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Manicure table

Object | Part of History collection

GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; view 1
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; view 2
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; view 3
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; view 4
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 3
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 2
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 1
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 4
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 5
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 6
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 7
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth ; composite 8
GH008099; Manicure table; circa 1950; Chester, Garth
This image has a rights statement of CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

item details

NameManicure table
ProductionGarth Chester; designer; 1955-1960; New Zealand
Classificationtables
Materialswood, steel, paint, plastic
Materials SummaryWood, steel, plastic and paint
Registration NumberGH008099
Credit linePurchased 1998 with New Zealand Lottery Grants Board funds

Overview

This bespoke manicure table features a black laminate top and white painted steel legs. It is fitted with a lamp and an angled wrist and hand rest. There is a single drawer below on right side, which features an adhesive label bearing Garth Chester's name.

According to a hand written inscription in pencil on the underside of the manicure table, Garth Chester produced the table for Sareta Salons in Auckland. The inscription reads:

'MANICURE TABLE
DESIGNED FOR
SARETA SALONS
BY GARTH CHESTER LTD
32 FRANCE STREET
AUCKLAND'

Earlier works by Chester can often be identified by a ‘Riginals’ adhesive label. Chester operated under the ‘Riginals’ brand until a fire destroyed his factory in 1954. Item made following the fire, tend to feature notations written in pencil.

Sareta Beauty Salons was founded by Mrs Eleanor K Wright, and opened for business in Auckland’s Smith and Caughey Building on Thursday 27 June 1929. Declaring Sareta’s to be the most ‘luxurious and most up-to-date’ beauty salon in The Dominion, Mrs Wright offered ‘a complete Beauty service’, including hairdressing, facial massage, manicuring and chiropody. In July 1942 Monte Winter, who was to become synonymous with hairdressing in Auckland, took over the salon.