Images(5)

Desk and Bookcase

Date1753

Maker Anthony Hay

Attributed to Wiltshire

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Williamsburg

MediumBlack walnut and yellow pine

DimensionsOH: 84" OW at mid-point: 37 1/2" OW at cornice: 39 1/2" OD closed: 22 1/4" OD at cornice: 35"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1950-349

DescriptionAppearance:
Desk and bookcase, in three sections: removable cornice, bookcase, and desk. Molded cornice caps bookcase with two doors with beveled raised panels, fastened with butt hinges; replaced keyhole escutcheons in center, one fixed and two moveable shelves inside. Molding at base of bookcase conceals division of halves; framed slanting fall board with replaced escutcheon; interior with central prospect door, with shelf and drawer behind, flanked by one tall valanced pigeon holes all over one long drawer all flanked on either side by two short valanced pigeon holes above tiers of two short drawers. Below writing surface two small drawers at top flanked by full height lopers surmount three long drawers, graduated in size. Straight bracket feet with a combination of both original and early replaced feet and glue blocks. The original feet had horizontally stacked glue blocks.

Construction:
Cornice composed of a dovetailed rectangular yellow pine frame with one piece molding nailed to front and sides, mitered at corners; molding hangs down below frame about 1/4" to seat cornice on top of bookcase.

Bookcase: top and bottom boards both yellow pine with about 1-2" walnut facing; top half-blind dovetailed to sides and bottom dovetailed to sides; walnut front edge of bottom board rabbeted to receive doors; shaped block nailed to center rear of top to hold removable cornice in place; inner front corners of sides molded; inner sides cut with two sets of five dados for top and bottom moveable shelves; center shelf fixed in dado or sliding dovetail (from rear) in bookcase sides; mid molding nailed to front edge of bottom board and to sides; boards, mitered at corners, nailed to underside of bookcase around front, sides, and ends of back; shaped block nailed to center underside of bookcase; bookcase doors have rails tenoned through stiles and floating raised panels (flat on reverse) in dados in door rails and stiles; original hinges and lock on doors; original iron staple in center inner edge back of proper right door; replaced hook, for keeping proper right door closed when hooked through iron stable, nailed to underside of fixed center shelf; horizontal backboards nailed in rabbet top and sides and to rear edge of bottom board; yellow pine shelves faced with walnut.

Desk:
Top half-blind dovetailed to sides; bottom dovetailed to sides; walnut boards to support the bookcase are attached to top around front and sides, mitered at corners, backed by long, segmented chamfered glue blocks; shaped yellow pine block nailed to top at center near back; full depth yellow pine dustboards faced with narrow walnut drawer blades in dadoes in case sides; walnut strip covers construction joints on front edge of sides; vertical dividers backed by yellow pine drawer guides in dados in the underside of writing surface and top of top dustboard; solid walnut lopers with molded ends positioned between vertical dividers/drawer guides and case sides; lopers have round peg (replaced) in sides that prevent them from being pulled out too far and vertical rectangular blocks glued to case sides near back for stops; yellow pine boards, mitered at corners, nailed to underside of case bottom around front, sides, and ends of back with triangular shaped blocks of same thickness set into corners of boards; base molding, mitered at corners, nailed to front edge of bottom, sides, and boards on underside of bottom; foot brackets mitered at front corners; proper right front original foot has horizontally laminated glue blocks flanked by two horizontal glue blocks behind bracket feet; old non-original feet have vertical glue blocks flanked by two horizontal glue blocks each; horizontal backboards set in rabbets case top and sides and nailed to sides.

Walnut writing surface is backed by yellow pine behind interior drawers and sits in dados in case sides; fallboard mitered-batten ends joined to center portion with tongue and groove joint; center of fallboard covered with inset leather (modern); leather extends across hinged joint to front of writing surface; fallboard hinged with two inset brass butt hinges (replaced) flanking leather.

Walnut backed by yellow pine desks interior dividers dadoed to writing surface, underside of case top, sides, and themselves; dividers flanking prospect door, above and between bottom level of drawers are thicker than other dividers and have molded beads on each edge; solid walnut prospect door (replaced); pigeon hole valances glued and supported from behind with multiple glue blocks; interior drawers have standard dovetail construction with side to side drawer bottoms set in rabbets on all sides and nailed in front rabbet; drawer stops nailed behind drawers and to backs of some drawers.

Large drawers have standard dovetail construction with thumbnail molded lipped drawer fronts; drawer bottoms with side to side grain orientation sit in rabbets in front and sides and are nailed in rabbets in drawer fronts and to bottom of backs; drawer runners in rabbet along sides of bottom, mitered at rear, and segmented runners in rabbet along front of bottom; brass drawer pulls and escutcheons replaced, but design of current reproduction brass hardware based on extant evidence on drawer fronts.

Label TextThis neat and plain desk and bookcase descended in the Galt family of Williamsburg and carries a long tradition of use by Dr. John Minson Galt (1744-1808). Dr. Galt almost certainly did use the desk, but it was likely made for his father-in-law, Williamsburg saddler and harness maker Alexander Craig. Craig's ledger reveals that he paid cabinetmaker Anthony Hay £10 for a desk and bookcase in 1753. Craig's eldest child, Judith, married Dr. Galt in 1769; following Craig's death in 1776, the couple lived in (and by 1782 owned) his Duke of Gloucester Street house. The desk and bookcase probably came into Galt's possession in that way.
Inscribed"Sally M. Galt" in script on bottom of center interior drawer. This is almost certainly Sarah Maria Galt, long-time resident of the Nelson-Galt House. Miss Galt died in Williamsburg in 1880.

"7 pair Cotton sheets" inscribed in pencil on proper right side of third large drawer near front.
ProvenanceMary Ware Galt Kirby, life-time resident of Williamsburg, is a descendant of John Minson Galt who, in 1775, was a partner of Dr. William Pasteur. They operated an apothecary shop on the Duke of Gloucester Street. Galt's descendants loaned and then sold to Colonial Williamsburg his desk, chair, and surgical instruments. This was Galt's desk. John Minson Galt married Judith Craig, Alexander Craig's daughter, and moved into the Craig's home. In 1753, Craig purchased a desk and bookcase from Anthony Hay for £10 (Alexander Craig Ledger B 1749-1757, p. 168, Swem Library, Special Collections). This is likely that desk and bookcase, which would have descended to Judith Craig Galt, to her husband, and thence through the Galt family.

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