Desk-and-bookcase

Maker Unknown, American

Additional Title(s)

Boston Block-front Desk and Bookcase
Desk and Bookcase

Collections

ClassificationsDECORATIVE ARTS

Dateca. 1775

Mediummahogany, eastern white pine, and brass

Dimensions100 x 40 x 23 1/2 in. (254 x 101.6 x 59.7 cm.)

DescriptionLarge writing desk from Massachusetts

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Gail-Oxford Collection

Status

On view

Label TextDesks 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.

Object number2016.11.8