19th Century French and Italian Desks 1800-1850
Dutch mahogany secretaire-a-abattant made in Empire style.
Consulat and Empire: The brief period (1799-1804) known by Napoleon’s title of Consul, marks transition between slightly anaemic, late-Louis XVI/ Directoire style and full-blooded grandeur of Empire (1804-15), created for Napoleon by Percier and Fontaine and simplified for bourgeoisie by Mesangere’s designs, serialized [...]

Queen Anne secretaire
The increasing skill of the cabinet-maker and the change in style to loftier and more spacious houses brought new variations to antique writing furniture.
Signs of authenticity of Queen Anne secretaire
1. Plinth moulding with matching moulding on joins of component parts.
2. Side veneers matching on component parts.
3. If with serpentine apron incorporating bracket feet, [...]

ANTIQUE OAK, WALNUT AND MAHOGANY SECRETAIRES
The term secretaire is a kind of catch-all word for antique writing furniture other than out-and-out bureaux, davenports, bonheurs-du-jour, pedestal desks and other specific items. It is used for fall-front walnut pieces, often described in their original papers as scrutoires (or escritoires) and for later pieces of a writing nature.
A [...]

DESKS: SECRETAIRES AND SECRETAIRE BOOKCASES
About 1710-1830
Known in the 18thC as a secretary, this piece of furniture appears as a chest of drawers with a full-width, deep, top drawer fitted like a bureau with small drawers, pigeon-holes and cupboards. The drawer pulls half out and its front drops down to form a writing-surface.
Frequently a single bookcase/display [...]

English Walnut and Mahogany Secretaires
A William and Mary period fall-front secretaire cabinet on chest in walnut. c. 1690. The heavy mouldings in cross grained walnut, convex cushion drawer, and bun feet show the Dutch influence of William’s reign. The piece is veneered in fairly straight grained English walnut without much figure and shows herring-bone inlay [...]

Fall Front Desks and Secretaires
As antique desks especially for writing grew in popularity in the 18th century, different styles were developed. The secretaire a abattant, a tall French writing desk, was first produced in the 1700s in Paris by the cabinet-maker, Jean-Francois Oeben.
The secretaire a abattant looked, from its flat-fronted exterior appearance, like an armoire, [...]