Secret furniture

Why ?

Secret cabinets are cabinets that have hidden compartments or locking mechanisms to store valuables or confidential documents. These pieces of furniture have been used for centuries to protect valuables and personal secrets.

History of secret furniture

Secret furniture can take different forms, such as cabinets, chests of drawers, tables, chairs… or even secretaries (From the Latin secretarius, from the Latin secretarium (“place to keep secrets, treasures”) . Hidden compartments can be hidden behind sliding panels, secret drawers or removable mirrors. Locking mechanisms can be triggered by key mechanisms, number combinations or secret codes.
They were especially popular during times when people had to hide their possessions from confiscation or theft, such as during the French Revolution or the World Wars. They were also used by nobles and the wealthy to protect their jewelry, important documents, and money.

The master of secret furniture: David Roentgen

David Roentgen (1743-1807) was a renowned German cabinetmaker who practiced in Neuwied, Germany in the 18th century. He is best known for his secret furniture, which was often incredibly detailed and decorated with marquetry and mother-of-pearl inlay.
Roentgen was born in Windecken, Germany, and began learning the cabinetmaking trade when he was 14 years old. He then traveled to France and Switzerland to hone his skills. He moved to Neuwied in 1769 and opened his own workshop.

Roentgen became popular for its high quality, neoclassical style furniture. These were highly valued by the nobles and wealthy of the time, and they were commissioned by prestigious clients such as the Kings of Prussia and France, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Roentgen furniture was often equipped with locking mechanisms and hidden compartments to store valuables or confidential documents. He is considered one of the best cabinetmakers of his time for his secret creations, and his work was widely admired for its ingenuity, quality and finesse.

David Roentgen died in Neuwied in 1807, but his name remains associated with the exceptional quality and ingenuity of his secret furniture. His designs continue to be admired and appreciated today by antique enthusiasts and collectors.

Of our time

Today, secret cabinets are still used to protect valuables, but they have also become a popular choice for antique enthusiasts and collectors. Some modern secret cabinets are also designed for more practical uses, such as built-in safes for storing firearms or valuables.

Secret furniture in Cinema and Literature

Secret cabinets have been used in film and literature to create an atmosphere of mystery or suspense. These pieces of furniture can be used to hide objects or people, or to reveal important information for the plot. Here are some examples of works where secret furniture plays an important role:

Movies :

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920): This is a German expressionist horror film that uses secret furniture to create an atmosphere of madness and mystery. The film features scenes where the characters discover hidden compartments in cabinets and dressers that reveal plot information.

“Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981): In this adventure film, Indiana Jones discovers a secretary who hides a secret compartment containing an artifact important to the plot.

“National Treasure” (2004): This adventure film uses secret furniture to reveal information about a hidden treasure. The characters discover hidden compartments in antique furniture that allow them to solve puzzles and discover clues to the location of the treasure.

“The Prestige” (2006): In this sci-fi film, the characters use secret furniture to hide objects and people, and to reveal plot information. Magic scenes use secret furniture to create illusions.

‘Knives Out’ (2019): In this detective film, a wealthy thriller writer dies under suspicious circumstances, and the investigator discovers secret furniture in the house that contains clues to the murder.

In the litterature :

“The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” by Arthur Conan Doyle: In many Sherlock Holmes stories, secret cabinets are used to hide objects or clues important to the investigation. For example, in the story “The Adventure of the Speckled Band”, a secret cabinet is used to hide a deadly weapon.

“The Secret Keepers” by Trenton Lee Stewart: This children’s novel uses a combination lock mechanism to reveal hidden compartments in a watch that hold clues to a puzzle to be solved.

“The Secret Keepers” by Trenton Lee Stewart: This children’s novel uses a combination lock mechanism to reveal hidden compartments in a watch that hold clues to a puzzle to be solved. The characters discover hidden compartments in furniture that contain items and documents important to the plot.

“The Name of the Rose” by Umberto Eco: In this historical novel, a monk investigates a murder in a medieval monastery, and uses secret furniture to uncover clues to the murder.

“The Secret Adversary” by Agatha Christie: This mystery novel uses secret furniture to hide objects and information important to the plot. The characters discover hidden compartments in furniture that contain clues to a criminal plot.

The ancestor of escape games

Halfway between furniture and puzzles, secret furniture is back on the scene thanks to the enthusiasm generated by escape games.
Secret furniture has been and will continue to be a subject of fascination for a long time.

To learn more about David Roentgen:
http://www.terre-meuble.fr/les-meubles-a-secrets-de-david-roentgen/