Hamilton cabinet serial number

I checked our various Hamilton cabinets and there appears to be no consistent serial number system, with some units having no serial number. Wood cabinets were made well into the steel cabinet era for both Hamilton and Thompson, and a few other lesser brands. Steel started coming in before World War I for cabinet work, but wood cabinets were still being shown in the Thompson catalog printed about 1947 (catalog is undated, except refers to the “recently completed Jefferson Memorial [1943] and is shown as Catalog 47). The 1937 Hamilton catalog still listed most cabinets as being available in wood but illustrated mostly all steel cabinets. The 1950 Hamilton catalog has no wood cabinet work displayed. Based on the style of case pull shown, I would estimate prior to 1936—the 1937 catalog states the new style case pull had been recently introduced and had been well received.

Hamilton made furniture in other lines of work as well. We have a nice Hamilton wood drafting table that dates to the 1960s and I have seen Hamilton dentist chairs and other medical equipment.

Duplicate post.

There are other clue’s to look for. The style of case pulls tells a lot. The early ones were cast iron and shaped different than the ones you have pictured. Then they went to a cast iron version like you have pictured. Cast iron was slow and very labor intense to do compared to stamped steel pulls. So they came up with stamped steel ones just like the old cast iron ones….which is what you have. I’m saying this is after 1928 time frame…..and I’m basing that on two cabinets I have are dated on the inside. Date and where it was being shipped. Always check inside the cabinet from markings that the shipping dept. would put on stuff. Steve — Liberty Press

Thanks for your responses. Interesting stuff. Several of the cases in my cabinet have “Dec. 1, 1941” hand-written on them in pencil. Little did whoever wrote it know that next week would be very eventful.