Portable Writing Desk, circa 1850
THF13432 / Portable Writing Desk, circa 1850
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Artifact Overview
Made of mahogany, ivory, and brass, this portable writing desk has a mechanism for copying text and secret drawers for hiding documents. Thomas Jefferson designed a similar combination portable writing desk and copying press. This may be an example of his design made in England or France, or it may be the product of another clever inventor.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Portable desk
Date Made
circa 1850
Place of Creation
Creator Notes
Possibly made in England or France; it may have been based on a design by Thomas Jefferson.
Location
at Henry Ford Museum in With Liberty & Justice for All
Object ID
35.326.5
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Mahogany (Wood)
Pine (Wood)
Brass (Alloy)
Ivory (Tooth component)
Dimensions
Height: 8.25 in
Width: 12.5 in
Length: 17.75 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.