers (made with single plank fronts solid drawer carcasses joined with hand-cut lap and through dovetails drawer slips and solid bases).

• Base with 4 doors each with single plank fielded panels surrounded by rails and stiles joined by blind tenons secured with hand made pegs. Each opens to reveal one fixed shelf.

• Sides with single plank fielded panels surrounded by rails and stiles joined by blind tenons secured with hand made pegs.

• Upper section with four lockable glazed doors each revealing 3 adjustable shelved (supported with moveable hand turned pegs.

• Planked backs.

Approximate dimensions are:

• Overall Length 1830mm (6 feet).

• Overall Depth 420mm (1 foot 4 1/2 inches).

• Base Height 1060mm (3 feet 5 1/2 inches).

• Overall Height 1900mm (6 feet 2 3/4 inches).

c. 1970.

Alan Grainger's inset finely carved signature acorn motif on the base.

Very good condition with excellent colour and grain, tight joints, smoothly sliding drawers, snugly closing doors and very clean finish. Some of the upper section internal shelves are mildly warped. A few minor marks and dints discoverable upon close inspection, although surprisingly few for the age of the item. If you wish to have further specific photographs or talk to us for a more detailed condition report then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Acorn Industries was started by George Grainger, a former Robert "Mouseman' Thompson craftsman, in the mid-30s. He trained his son Alan (and Derek 'Lizardman' Slater) who later took over and developed the business. Renowned for high quality pieces, all hand made, usually from English oak and all bearing the acorn mark.

The most British of woods, that can produce really special results. English oak has been used for hundreds of years to construct everything from sea-going vessels to fine furniture. Although oak grows widely across Europe and North America, craftsmen continue to cherish English oak which grows more slowly than its foreign counterparts giving it strength, durability. Quarter sawn boards are very straight grained and have distinctive growth rings and medullary rays that give a very beautiful effect as well as being renowned for their superior stability and strength.

The Yorkshire School of the Arts & Crafts movement started with Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson's  transformation from jobbing carpenter to master craftsmen. By the mid-1920s he had adopted his trademark mouse (now world renowned as a symbol of quality furniture) and had his own workshop busily employing several men. As the workshop grew and over the years many of the craftsmen have taken their skills and branched out and adopted a trademark of their own, a fox, a lizard, a fish, a rabbit to name but a few, and whilst some have closely stuck to the Mouseman designs others have taken the style and adapted it. Other craftsmen, unconnected to the Mouseman workshop, have also chosen the classic Yorkshire Oak style as their own. Typical Yorkshire school items are in English Oak, with traditional pegged joints and adzed surfaces.