VERY IMPORTANT: Sorry to use all caps, but old cedar chests are a serious suffocation risk for kids. Go to the Lane homepage:
http://www.lanefurniture.com/customer_care.asp

and register for a new lock. They mail it to you, free of charge. If you have the old type, a child can crawl inside, shut themselves in, and not get out. I wrote away for a new lock when we inherited a similar chest; if you can use a screwdriver, you can replace the lock. Even if you don't have kids, maybe your friends do, or maybe someone with kids will inherit the chest from you someday.

Hmmm...the link didn't work quite right. From the page I linked, select "Safety Info," and then select "Cedar Chest Lock Replacement."

I've seen this called the biggest safety recall in U.S. history, and yet many people (including myself for a long time) have never heard about it.

did you get this from craigslist? beautiful!

Lane has made hundreds of styles of Cedar Chests over the years since it started business in 1912 (I think?) - and just as the Danish Modern style was popular in other home furnishings in the late 50's/60's and early 70's, Lane made numerous variations on this style.

If you have small children in your home, you'll want to make sure that your piece has one of the replacement safety locks installed - several children died from hiding in these self-locking chests and suffocating resulting in a major recall in the 80's.

Don't worry, I have already ordered a new lock for the chest, but thank you for the head's up.

Selena, no I didn't buy this from Craigslist...just a local resale shop. I'm glad you like it! Now, I just need to figure out where I'm going to put it.

Considering the style of this as Danish Modern, I would suggest the nitpicky detail that this is, more accurately, a teak chest with cedar lining. At least, in my experience, the veneers of the exteriors of this type are typically teak. The chest is most definitely not sheathed in cedar as I can see from the grain in the photos. Teak is more valuable then cedar and that may mean this is worth more than the seller or yourself may have realized. This type of modernist furniture is highly desirable by collectors and I hope you are able to find out more about this particular piece. I once purchased a similar piece for $30 from a junk dealer who didn't know any better. However, the Danish Modern style has ebbed and flowed in its favor and some of these pieces were being manufactured up until the 80's and perhaps beyond...

Thanks Eric. I would agree that the veneer seems to be teak. Although the back is not veneered, but is still solid cedar.

Have you considered writing to Lane?

And aren't these traditionally called "Hope chests"?

My mother's hope chest looks almost exactly like this and is from Lane, c. 1964. The only difference is there is just one long drawer on the bottom, the front is mostly just flat.

Patrick, I wrote to Lane when I ordered my new lock and have not received a response regarding the chest itself. I believe they are refered to as "cedar chests" and "hope chests" interchangeably, but on Lane's website either the term "chests" or "cedar chests" is used when searching by product.

Hunting around on the internet last fall, I learned that you can determine the date of your chest. Look around (maybe on the bottom?) , and you should find a 6-digit serial number. For instance, on my chest, it's 356011. Turn is backwards, and it forms a date: 11-06-53. That's the date of manufacture. No word as to what the style number means. Also, some people have reported having a 7-digit serial number. They've been advised to simply drop the first digit (or the last when you flip it around to make a date.)

I wrote to Lane, and received no useful information. If I recall correctly, they stated that their headquarters had moved and no historical information was available. It was just a form letter, in any case.

Hey, it's not a lot of information, but it will give you a date--to the actual day! I did a pretty exhaustive internet search with our chest, and never learned anything more.

Also, I learned that almost all "cedar chests" actually have a thin veneer of another wood on the exterior--apparently the favorable qualities of cedar can be lost if exposed to the air for long periods.

Thanks Molly. I actually just learned what the serial number could mean, myself. It makes sense....the serial number backwards would mean a manufacturing date of 10/15/65.

I have a question... My mother-in-law has a simple Lane Hope Chest, serial # 947180, that she purchased in the early 50's. We found many examples of its current worth, but she would like to know what she paid for the chest as she cannot remember. It was new from a store (she left the warrenty tags attached to the inside of the lid). Any ideas?

I just sent this exact chest to be refinished and it came out perfect. I had no idea about the recall on the locks! Thank goodness for apartment therapy!.