When we hauled them inside to polish them up recently, we discovered some unexpected anomalies...
What the hell was going on here? This pair were not actually meant to be together, despite first appearances. We puzzled over the matter for a while, til it dawned on us that each door had probably been widowed or separated from it's rightful partner during the demolition and removal process. The home they came from would have had two sets of these double doors: one duo from the entrance to the sitting room, and one duo from the sitting room to the formal dining area. So, their partners had ether been smashed up while being moved, or simply mixed up and clumsily partnered with the wrong mate during transportation. So sad... Still, we've resolved to love them as they are and help them work together in this - their second - marriage.
It just means a bit of extra tinkering to help them connect properly. As they'll be open more often than not, most visitors to our home are unlikely to notice anyway. And if they do, well we have this story to tell, about how we saved these darling deco doors and offered them a new life together. The fact that they've survived in such pristine condition for 70 or so years already, it's a credit to the workmanship that went into them way back when, and also a credit to the homeowners that obviously loved them so much.
Something else worth noting is that they also happen to be heavy as hell. They would have been hung on a hardwood frame, justifying the use of only two hinges. As we're hanging them on a soft wood frame, we'll need to install an extra central hinge on each side. Not complaining exactly, but it would be remiss of us not to point out that when you deal with old stuff, things are not always as they might first appear.
You have to ready and willing to adjust your expectations and work out some creative solutions. All part of the bargain really :-)