Old Wood

I recently acquired some “old wood.” It was the backboard of a Victorian fainting couch. The couch itself had been destroyed and disposed of but much of the frame remained. These were secondary woods (possibly alder) and had been hidden by the upholstery. The patent notice on one of the boards (above) was for January 23d, 1877, meaning that the wood had most likely been taken from a tree that was planted around 1800! The board was still sound; I repurposed it into a shelf for my woodworking tools:

Of course, this wood isn’t really rare, I live in a house that is mostly made from wood of that era. Still, I find it rewarding that old wood can find a new use after one hundred fifty years. The other boards in the fainting couch that weren’t covered with upholstery were walnut, inscribed in the Eastlake-style. I’ll be posting more about that old wood in the coming days.