Posted 7 years ago
Attic-Reruns
(1 item)
Hi everyone! I found this gem over the weekend, & I'm trying to find out the history & era it may be from. I looked for any kind of clue the piece may give, & the only marking I found was a black stamp on the underside of the middle top drawer No. 553. I would appreciate any help or ideas y'all may have. Thank you ????
Rough and sturdy, really has got its charms... Oak it seems. Judging from the drawers and handles 1940's would be my guess. So more vintage rather than antique.
Not an antique yet. This type of desk was an office standard (especially state and Fed workers) from the 1940s- 60s, when the metal desk replaced them.
scott
Agree w/ scottvez. Similar desks made their way into *many* offices besides government. I just left my own Dad's behind (as did he and Mom) in the basement of the farmhouse, because nobody wanted to haul the huge heavy thing someplace else yet one more time <groan> it had already been thru at least two houses since it left Dad's former 'company office' where it originated.
Looks like somebody else might have taken a stab at 'refinishing' yours, often they're a rather generic golden oak color that doesn't show the woodgrain so much. Yours also might be slightly unusual (?) in that it has drawers on both sides, many had a pull-out typewriter shelf mechanism on one side or the other behind a hinged door instead. If the color/finish of yours hasn't been 'redone', it might indicate its tending towards the earlier end of that 1940's-60's timeline, maybe even before.
AnythingObscure is right. Most of these have drawers on one side and the typewriter pull-out shelf on the other. I grabbed one of these beauties when my employer was going to throw it out. The plate on mine says "Clemco 2 in 1". Not sure if that refers to the maker of the desk or just the typewriter contraption. There's a perfect example on YouTube titled "1940s Oak Teacher's desk". Hope this helps. https://youtu.be/-bO1m2Rt2M8