Dressing tables, or vanities, first appeared as 'lowboys' in the late 17th century. They were tables with drawers where toiletries could be stored and applied by both men and women. During this period they were reasonably plain, but by the Queen Anne period (early 18th century) cabriole legs made them more graceful. The most significant development was in the mid-18th century Chippendale period, when portable dressing mirrors with stands were placed on top.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the vanity as we know it was taking shape—the mirror was integrated into the piece and the base often had a knee hole and a matching chair alongside. Some tables had small drawers at the rear for more storage. In earlier incarnations, vanities were intended for the rich, but at this point, country cabinetmakers began copying the styles of the wealthy. Influenced by the folk tradition, and possibly also by the Gustavian style from Sweden, simpler pieces were made out of local timber, painted or wood-grained to look like more expensive woods. This style with the permanently attached mirror became very popular throughout the 19th century and well into the 20th.
Vanities were used to hold everything from a jug and basin set to a ring tree. Other common items were soap dishes (usually lidded with an interior dish with holes), candlesticks (because of the lack of electricity), photograph frames, lidded bowls with powder puffs or a dressing table box-often finely inlaid and fitted for travelling. The vanity was the perfect spot to exhibit grand perfume bottles. After going to the parfumerie and having your chosen fragrance put into a plain bottle, you would take it home and transfer the perfume into your frilly bottle to sit elegantly on your vanity.
Antiques dealers, as well as modern retailers, saw a comeback in vanities a few years ago because of their incredible usefulness. I personally have two: an 18th-century mahogany serpentine fronted chest with a separate toilet mirror with drawers in my bedroom, and a simple pine chest with short turned legs and two carved hearts on the mirror in my guest room. The Art Deco and 1950s funky styles are very popular right now, but I'm also seeing a lot of the prettily painted and distressed country vanity tables. I think that in the coming years the design may become more high tech, as is the fashion, but now is a really good time to buy a traditional vanity table.
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