Woodworker: Frank B. Rhodes, Jr.

This painted chest is a reproduction of a rare Mahantongo Valley chest of drawers, ca. 1835-1840. To re-create the elaborate motifs on the drawer fronts and case sides, Rhodes traced the details from the original and transferred them to this chest. He then hand-painted each one, without the aid of stencils, reproducing as closely as possible the colors that appear on the original. The building and painting took more than 600 hours. The wood is poplar, the turned pulls are cherry, and the paints are oil-based. The topcoat is satin varnish.

Photo: John H. Ansley