I have a library table that’s very heavy, and I’ve been moving it with me for years. Recently, I started to wonder if it’s valuable, because I’ve never seen one like it.
My grandfather was a NYC fireman and a super for several buildings in Queens. I guess he knew a lot of the neighborhood, because the library allowed him to take the table during a renovation. Through some research, the best guess I have is that it was in the original central library on Parsons Blvd, which was closed (and moved) in 1966. The table sat in my aunt’s basement for a dozen or so years, following my mom’s death, until I was old enough to claim it, so it isn’t in perfect shape, but it’s sturdy and the imperfections could easily be repaired by a woodworker. The seal in the picture appears on both legs.