Globe Furniture Bookcase

Q: We inherited an oak bookcase from my grandmother. It has five shelves that can be separated from each other. Each shelf has a lift-up glass door. The bookcase is labeled, “Mission Bookcase Unit, manufactured by The Globe-Wernicke Co., Cincinnati, O.” Please tell us its value.

A: Globe Furniture Co. of Cincinnati bought Wernicke Co. of Minneapolis in 1899 to form the Globe-Wernicke Co. Otto Wernicke had patented his sectional bookcase in 1892 and it became a best-seller for the company. The bookcases, made in oak, ash, walnut or mahogany, became known as “barrister bookcases.” They were sold not only to lawyers, but to libraries, government offices and storefronts. Today the bookcases are sought by collectors. A five-shelf unit in excellent condition would sell for more than $1,000.