Description

An exceptional early 20th-century wall-mounted butcher shop rack by B.W. Lockhart, retaining its original cast-metal brackets, adjustable horizontal rails and movable hanging hooks.

The decorative side brackets are clearly marked “B.W. Lockhart” and “Pat. Feb. 18, 1908,” providing a documented historical reference for this unusual piece of early commercial equipment.

Designed for use in a traditional butcher shop or meat market, the two-tier rack provided accessible storage for butcher’s tools and equipment. The numerous movable hooks could be repositioned along the horizontal rails to accommodate items such as sharpening steels, cleavers, knives, meat hooks and other working tools.

The contrast between its practical industrial purpose and decorative scroll-form brackets is particularly appealing. Rather than being purely utilitarian, the maker incorporated substantial ornamental cast-metal supports typical of well-appointed commercial interiors of the early 20th century.

The rack retains a beautifully aged, untouched metal surface with oxidation, wear and traces of its long working history. Its generous scale and strong architectural presence make it equally suitable today as functional storage or as a distinctive piece of commercial folk art and industrial décor.

An uncommon survivor from the era of the traditional neighbourhood butcher shop, retaining identifiable maker and patent markings.

H: 35" L: 36" D: 13"