original and intact american industrial four-legged welded joint tubular steel work stand fabricated by or for the libby mcneil & libby company factory, chicago, il. the square-shaped table top is comprised of solid refinished maple wood with thru-bolts for reinforcement. the reinforced tubular steel base with welded joint stretchers is structurally sound and stable. both the solid rock hard wood top and heavy gauge steel base has been brushed, sanded and sealed with a clear coat lacquer. the table retains the original brass inventory plaque with lightly incised lettering. the tightly affixed "shoes" or caps attached at the bottom of each leg are in great overall condition. libby's was founded as libby, mcneill & libby in chicago, illinois, by archibald mcneill and the brothers arthur and charles libby. the business began with a canned meat product, beef in brine, or corned beef. it became well-known when it began to package the meat in a trapezoid-shaped can starting in 1875. by 1880, it had 1,500 employees in chicago, and by the turn of the century there were about 2,000 employed, by which time it had expanded to the canning of fruits and vegetables. libby's came under the control of swift & company in the 1920's but later became independent again. by 1960 libby's had 9,000 employees and annual revenues of $296 million, and ranked 154th in size among u.s. corporations. measures 24 x 24 x 35 1 /2 inches