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Desk and Bookcase

Date1760-1780

OriginAmerica, Rhode Island, Providence

MediumMahogany, chestnut, tulip poplar, and white pine

DimensionsOverall: 238.8 x 104.1 x 58.4cm (94 x 41 x 23in.) (closed)

Credit LineGift of Michelle and Robert Iverson

Object number2015-151

DescriptionAppearance: Desk and bookcase in two parts; upper case has two arched raised paneled doors above two candle slides all surmounted by a broken scroll enclosed pediment and three urn and twisted flame finials; behind the bookcase doors are concave arches above a row of 10 valenced pidgeon holes, above two unequal height rows of 10 ledger slots above a row of six shallow drawers; pidgeon hole and ledger slot dividers all shaped; lower case comprised of a slant front desk over four graduated lipped drawers, based molding, and ogee bracket feet; top drawer flanked by full height lopers; desk interior has small central concave carved shell drawer flanked by four valenced pidgeon holes with shaped dividers on either side, all over five shallow drawers over two long shallow drawers with stepped ogee shaped fronts above a molding; double bead molding between rows of drawers in desk interior and fronts of shelves in bookcase interior; double bead molding on top edges of sides of large desk drawers; large brass drawer pulls and escutcheons on desk drawers and fall front.

Construction:
All exposed surfaces of the desk and bookcase are mahogany. On the upper (bookcase) cabinet, the top is probably joined to the sides with sliding dovetails. The tympanum is half-lapped and probably nailed to the front edge of the sides. (Nail heads are covered with a fill.) The top board of the chestnut back, which defines the profile of the pediment, is nailed into rabbets in the back edge of the sides. The rear facing edges of the three horizontal lower lap-joined backboards (all replacements) are chamfered and nailed into the rabbets.

The boards forming the top of the pediment are nailed to the upper edges of the shaped top backboard, tympanum and sides. The center top board is nailed into a rabbet in the pediment back board and to the top edge of the upper back board. Plinths for the carved twisted flame finials are glued into notches in the top boards of the pediment at the sides, with the center plinth integral to the pediment with the addition of a thin glued cap. The carved single piece mitered pediment moldings are face nailed to the tympanum and sides.

Immediately above the pigeon holes, two concave arches are set into arched cutouts in the tympanum and secured to the upper side of the top with mitered glue blocks. The 1 7/8” board providing depth to the cut out area of the tympanum’s broken pediment is possibly screwed and probably glued to the back of the tympanum, and the board enclosing the back of the pediment is screwed to it from the back.

The bookcase bottom is of chestnut joined in front with a 2” mahogany board that is exposed under the drawers. It is half-blind dovetailed to the sides, with front to back rectangular glue blocks set under the dovetails in rabbets in the sides to support the cabinet weight. The bottom rail is nailed to the sides and the edge of the bottom and further reinforced with four rectangular glue blocks to the underside of the bottom. Two pairs of front to back blocks are nailed to the underside of the bottom and rabbeted to provide support for the two candle slides. Lath strips are nailed to the underside of the candle slides and to the underside of the bottom behind the slides for stops.

The double beaded interior shelves are set in dados in the sides The shaped compartment dividers and the lower drawer dividers are set in dados in the shelves, underside of the top and upper side of the bottom. Dividers for the middle and lower level compartments are removable. Glue blocks secure valances above the upper level pigeon holes.

Rails of the cabinet doors are through-tenoned with double pegs to the stiles. The raised panel doors are set in rabbets in the stiles and rails. Desk drawers are of dovetail construction with bottoms nailed into rabbets in the front, glued into rabbets in the sides and nailed to the bottom edge of the back. Drawer fronts are mahogany, sides, back and bottoms are tulip poplar. Candle slides are of ½” mahogany with no embellishments.

On the lower (desk) cabinet, the sides are dovetailed to the two board pine bottom and half-blind dovetailed to the pine top that is faced with a 2 ½” board mahogany that is exposed above the pigeon holes. The three horizontal lap-joined backboards are nailed into rabbets in the top and sides and to the edge of the bottom. Bottom rail and drawer blades are sliding-dovetailed into the sides as is the top rail which also serves as the fixed writing surface. Loper dividers are dadoed into top rail and uppermost drawer blade.

The ogee bracket feet are supported by a vertical center block and two horizontal shaped blocks that are glued and in some cases nailed to the case bottom. The front feet are mitered. The rear ogee bracket feet face only to the side and are glued to the straight bracket feet under the back. A single piece mitered molding is nailed to the edge of the upper side of the top to contain the bookcase. The single piece mitered ogee base molding is nailed to the lower edge of the sides and edge of the bottom

Supports (modern replacements) for the lopers and uppermost drawer are tenoned into the drawer blade and, at the back, notched and nailed to the side from the inside. Loper guides are nailed to the top of the supports behind the vertical dividers . Drawer supports for the two middle drawers are nailed to the sides from the inside. Drawer supports for the bottom drawer are nailed to the bottom. Top to bottom modern wood strips have been nailed to the back in both corners. Loper rear stops are nailed to these strips. Forward loper stops are nailed to the side of each loper.

The fallboard with tongue-and-groove joined end battens, has a beaded edge that overlaps the case sides and top and is hinged to the fixed writing surface. A chestnut board joined at the front to a 2 ¼” ogee edged mahogany board is set in dados in the sides behind and slightly above the fixed writing surface, nailed to its upper surface and supported below to the sides with a series of modern glue blocks. On the interior, the central prospect drawer with carved shell and original lock on the top edge, is flanked with pigeon holes. The pigeon hole and drawer supports and dividers are dadoed to the top, sides, extended writing surface and each other. The pigeon hole valances are secured with glue blocks to the dividers and underside of the top.

The prospect drawer and smaller interior drawers have mahogany fronts and tulip poplar sides, bottoms and backs. They are of dovetail construction with front to back grained bottoms nailed into rabbets in the fronts, set in rabbets in the sides and nailed to the under edge of the back. The two larger interior drawers with single piece ogee shaped fronts are of the same woods and construction.

The four large exterior drawers have mahogany fronts with overlapping beaded edges and chestnut sides, backs and bottoms. The drawers are of dovetail construction with bottoms nailed into rabbets in the fronts, chamfered on the underside to fit into dados in the sides and nailed into the under edge of the back. (Due to shrinkage, additional material has been added to the bottoms at the back.)

Label TextWhile the elegant 18th-century furniture of Newport, Rhode Island, is well known to collectors and enthusiasts today, that of Providence has received less attention. Situated further inland and bordering southern Massachusetts, Providence had different influences on its growth and trade networks than the coastal city of Newport. Indeed, Providence furniture often exhibited both Rhode Island and Massachusetts characteristics. This desk and bookcase has strong Massachusetts features, including the concave arches behind the tops of the bookcase doors. The writing section features a concave, carved central shell drawer over “waterfall” stepped ogee-molded drawer fronts, also echoing Massachusetts layouts but with a distinctive Providence flair. Other similar desks have been attributed to cabinetmakers John Carlisle, and Grindal and Joseph Rawson of Providence, all of whom had Massachusetts origins or ancestry.
InscribedGraphite inscriptions on underside of bookcase bottom board and on top of desk bottom board.