Q: I’d like to know the history and value of my 3-drawer chest made by “Brandt” of Hagerstown, Md. I’m 83 years old and this chest belonged to my mother.
A: Brandt Furniture Co. was established in Hagerstown, Md., in 1901. The company went out of business in 1985. Former employees re-opened the factory in 1986 and continue to operate it as a small family business. One Brandt table has an unusual history. Some say papers containing secret information about the U.S. atomic bomb were photographed lying on a Brandt table that belonged to Julius and Ethel Rosenberg. In 1953 the couple was convicted of conspiring to pass information about the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. The photograph was one of the pieces of evidence that helped convict the couple. Brandt chests sell as used furniture, not added antique value, for $150 or so.