Attributed to Charles Cameron
Shepherdstown, Virginia (now West Virginia), 1805-1815
Mahogany and cherry with maple, tulip poplar, yellow pine, and sumac
Purchased with funds given by F. G. and Kathy Summitt of Bloomington, Indiana
Catalog no. 143
One of the talented cabinetmakers who plied his trade in the upper Potomac River valley was Charles Cameron of Shepherdstown. Like nearby Martinsburg, Charles Town, and Frederick, Shepherdstown played an active role in the western grain trade with Baltimore. Local furniture often reflected this important commercial connection. Although the nature of Cameron's training is unknown, he clearly was aware of Baltimore designs. Apparently lacking ready access to imported cabinet woods, Cameron relied on local species, including cherry, maple, and sumac. Even so, the conspicuous Gothic ornamentation on the cornice and the overall sophistication of the form confirm that proximity to the coast was not a prerequisite for the production of high-grade furniture.