What was inside all the boxes?
We now get to see!
Close your eyes. Imagine it’s 1948. You recently ordered a big set of Youngstown Steel Kitchen cabinets. The delivery truck has just arrived. The delivery men tote the big boxes into your garage. They begin to open them up. You are so excited!
Now: Open your eyes. It’s 2015 — not 1948 — but we all get to experience the thrill of opening up all the boxes! Yes: Today we get to see the very first photos of the big set of New Old Stock Youngstown Steel Kitchen cabinets that reader Ben recently discovered in storage. As you may recall, we first showed these cabinets — but still hidden in their boxes — in this story earlier this month.
They are just as pretty — just as shiny and new — as they day they were packed into their boxes. So pretty! So shiny! So new!
And woah, Nellie, hang on, because, there is a 1948 General Electric stove to go with. It is brand new, too.
Ben said the price tag was still on it: $270.
In case you didn’t catch that: Brand new. Reader Janet in ME piped right in and said it’s a GE Airliner. A GE Airliner! Woot! Our readers are So Smart. Thank you, Janet in ME!
Not one crumb new.
Apparently, not one scratch new. It was all crated up.
Brand spanking new. Oh my goodness.
Never messed with new.
New new new new new. It doesn’t get much better than this.
But wait, it does get better than this. The best part, imho: New Old Stock Cusheen vinyl countertops to match up with the Youngstown Steel Kitchen cabinet bases.
There are a lot of steel kitchen cabinets around (of course, not NOS), and there are a lot of GE ranges around (ditto) — but pristine Cusheen countertops? These are flipping amazing.
Ben says that the Cusheen vinyl is adhered straight onto steel. As you can see in the photo above, there is a steel channel underneath and multiple short channels behind the backsplash to reinforce the structure. What I mean to say: There is no wood substrate to these countertops! They are Cusheen-on-steel. Ben says it’s 16 gauge. It’s honking heavy stuff.
You screw the countertops right onto the cabinets. I think those are the screws, above.
Note: The drainboard sink was used; Ben says it’s in great shape, though. Also: The sink front was used and needs some work; Ben says the paint has yellowed, and it will need to be repainted to match the other cabinets. Back story seems to be: The complete kitchen was purchased back in ’48 or ’49 with a remodel in mind. Obviously, the remodel never happened. But the owners used the sink base and the sink in another location. In addition, there likely were wall cabinets — but these were also used in another project, long gone.
What is the total tally of what was found? Ben has not made up a list — but he took photos of the boxes, and they are in the slide show, if you want to count.
Ben wants to sell these
What is going to happen to these cabinets? Ben wants to sell them. I really think they belong in a museum and am reaching out to my museum friends right away today to see if they can help get these things to a museum. Meanwhile, Ben is open to offers. He wants to sell everything as a set. (UPDATE: See below; sold. — great follow up story!)
Update: How the story ends
- UPDATE: The cabinets went to a museum — a result of our story! See how the story ends by reading this story here.
More about Youngstowns and Cusheen:
- Must see: “The Mullinaires” sing the praises of Youngstown Steel Kitchen Cabinets in 1953. Classique!
- See our story about Cusheen countertops here. It was an alternative to linoleum, available in a variety of rich colors.
- See the original Cusheen countertops in Brian and Keri’s kitchen here.
- Click here to see this late-1950s catalog showing these countertops — and lots of pretty Youngstown kitchens.
Yowza. Eight years nine-and-a-half years (yowza, I just checked — it’ll be 10 years soon!) into doing this blog daily. Just when I think we will run out of stories, stuff like this comes at us. Yay!
Thank you so much, Ben, for sending all the photos. What a great thing you did by rescuing these! Be sure to tell whoever buys them about RetroRenovation.com and to give them our contact info — we want to see where they land!
CONTINUE to next page to see the SLIDE SHOW — 80 double-sized photos:
Tips to view slide show: Click on any image… it will enlarge to 1000 pixels wide on your screen … click anywhere to move forward, and look for previous and next buttons within photo to move back or forth… you can start or stop at any image:
Barbara says
WOW What a find, so special. whoever ends up with this set, I hope they submit pictures of the kitchen when done to you so you can share them with us! Love!!
Casey Herbert says
Powder coating was not a widely used process at the time these were manufactured, so all is paint applied like automotive paint of the day.
Margie Grace says
Incredible! What a find! Wish I were doing a remodel right now!!!!
AnnF says
I couldn’t read the cardboard piece. What is the back left burner for?
pam kueber says
It’s a “Thrift Cooker,” a deep well for slow cooking, essentially.
Jamie says
Oh.My.Beautiful! Picking my jaw up off of the floor now. I hope they get a wonderful new home.
Ginene Nagel~Fox and Finch Antiques says
My grandparents had these cabinets put in their kitchen when they remodeled in the 1940s and they remained in the house until a developer bought it three years ago. I called the developer and asked him if I could have the cabinets if he tore the house down. He said that I could. But, he didn’t call me when the house was torn down last spring and my dream was crushed. These cabinets, sink and the stove all represent home to me. This is beyond a beautiful set and someone with the cash is going to be extremely happy (and lucky).
Sarah says
We have this kitchen! Cabinets, identical Cusheen countertops, just a slightly different arrangement. It’s incredible to see it like this. We restored ours and they look like new, but what fun to see NEW.
pam kueber says
Fantastic! I would LOVE to have these countertops – they are amazing!
Shambie says
SWOONING over that range! And everything else. Oh why wasn’t I born filthy rich?
Neil says
BE STILL MY HEART!
Ginger says
For all you history buffs – the Mullins Corporation, who made Youngstown Kitchens, was HQ in Salem, OH. Salem Historical Society and Museum has a wonderful industrial exhibit in one of our galleries that features the Mullins Co. We have advertising models and even children’s toys modeled on Youngstown Kitchens. On display are other products made by the company including: pressed metal lintel, suit of armor, military ordinance, red cap trailer, Sea Eagle boat and more. Check our website for hours. Also open by appointment.
pam kueber says
Thanks, Ginger. I also have the book that Mullins wrote about its efforts during World War II. So much history !
Mary lou says
Oh how wonderful Ginger! I would love to see this museum. We had a basic Youngstown cabinet and sink top in our kitchen until just past winter. Our kitchen is so small and the porcelain top had lost all of the glazing in the sink part. WE took it and put in something more functional for us (no dishwasher in our house) but still have the cabinet base and top in our basement. We had painted it red a few years ago and it is in good shape, even has the cutting board that slides in on left side and the original “boomerang” style drawer pulls.
Hoping to see “Lucille” and not sure how to market it. Pam Kueber, would you have any ideas for me? I have photos, just need to find them on my phone. I love these photos and oh would I love that STOVE!!
Mary lou says
Pardon my typos and words ommitted!
pam kueber says
craigslist
Kelly Whalen says
Born and raised in Salem Ohio! Personally know people at Salem Historical Society! Awesome story!