June 08, 2026

Antique Highlight: Normandy Apothecary Cabinet

This week we are featuring this late nineteenth century oak apothecary cabinet.

This piece was originally part of the cabinetry in the Flers train station pharmacy. The train station, located in the region of Normandy was bombed by the allies during the D-Day landings in 1944 as part of a major Allied campaign to destroy rail infrastructure and isolate the battlefield.

This cabinet was all that was left of the pharmacy after the bombings. The piece is unusual due to its narrow depth allowing medicines to be stored so that they are visible.

This piece was restored in France and brought back to a natural finish. It has a lower cabinet with a single shelf and a large upper door with four interior shelves. All of the shelves are adjustable using this saw tooth pattern and moveable crossbars. The cabinet door is also detailed with carved rosettes in the corners.

The inside was painted in red, a traditional color that hearkens back to the eighteenth century when cabinet makers used to coat the inside of pieces of furniture to preserve the wood and act as a pesticide.