Made by J.T. Needs Late Bramah: Purveyor to Her Majesty, Prince Albert & the Royal Family.

 

"J.T. Needs Late J. Bramah" refers to a period when J.T. Needs & Co. took over the famous lock-making business of Joseph Bramah in London, continuing to produce high-quality, patented Bramah locks and related items (like desks, boxes, and safes) under the new company name, often marked with addresses like 128 Piccadilly or 100 New Bond St., signifying a transition from Bramah to Needs ownership, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

 

Traveling dressing boxes accompanied upper-class gentlemen on their travels.  Inside were containers for shaving needs, manicure tools and cologne, etc.  These boxes were beautifully designed and made with fine materials.

 

Coromandel wood, also known as calamander, is a dense, hard, and heavy hardwood with a distinctive black and hazel-brown striped pattern. It is a type of variegated ebony, closely related to ebony. The wood is native to India and Sri Lanka, and due to over-harvesting, it’s nearly extinct.  Coromandel was used for high-end furniture, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, often for veneers, crossbanding, and smaller decorative elements