How do I date a vintage secretary desk?
Antique furniture hardware can help you assign a date to a piece, and a secretary nearly always has hinges. Take a good look at these to learn about its age. Look for a manufacturer mark or label. Often, antique secretaries will have a label affixed to the back or underside of the desk.
How much is an original Wooton desk worth?
Pricing. Wooton was known for making desks with plenty of storage compartments, both seen and unseen. They soon were nicknamed The King of Desks. They sold for $90-750, which is equivalent to $1500-12,000 today.
What is an antique desk called?
The antique secretary desk has a history dating back to the seventeenth century. It originated within the French escritoire, or “small writing desk” that featured a surface that either pulled out or folded down to create a larger expanse for writing.
How do I know if my roll top desk is an antique?
Check the desk for original locks stamped with a turn-of-the-century manufacturer’s name, such as Derby Desk Company, Schlicht Area Company, Shannon File Company or Cutler Desk Company. You might also find the name of the manufacturer underneath the desk, which could even include the date the piece was manufactured.
What era are Secretary desks from?
18th century
Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
How do you find out who made antique furniture?
Spot the Signs: Tags, Stamps and Labels A telltale sign of the furniture’s maker is a manufacturing tag, label or stamp bearing the name of the creator. Such a marking or label may have been placed inside a drawer on an old dresser, on the back of a chest of drawers, or on the underside of a chair or sofa seat.
How much did Rick sell the Wooton desk for?
“The desk came from the great granddaughter of the original owner, he was a good ole boy judge,” Melchert shared. After some deal making, the antique sold for $13,500.
Who designed the Wooton desk?
William S. Wooton
After winning a five-dollar prize for his design for a school house desk at the Indiana State Fair in 1868, inventor William S. Wooton founded the Wooton Desk Company in 1870.
Why are they called Secretary desks?
The history of the “secretary desk” is a long and very interesting one. Originally taking its name from the French word for writing desk, secretaire, it is a term for a rectangular desk, usually taller than it is wide.
What is the difference between a secretary and a desk?
As nouns the difference between desk and secretary is that desk is a table, frame, or case, usually with sloping top, but often with flat top, for the use of writers and readers it often has a drawer or repository underneath while secretary is (obsolete) someone entrusted with a secret; a confidant.