Sheraton open front bookcases were a very popular type of bookcase that emerged in England in the last 1800s. As the industrial revolution changed the fabric of daily life, some people were made more affluent and had more leisure time, hence the growth in reading as pursuit. To accomodate the increase in books, a practical piece of furniture was required to house them - hence the wonderful Sheraton open front bookcase.

The open front design gave easy access to the books. They could also be used to house other items such as decorative pieces like porcelain and bronze pieces. The Sheraton bookcase typically featured intricate marquetry inlay work with typical Sheraton classical motifs like acanthus leaves and scrolls. The bookcases have adjustable shelves and are a very practical piece of furniture.

Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806), was an English furniture designer, and Baptist minister, born in Stockton-on-Tees. He appears to have lived in near poverty all his life. Around 1790 he began to work in London as a furniture designer and teacher of drawing. No furniture by his own hand has been identified; his reputation rests chiefly on The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book, (1793-1794), a practical guide for cabinet makers and their clients which sums up the refined English Neo-Classical taste of the 1790s. It did much to disseminate what has become known as the Sheraton style, not just in Britain but throughout Europe and in North America.