Desk and Bookcase
Period1800 - 1820
MediumCherry, pine, poplar, and mahogany
Dimensions76 × 38.5 × 20 in. (193 × 97.8 × 50.8 cm)
InscribedUndecipherable chalk inscriptions on bottom of upper section.
ClassificationsStorage Furniture
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Margaret E. Rullman, in memory of Charlotte E. Sutton the donor's sister, 1980
Object number1980.10
DescriptionA desk and bookcase in two parts, consisting of a simple slant-top desk base on straight bracket feet and a flat topped upper bookcase section. Four graduated drawers in the desk retain original brass bails and round backplates. They also feature mahogany inlaid oval escutcheons and beaded edges. When opened, the slant front panel rests on a pair of lopers located on either side of the top drawer. The desk interior contains seven drawers and nine pigeon holes with serpentine valances. Two flat panel doors in the bookcase section open to reveal three adjustable shelves with molded edges. The top of the bookcase is finished with a cove-molded cornice.NotesThis desk and bookcase is from a group of furniture made in the area of Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, in the early nineteenth century. A virtually identical example was published in an article by Elizabeth Wyman entitled "Furniture of Monmouth County" that was published in The Magazine Antiques in July 1948 (page 45, fig. 4). Common features found in this cluster include straight bracket feet (at times dovetailed on the corner), flat panel doors, cove-molded cornices, and the frequent use of cherry as the primary wood. This desk and bookcase was owned by Mary Ann Morris Borden (Mrs. Charles D.) of Shrewsbury, apparently the second owner. She and her husband were interred in the yard of the Presbyterian Church in Shrewsbury.
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