Robert Mitchell Dresser & Chest

Q: My grandmother was married in 1899 and received a curly birch bedroom dresser and chest as a gift. Both pieces are mounted with a beveled mirror in a carved wooden frame. My mother wasn’t fond of the furniture but she kept it and now we’re using it because we can tell its quality is a lot better than anything else we own. The label on the back of each piece says “Robert Mitchell Furniture Co., Cincinnati, Ohio.” Please tell us about the manufacturer and the furniture’s value.

A: Robert Mitchell was an Irish immigrant who partnered with Frederick Rammelsberg to open a furniture-making business in Cincinnati in the 1830s or ’40s. Mitchell & Rammelsberg incorporated in 1867. In 1881, after Rammelsberg had died, the corporate name was changed to Robert Mitchell Furniture Co. It remained in business until about 1940. Any Victorian-era furniture made by Mitchell & Rammelsberg or Robert Mitchell Furniture Co. is high-quality and prized by collectors.