Artist/Maker

Petersen, Karsten

Place Made

Date Made

1820-1830 c.

Medium

maple, poplar

Dimensions

H 16 3/4″ W 18″ D 10 1/2 __16 3/4″ __ __18″ __10 1/2″

Accession Number

5941.1

Description

Miniature chest of drawers with four slightly graduated drawers. The top drawer has a lock and stamped brass keyhole escutcheon; each of the drawers has two turned knobs. The case sits upon four ball feet topped by small turned rings. The primary wood is figured maple and the secondary woods are poplar and pine. The poplar is used for the the drawer sides and bottoms; the pine is used for the backboard of the chest. The inside of the solid backboard has a penciled design made with a compass. The underside of one drawer has the letters, numbers, and “yes” and “no” associated with a ouiji board (a later addition). Drawers are dovetailed on the front and back with bottoms inserted into dados on the front and sides. Each bottom is lapped and nailed with three cut nails at the back.

History

This small chest of drwers descended in the family of Karsten Petersen. It was probably made by Karsten Petersen (1776-1857), then descended to his son, William Praetzel Petersen (1817-1898), then to his son William Jacob Peterson (1863-1916), then to his daughter Agnes Peterson Boyd (c. 1904-1976) and then to her son, William W. Boyd (1936-2017) and then was given to Old Salem Museums & Gardens by William Boyd’s family after his death.

Artist Biography

ARTIST BIO: Karsten Petersen was born in Wichkrug by Flensburg, Schelswig-Holstein, Prussia on April 21, 1776. Although little is known of his background or training, evidence suggests that he may have lived in Denmark for several years. In 1806, he immigrated to Salem from Gnadau via Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. After a brief period in Salem during which Petersen worked in the Single Brothers’ joiner shop and studied English, he and Johann Christian Burkhardt traveled to Georgia to work as craftsmen among the Creek Indians on the Flint River. Petersen and Burkhardt returned to Salem in 1813 and Petersen set up first a turner shop and later a cabinetmaking shop on what had formerly been the Brother’ slaughter house lot. In 1816, Petersen married Suzanna Praezel. They had five children. Their two sons, William and Edward trained in their father’s shop and took the shop over when Petersen died in 1858.

Credit Line

William W. and Greta Boyd in memory of Agnes Peterson Boyd