Desk, Portable

Description

Flat-top portable desk of white pine. Lid hinged with brass butt hinges and has cherry breadboard ends tongue and grooved into lid ends. A cherry filler strip is glued and braded to the back of the lid to obtain required depth. A shallow drawer the full width of the desk slides into the front, under the desk compartment. This drawer has a tiny ivory or bone knob (11/32" diameter) and is painted yellow inside. A deeper drawer slides in under the lid from the proper left end and is divided into two large and two small compartments. The compartments are lined with paper (large blue, small black). The missing knob has been replaced by the museum with an ugly commercial one. This drawer slides into a compartment at the end of the desk, partitioned off from the rest of the interior. The desk interior is painted yellow, except for the pencil tray of the proper right end. All corners of the case and both drawers are finely dovetailed. Desk originally equipped with a half-mortise desk in the front of the desk compartment, but that was removed and plugged.

Notes

Originally belonged to Sister Sadie Neale of the Church Family, Mount Lebanon, NY. When accessioned, the desk contained a newspaper clipping about the Shakers, a large number of keys, cloth samples, a book ("Swift's First Lessons on Natural Philosophy, Part Second," 1871, inscribed "Sarah J"), Sister Sadie Neale's 1921 automobile registration and some letters to her.