Help Me identify which White Star Liner this came from!
Hey r/oceanlinerporn, I'm hoping you may be able to help me solve a little mystery-
TL/DR: Bought this dresser on fb marketplace, trying to place what ship it came from. What White Star Liner ships in the late 1880s had first class staterooms numbered E88, E93, or N22?
I found this piece of furniture listed as a "nautical dresser" on facebook marketplace and decided I had to have it. The sweet lady I bought it from told me she had "bought it from this nice place in California way back with her first husband." The name of the furniture store she gave me ended up being a place that has specialized in marine salvage antiques since 1968. (I'm going to reach out to them too)
I originally figured the marble, brass, and solid mahogany (i think) meant it would be from a 1930s era steamship, but after close inspection, the knapp joinery on all the drawers places it closer to 1870-1890. The inside of the latches in the big drawers say Aug 1882 on them in super tiny letters.
I've found online other furniture pieces from White Star Liner ships where the drawer numbers could indicate which cabin they were meant for, and help narrow you down the field of which ship they were on originally. The two small drawers say E93 and E88 on the backs, and the bigger drawers all say N22 on them. Based on the quality and locks on every drawer I'd imagine this would be from a first class stateroom or even potentially a public dining space?
The SS Doric and SS Ionic were both launched in 1883 traveling from London to New Zealand. I figure based on the lock dates they could be candidates, but I've been unable to find any illustrations or photos of the furniture from the older white star ships. Based on my limited googling, it seems the Doric and Ionic didn't have E or N decks.
To add to the mystery, the marble has the word "poland" written on the underside in the same loopy pencil script, though poland as a country didn't exist until later?
I found a penny from 1968 wedged into the back of the upper drawers, so I figure maybe if the marine salvage had multiple pieces they may have mixed and matched from multiple staterooms.
Honestly just pouring through this reddit and information on the White Star Line has been super interesting and completely engrossing. As a sailor and history nerd, I'm really hoping to be able to find out more about where in the world this bad boy has been in its very long lifetime. Any help you have would be most appreciated!
Posted Dec 7, 2025, 12:39 PM UTC