Rotating Library Tabard Inn, Seymour Easton (1859-1916)

We are delighted to offer for sale this extremely rare and highly collectible antique rotating library cabinet from Tabard Inn by Seymour Easton (1859-1916). Engraved with a quote from Thomas Carlyle, "The true University of these days is a collection of books." This piece, likely the finest and most collectible rotating library in the world, is also the largest ever seen by the seller. Entirely hand-carved from solid oak, it features two sides dedicated to books and two other sides with inspiring quotes and engraved crests, describing various categories such as Biography, Poetry, History, Sociology, Art, Mechanics, Fiction, Politics, Commerce, Travel, Science, and Religion. Seymour Easton manufactured these libraries around 1902 as part of the Tabard Inn Library, a membership library with stations in the form of these rotating cabinets located in pharmacies and other commercial establishments across the United States. The piece has been cleaned, waxed, and polished, the rotation mechanism works perfectly, the frame is solid and stable, with an honest patina reflecting over 120 years of use.