Images(5)

Desk and bookcase

Date1760-1775

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Williamsburg

MediumMahogony, yellow pine, and tulip poplar (modern)

DimensionsOH: 74 1/4"; OW (cornice): 39 1/4"; OW (base): 38 3/4"; OD (base): 23 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1951-489

DescriptionAppearance: Desk and bookcase, made in two sections: Upper section topped by removable cornice, cove-molded on three sides (cornice not original); straight sides; front composed of a pair of doors hinged at sides, each with a single fielded panel; waist molding attached around base of upper section; pierced brass escutcheons at center inside of each door (right escutcheon not original); interior composed of a single horizontal shelf above three vertical partitions; all shelves and partitions have molded front edges: lower section has flat mahogany top with four round holes near each corner to receive round tenons on underside of bookcase section; fall front with central escutcheon; interior of desk of lower section composed of a central prospect door flanked by single tall pigeon holes all over one long drawer, the whole flanked on either side by two short pigeon holes over a tier of two short drawers; prospect door opens to reveal plain interior; proper left bottom short drawer has dividers along front of interior creating four small sections; interior of fall front covered with modern leather; front of lower section composed of four graduated drawers with replacement bail pulls; lopers on either side of top drawer pull out to support fall front; straight sides; quarter round base molding above four straight bracket feet.

Construction: Upper case yellow pine top and bottom boards each with butt joined mahogany front edges are dovetailed to the sides; mahogany front edges are rabbeted to receive the doors when closed; interior yellow pine dividers with mahogany front edges are dadoed into case sides and bottom; horizontal yellow pine backboards are nailed into rabbets in case top, sides, and back of bottom board; waist molding is nailed around base of sides and front and is supported by thin boards glued around front and sides of bottom; boards are mitered at front corners and segmented along front being comprised of four boards along the front and two boards along the sides; four short round tenons fixed into these boards near the corners extend down and fit into corresponding mortises in top of lower case; bookcase doors are mortise and through tenoned frames with fielded panels set in dadoes on interior edges of frames; proper right door has top and bottom brass slide bolts to secure door when closed; modern strip attached to top near back; removable cornice is constructed with a yellow pine and tulip poplar (replaced) dovetailed frame; one piece molding and triangular spacer block are glued and nailed to the front and sides of the frame and mitered at the front corners; molding extends past bottom edge of frame to create lip to seat cornice on upper case.

Lower Case mahogany top is blind mitered dovetailed to sides; yellow pine bottom board is dovetailed to the sides; full depth yellow pine dustboards with mahogany drawer blades and yellow pine and mahogany fixed writing surface are dadoed to the sides; a mahogany strip is glued to the front edge of the case sides to hide the joint; drawer stops (replaced) are glued to the tops of the dustboard/drawer blades; vertical dividers and drawer guides (possibly replaced) between top drawer and loper are in dadoes in the underside of the writing surface and top of the top dust board; vertical blocks glued to sides between drawer guide and case side near back act as stops for lopers; desk interior partitions are in dadoes in the top, case sides, and writing surface; fall board has mitered battens tongue and groove joined to sides and a mortise on its bottom edge corresponding to a small tongue in the center front edge of the writing surface; horizontal yellow pine backboards are nailed into rabbets in the top and sides and to the back edge of the bottom board; yellow pine boards are glued to the underside of the case around the front, sides, and end portions of the back to support the base molding; straight bracket mahogany feet and yellow pine angled back feet are supported by shaped horizontal glue blocks on either side of a stack of horizontally laminated glue blocks.

Large drawers have standard dovetail construction; side to side bottom boards are nailed into rabbets in the drawer sides and front and along the underside of the back; (due to the replaced runners, it is possible that the original bottom construction consisted of dadoes rather than rabbets in the sides or that the original runners butted up to the edges of the rabbeted sides); drawer runners are glued to the bottom along the sides (replaced) and front (probably original) with a mitered where they join.

Small interior drawers have standard dovetail construction with bottom boards glued into rabbets in the front, sides, and back; proper left bottom drawer dividers set into dadoes in the sides and front.
MarkingsNone found except modern scribbling
ProvenanceAccording to a paper which was attached to desk when acquired (now in Object Folder) this desk was used in the Governor's Palace before the Revolution. When Lord Dunmore fled, the Palace furniture was sold and this desk was purchased by William Trebell (husband of Sally Galt, only sister of James Galt of Williamsburg). The desk was left by Mary Jeffery Galt to the four children of her brother Rogers, one of whom, John M. Galt was the former owner of this desk and sold it to Colonial Williamsburg.