This heirloom handmade curio cabinet, crafted in 1895, has been lovingly passed down through five generations. More than just furniture, it holds the treasured memories, keepsakes, and stories of the women in our family—each shelf a chapter in a continuing legacy.


The Heart of the House: A Curio Cabinet’s Journey

In the corner of our living room stands a tall, elegant piece of furniture with curved legs, beveled glass, and a secret or two behind every panel. It’s more than just a cabinet—it’s a storyteller in wood and glass, a keeper of memories. That handmade curio cabinet, built in 1895, has been in our family for over a century, and oh, the stories it could tell.

Great-Great-Grandpa Samuel built it as a wedding gift for his bride, Evelyn, a schoolteacher with a fondness for pressed flowers and porcelain birds. He carved her initials into the back, tucked behind the top shelf where only the family knows to look. In those early days, the cabinet held their love letters, a chipped teacup from their first home, and a jar of sea glass from a honeymoon at the coast.

When Evelyn passed it down to her daughter Clara in the 1930s, it became a treasure chest of wartime letters, silver hairbrushes, and a well-worn locket with a picture of her beloved in uniform. Clara always said that dusting the cabinet was her way of having quiet conversations with the past.

My grandmother Ruth inherited it next, and that’s when the cabinet started to become a stage for celebration. She filled it with figurines from her travels, birthday cards from her grandchildren (yes, even the glittery ones), and her prized thimble collection. Every shelf held a chapter of her life, and if you asked about any one item, she'd lean back, sigh deeply, and begin, “Oh, that one has a story…”

When it became my mother’s, the curio took on a softer, more whimsical feel—lace doilies, tiny ceramic animals, the baby shoes we all wore, and my first pair of ballet slippers. Mom always said the cabinet wasn’t just for decoration, it was for remembering.

Now, it’s mine. The heirloom handmade curio cabinet, crafted over 125 years ago, sits proudly in my home, holding bits of all the women before me—along with my own treasures. A music box from Paris. My daughter’s first tooth. A dried rose from the bouquet my husband gave me on our 10th anniversary.

Every time I open its creaky glass door, I feel them with me—Evelyn, Clara, Ruth, my mother. This cabinet isn’t just an antique. It’s the heart of our family. And one day, when I pass it down to my granddaughter, I’ll tuck a note inside the top drawer that says, “This isn’t just furniture. This is us.”

And the stories will continue.

Author



Jackie James - Boston MA

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