Secretary Desk, circa 1870
THF38842 / Secretary Desk, circa 1870
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Artifact Overview
Secretary desks are offices and work spaces. They provide a writing surface, storage space and book shelves. But some are much more -- they are symbols of the owner's education, wealth and social status. James Latta -- a Harvard graduate, successful businessman and special commissioner to the 1873 Vienna Exposition -- had this imposing piece of furniture made for his home in Washington, D.C.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Cylinder desk and bookcase
Date Made
circa 1870
Place of Creation
Location
at Henry Ford Museum in Fully Furnished
Object ID
68.78.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Benjamin S. Warren, Jr.
Material
Maple (Wood)
Walnut (Wood)
Color
Brown
Gold (Color)
Dimensions
Height: 118.5 in
Width: 32 in
Length: 81 in
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Related Content
SetDesks for Every Need
- 30 Artifacts
The importance that nineteenth-century Americans put on the technology of education is indicated by the hundreds of patents on school furniture between 1860 and 1900. Desks designed to be in rows facing the teacher reveal the teacher-centered classrooms of the era. These cast iron and wood school desks and benches were manufactured in Buffalo, New York, in about 1900.