Antique Desks Design

By 1750 furniture for writing purposes, now called variously desks, scrutoirs, escritoire, and writing-bureaus, had become an important part of the household furnishings, and pieces of the last half of the century are less difficult to obtain. Mahogany, cedar, cherry, apple, black walnut, and other woods were employed, both solid and veneered.

Among the many styles manufactured between 1750 and 1780, two types are prominent. The first was a development of the early scrutoir, made generally of mahogany, cherry, or maple, with a slant top on hinges, large drawers below, and short ogee, turned, or carved legs.

The other type was the forerunner of the secretary or bookcase-desk. On top stood a cabinet with shelves and doors. These were usually of paneled wood, though glass and mirror doors were used as early as 1750. The desk top, which opened on hinges and rested on slides, was sloping, covering a row of pigeonholes and small drawers. Often there were sliding candle-stands. Below these were large drawers, with short cabriole, ball, or turned feet. Rarely the ball-and-claw foot was used. The top of the cabinet was at first square; later the broken arch appeared. These were often called bureau-desks.

French desks of this period were not common in this country, and need hardly concern the average collector. Various types were made in Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, more or less elaborate, some of them very beautiful, especially the ladies' writing-desks.

Chippendale's designs included several desks. Especially noteworthy were his secretaries, with Chinese fret designs in the glass doors and various ingenious arrangements of secret drawers, etc. Most of his designs, however, were for table-desks.

Among the designs of Ince and Mayhew, published in 1770, were a few interesting desks, though for the most part they were rather florid and inartistic.

In 1790 Heppelwhite's designs appeared, including secretaries and bookcases. They were usually severe in shape, with straight fronts, and with two glass doors above, often fancifully framed. The desk portion consisted of a drawer, instead of the sloping top on hinges; this pulled half-way out, and the front was let down on metal quadrants.