Desk-and-bookcase

1 of 19

Type: Decorative arts(Opens in new tab)
Date: ca. 1775
Accession number: 2016.11.8
Maker: Unknown, American(Opens in new tab) (American)
Dimensions: 100 x 40 x 23 1/2 in. (254 x 101.6 x 59.7 cm.)
Medium: mahogany, eastern white pine, and brass
Description: Large writing desk from Massachusetts
Credit: The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gail-Oxford Collection

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Desks and bookcases such as this were among the most monumental forms of furniture in 18th-century America. Listed in the household inventories of affluent attorneys, ministers, merchants, and sea captains, these impressive forms served as a tangible expression of its owner’s wealth and standing in the community. Made most frequently for men, they were used to write and file papers. With lockable drawers and concealed interior storage compartments, these desks were the forerunner to the home safe and the filing cabinet.

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