Cedar Chest Roos

Q: I have a large cedar chest with a curved lid and drawers along the bottom. It has two curved handles. It’s marked under the lid “Roos Chests, Forest Park, Ill., Sealtite lid patented.” It was my maternal grandmother’s wedding chest about 1920. The chest is 44 inches wide, 31 inches deep, and 18 inches across. What are the best fabrics to store in a cedar chest? Does it have any value as an antique?

A: Cedar chests have been used to store things for hundreds of years. They are often called “hope chests” because they were often given to young women to keep linens and other household items before marriage. The cedar keeps out moths and other insects, but the oil in the wood will discolor fabric or paper. Before storing fabrics in the cedar chest, it should be lined with mylar or polyethylene sheeting. The fabric should be wrapped in white cotton sheets or washed unbleached muslin. Pictures and other paper objects should be placed in an archival box before storing in a cedar chest. Edward Roos Co. was founded in Chicago in 1916 and moved to Forest Park in 1918. At one time it made more chests than any other maker in the world. The company was sold in 1951 and it went out of business in 1953. Cedar chests are useful and sell quickly. Many Roos chests are found online and in shops. Plain chests go for $100-$150. Those with extra decoration or carving can sell for $300-$500.