When were secretary desks made?
When were secretary desks made?
Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
Is there a piece of furniture called a secretary?
secretary, also called secretaire, or escritoire, a writing desk fitted with drawers, one of which can be pulled out and the front lowered to provide a flat writing surface. There are many variations to this basic design.
Are antique desks worth anything?
Antique writing desk values can vary dramatically, depending on the condition, age, and quality of the piece. If you take some time to look it over, you may be able to perform a quick antique furniture value lookup, but a professional appraisal will always give you a much more accurate sense of your desk’s value.
Why are they called Secretary desks?
“Originally, these pieces were used by the actual secretary of an estate, as a place to pay the bills and handle the affairs of a large household,” says Greg Jaron of Jarons Furniture in New Jersey. As the industrial revolution arrived, and work moved outside the home, older desks like these became family heirlooms.
Why is furniture called a secretary?
The secretary (from secretarius, Latin for writer) evolved as a larger and more formal piece of furniture to store books and papers. Tall or low, a secretary consists of a slanted lid that flips forward to create a writing surface, concealing (when closed) cubbies and pigeonholes (even secret compartments) and drawers.
How can I tell how old my secretary desk is?
Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.
How do I find out the manufacturer of furniture?
A telltale sign of the furniture’s maker is a manufacturing tag, label or stamp bearing the name of the creator. Such a marking or label may have been placed inside a drawer on an old dresser, on the back of a chest of drawers, or on the underside of a chair or sofa seat.
What room does a secretary go in?
A secretary is right at home in a bedroom, especially when painted in a soft pastel. It’s also typically seen in a living room as a spot for writing notes, as well as displaying china curios in the cabinets above.
What is a secretary pull out?
On most antique secretaries and also on most reproductions the user has to pull out two small wooden planks called sliders (sometimes “lopers”) in order to support the desktop, before actually turning the desktop from its closed, angled, position to its normal horizontal working position.
