Antique 19th Century American Desks
DESKS About 1810-1840
Classical period (known at the time as ‘Grecian’): Immigrant craftsmen - notably Lannuier in New York, Bouvier and Quervelle in Philadelphia -introduce French Empire style.
Mahogany secretaire-a-abattant, about 1815.
Desks embody features of the grand Napoleonic manner. Some are flat, leather-topped library tables, others are a new version of the secretary desk with a vertical fall. French influence felt after 1830 (see p. 255).
Honduras mahogany, Brazilian rosewood, gilt bronze mounts.
Columns or pilasters flanking fronts. Classical motifs - anthemion, lyre - figure in ormolu mounts.
All top-quality work veneered in choice woods such as figured mahogany, rosewood, maple - and French polished.
Chippendale, Federal and Empire: Top quality desks expensive, especially anything related stylistically to a name such as Townsend, Adams, Lannuier. Rich decoration attracts rich buyers. Fairly plain, wholly anonymous desks are much more affordable. Best buy is type with vertical fall-front.
Massive forms mounted on flat plinths or low feet of ‘dolphin’ or’paw’ type, in carved wood r case bronze.
Above, flat plinth; left, paw foot.
Above, lyre ormolu mount; right, column mounted in gilt metal.
DESKS About 1840-1890
Right, interior of late-19thC patent ‘Wootton” desk.
Commerce creates an increasing demand for wide variety of office desks.
Office types included a writing-slope on tall legs; the American roll-top and the patent Wootton type; grand types in historic styles for successful businessmen. Hand-made, dual-purpose desks such as the sewing desk continued to be produced by Shakers for themselves and for sale.
Pine for clerks’ desks, oak for roll-tops; walnut or mahogany for Wootton patents; mahogany and rosewood for status symbols; walnut, cherry, maple, butternut, pumpkin pine for Shaker pieces.
Machine-cut dovetails, dowel joints often used in place of mortise-and-tenon. Plywood for drawer-bottoms, late 19thC.
Machine production camouflaged to look hand-made Renaissance-style turning and carving favoured at mid-century (see p. 191).
Rosewood and kingwood veneers on ‘Louis’ style bureaux plats. Leather or baize insets on writing-surfaces. Varnish, French polishing.
Many good buys among plainer pieces. The more decorative they are, the higher the price. High prices paid for free-standing grand types to impress the clients. Wootton and roll-top types increasing in value.
19th CENTURY REPRODUCTIONS
The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition (1876) sparked off a craze for reproductions of 18thC American
furniture, slant-top and fall-front desks included, but most over-decorated and out of proportion.
Above left, fine hand-cut dovetails, Widely spaced; above right machine-cut dovetails.
Dowel joint: dowels glued into rail and set into stile.
DESKS About 1840-1890
Right, interior of late-19th century patent ‘Wootton’ desk.
Commerce creates an increasing demand for wide variety of office desks.
Office types included a writing-slope on tall legs; the American roll-top and the patent Wootton type; grand types in historic styles for successful businessmen. Hand-made, dual-purpose desks such as the sewing desk continued to be produced by Shakers for themselves and for sale.
Pine for clerks’ desks, oak for roll-tops; walnut or mahogany for Wootton patents; mahogany and rosewood for status symbols; walnut, cherry, maple, butternut, pumpkin pine for Shaker pieces.
Machine-cut dovetails, dowel joints often used in place of mortise-and-tenon. Plywood for drawer-bottoms, late 19thC.
Machine production camouflaged to look hand-made Renaissance-style turning and carving favoured at mid-century (see p. 191).
Rosewood and kingwood veneers on ‘Louis’ style bureaux plats. Leather or baize insets on writing-surfaces. Varnish, French polishing.
Many good buys among plainer pieces. The more decorative they are, the higher the price. High prices paid for free-standing grand types to impress the clients. Wootton and roll-top types increasing in value.
19th CENTURY REPRODUCTIONS
The Philadelphia Centennial Exposition (1876) sparked off a craze for reproductions of 18thC American furniture, slant-top and fall-front desks included, but most over-decorated and out of proportion.
Above left, fine hand-cut dovetails, widely spaced; above right, machine-cut dovetails.
tapestry former top tray rectangle
comforter cover of old flying 3
statue chinese chinese terracotta
19th century english beds
real vienna bronze river cancer
two chairs and simulated wood 7080
an antique silver victorian goblet
Tags: CENTURY, Desks, Empire, empire style, figured mahogany, FRENCH, french empire, metal desks, quality desks, REPRODUCTIONS, secretary desk, veneers