M523M VANITY BOX 1858 BY WILLIAM LUND LONDON BUR YEW.
The Vanity box was and still is the ultimate life-style accessory. Not only did it contain in a compact and elegant manner items necessary for personal grooming, the very quality and aesthetic standard of both the box and its contents conferred on the owner the stamp of elegance and distinction.
This became increasingly important as ladies of the higher social echelons made long house visits to the stately homes of their friends.
The vanity box would command pride of place on the dressing table, its contents sometimes spread around it for the hostess and other guests to glimpse a hint of the quality of its owner. Far from being a mere container of bottles, it became an exposition of the social status, style ranking and of course wealth.
Lund : A family business, of quality box makers. They worked in all materials. They worked from various addresses, within the same area.
William Lund joined his father, Thomas Lund (already an accredited Box maker) in business around 1835. Thomas Lund had established his business in 1804, from 56 & 57 Cornhill, London and in partnership, William Lund set up his manufactory and Retail shop at 23 & 24 fleet street, London. After Thomas Death in 1845 William took over the Whole business. When William died in 1872 his son Charles continued thr business under the name of William Lund & Son.
In this box there was a letter that now exists in the transcript, which reads:THER IS A LETTER THAT DATES IT TO 1858 AND IT READS AS FOLLOWS ADRESS 87 GUILLFORD STREET 7th OF MAY 1858, MY DEAR BESSIE I BY YOUR ACCETANCES OF A DRESSING CASE , AS A SMALL PRESENT FROM, YOURS AFETIONALY , I CANT READ
THIS LOVELY VANITY BOX MADE BY THE TOP LONDON MAKER WILLIAM LUND AND IS TRUELY OUTSTANDING, THIS LOVELY VANITY BOX IS A VERY RICH BURR YEW WOOD THAT IS VERY PRONE TO DAMAGE THER IS TWO VERY TINY NICKS TO THE BACK JUST ME BEING FUSSY, THIS VANITY BOX / CASE COMES FULLY FITTED WITH JARS/BOTTLES IT HAS A SECRET BUTTON TO REVEAL THE LOVELY MIRROR AND SECRET SPACE FOR LOVE LETTERS, THATS RELEASED WHEN YOU PUSH THE SECRET BUTTON, ALL COVERED IN THICK DEEP BLUE CRUSHED VELVET, THE BOX HAS THE LABEL TO THE INSIDE OF LID AND READS, MADE BY WILLIAM LUND AND BOUGHT AT HIS WAREHOUSE AT 56&57 CORNHILL LONDON
