Collection spotlight · Southern Historian’s Collection
A Philadelphia Classical secretary bookcase
A cylinder-front mahogany secretary bookcase made in Philadelphia around 1825 and attributed to Anthony G. Quervelle. It is estimated at $5,000–10,000 in our November 8 auction.
5 lots
In the auction
Click any lot for full photos, condition notes and bidding on LiveAuctioneers.
Lot 49View lot →
Lot 343View lot →
Lot 346View lot →
Lot 345View lot →
Lot 350View lot →The piece
This three-part secretary bookcase stands 101 inches tall, with a bookcase top, a cylinder-front desk and a pedestal base with a kneehole drawer. It has an arched frieze, Sheraton-style tracery doors lined in pleated yellow silk, carved columns and an oak-leaf wreath over the kneehole. It still has its original gilt-brass key.
It is built of mahogany, curly maple, tulip poplar, white pine, cedar and ebony.
Attribution and provenance
The Southern furniture scholar Edward Pattillo attributed the secretary to Anthony G. Quervelle, circa 1825–1835. Quervelle was the Philadelphia cabinetmaker whose mahogany pier tables were placed in the White House East Room in 1829. Dealer and scholar Carswell Rush Berlin proposed Henry Fligler of Philadelphia as the maker.
The provenance runs from the Devereux and Antelo families of Philadelphia, to an Alabama collector in 1955, then to Carswell Rush Berlin (2006) and Edward Pattillo (2008). Full condition notes are in the lot listing.
These lots are offered in The Southern Historian’s Collection (Sunday, November 8). Bidding is online at LiveAuctioneers, with pickup in Leeds, Alabama or shipping.
FAQ
Bidding questions
Straight answers. For anything else, call Kenneth at (205) 915-9006.
What is the estimate?
Lot 49 is estimated at $5,000–10,000, with an opening bid of $2,000, in The Southern Historian’s Collection on November 8, 2026.
Can it be shipped?
Yes. Pickup is available in Leeds, Alabama, and we can arrange professional furniture shipping.
Who was Anthony Quervelle?
A French-born cabinetmaker who worked in Philadelphia in the early 1800s and is known for Classical (American Empire) furniture in mahogany and giltwood, including pier tables for the White House East Room.
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