The Robinson Crusoe sideboard was created by Garrard Robinson and is considered by furniture experts to be an icon of Victorian furniture. Exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, this important English oak sideboard proved to be among the most spectacular works showcased at the event. The commentator of the Art Journal Catalog of the Exhibition proclaimed that "Few objects in the Exhibition attracted more attention than the "Robinson Crusoe Sideboard...The carved panels picture leading incidents in the ever-famous story: they are exceedingly well executed; and certainly the work merits the very general popularity it undoubtedly obtained." Garrard Robinson demonstrates his most meticulous work in this fine showpiece. The sideboard exhibits breathtaking relief carving detailing the events in Daniel Defoe's acclaimed novel Robinson Crusoe. The attention this masterpiece garnered at the Exhibition propelled Robinson into the international spotlight. The son of a blacksmith, Robinson attended the Newcastle School of Design. At the age of 14 he apprenticed to Thomas Hall Tweedy, then the most famous wood carver in all of Great Britain. It is widely accepted that a majority of Tweety's finest works were from the hand of the talented young Robinson. In fact, Tweety showed four examples of Robinson's work at the 1862 Exhibition under T.H. Tweety of Newcastle-on Tyne, which included this remarkable sideboard.

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