ANTIQUE VICTORIAN MAHOGANY BALLOT BOX 1800'S MASONIC FINE CONDITION

Description: Offering this exceptional antique ballot box - Victorian circa beginning of the 1800's, mahogany with extraordinary woodworking and craftsmanship. Painted notations of "YES" and "NO" on the drawers (with key locks) and either side of cylinder indicating which side to drop ones vote on to be counted up later. Measuring approximately 12" wide, 11"high and 8" deep and in wonderful condition for its age. Box was purchased by myself during a trip at an estate sale in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. Per my notes from that trip (in photo and will include) - Box was either made for or donated to St John's Masonic Lodge #4 in Hartford CT by a William Ellery in 1805. The husband of the woman from whom I purchased the box from had been a member of this lodge as had been most of the men in the family and the box came down by descent. There are some old newspaper clippings and a very old postcard from the Congo (??) I think, which I will leave in the box drawer with my notes. Many years later I got around to spending some time looking at the box. I looked up William Ellery and discovered that someone by that name was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. There was also a preacher by that name around this time although neither of them were from Connecticut. Before I started going down this rabbit hole with the name and the notes it occurred to me that although it is fun to speculate, I had no actual documentation of anything other than what the woman had told me which is basically next to nothing - please keep that in mind. I do guarantee that the box is authentic and period but I cannot claim to actually know where it came from other than from a nice woman in Chicago. These ballot boxes are exceedingly rare and have sold for thousands at Christie's and other auction houses. This year being an extremely important election year, this should be a very in-demand item for a higher end antique store.

Price: 725 USD

Location: Studio City, California

End Time: 2024-10-31T17:52:45.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD