AM Furniture Finishing

In the 20’s my father bought a small weekly Manitoba newspaper. Part of the furnishings was a Rolltop desk, where he did all his writing on an Underwood manual typewriter. When I was 13 they sold up and moved to Vancouver. In the 20’s my father bought a small weekly Manitoba newspaper. Part of the furnishings was a Rolltop desk, where he did all his writing on an Underwood manual typewriter. When I was 13 they sold up and moved to Vancouver.

Forty years later I started returning for reunions, municipality anniversaries, etc. Each time I dropped in to see the current editor,
the son of the fellow who purchased the paper from my father. Over the years the desk moved further back in the shop, two years ago being relegated to dead storage in a dark corner. This spring I contacted Gary, he agreed to let me have it for a small price and put me in touch with a fellow who could crate it up and send it off to Vancouver.

When the crate was taken apart outside Andy’s shop it became apparent that it was literally falling apart, but having come this far
I asked him to have a go at it. A couple of months later he called me and asked me to come to the shop. It was mostly rebuilt and he was coming up to the refinishing; how did I want to proceed? I now have a beautifully refinished desk with a smoothly operating Rolltop.
But the best part is that on the main working surface he saved all the imperfections – ink stains, marks from the typewriter feet,
scratches and the many cigarette burns where Dad put down his cigarette and then forgot it, etc. Memories of my father along with his big old desk.

Andy looked for a label, a date, anything that would indicate when or where it was made. Nothing came up. His best guess is somewhere
around 1910 to 1920.

Thank you for a beautiful piece of furniture and the memories that go along with it.

Before

AM Furniture Finishing

After

AM Furniture FinishingAM Furniture Finishing

Brian Bjarnason, South Surrey BC, October 2011