Isn’t it funny how the littlest things can bring back long-forgotten stories from memories past? Because the first thing that crossed my mind upon seeing this secretary cabinet was not “Holy crap, that’s SO COOL!” (that was my second thought), but a recollection of a beloved, long out-of-print book from my childhood: Midnight in the Dollhouse.

(Has anyone else read that book? I was never into dolls as a kid, but I loved the idea of the dolls coming alive at night when the humans weren’t looking. Kinda like Toy Story, but set in the 1800s.)

Anyways, I know that not everyone likes watching online videos, so here’s an animated GIF of this incredible, 200-year-old, handmade wooden desk to whet the appetite:

I mean, what respectable geek doesn’t like hidden compartments?  😆 

The original video is only 2 minutes and 20 seconds long, so don’t be afraid to witness this working marvel in its full splendor:

As for Midnight in the Dollhouse, you can be sure that I’ve added it to my list of “books I must get for my children because I enjoyed them so much as a child and dammit, they will love them too!”  😛 

Via Geekologie.