Photo # 25: Hope Chest

Hope Chest, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Photo # 25 The Hope Chest

My grandmother painted the design on my mother's hope chest and I had trouble deciding whether I wanted to keep this piece of furniture or not.

The reason wasn't one of being sentimental; it was because the chest itself is  too old. The top opens to a deep space and the lid falls on my head. Both drawers are hard to open and close. The black paint behind the design is showing the bangs and scratches of being moved. I guess I just find old furniture frustrating. But, in the end I kept the chest.

Grandma Jo painted this chest in 1946 before my mother married. She did her work in the garage and kept her painting materials in her studio above the garage. That's all I know. I was not old enough while she lived there to go upstairs over the garage. 

Then, suddenly, my grandmother sold the house and moved to an apartment. The hope chest had moved to my parent's house sometime in 1947 or 1948 after I was born. Then, when I sold my parent's house, I moved it to my home in Bridgewater (in 2002). I aired it out because it smelled like moth balls.

It sat in my basement office until we moved here to our condo. I decided I wanted to use it in my dining area. It fits in the space. We took off the hinge for the lock because it almost killed me falling on my head.

I took a permanent magic marker to the worst of the black paint. It works quite well. I still have sections to do as yet. I printed this photo of my grandmother with the chest and hung it in a small frame nearby. My daughter will not want this chest or the small bureau that I also moved that is in our basement. She has no sentimental feelings for furniture. It is OK. My grandmother would have told me to throw it out.

My friends that are creative have remarked at how much they like it. I use the chest now most everyday and remember that is supposed to be filled with hope.

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