Posted 5 years ago
Golgatha
(215 items)
Here's the Victorian mahogany pedestal desk in my library. I once bought it at an auction. The company called it 'English mahogany desk. 19th century. 75 cm x 150 cm x 75 cm'. No more. But I've investigated it a bit further. There are a couple of oddities. I'l come back to that. I'm not particularly happy about the felt top. It has probably replaced a damaged original leather top. I'd like to replace the felt with a new leather top. But getting rid of the felt glued to the wood is difficult, I suspect. Except for the middle drawer, the drawer locks are inscriped HOBBS&CO LONDON MACHINE MADE LEVER. That should date the locks to 1851-1855. So the desk is probably from the 2nd half of the 19th century. The handles are of a type that was popular ca. 1725-1740, that is 150 years earlier than the desk ! And although there are locks, there are no keyholes ! The dovetails are handmade. From 1860 it was possibel to machinemake dovetails, but the better cabinetmakers continued to handmake their dovetails well into the 20th century, So the handmade dovetail joints can't contribute to a more precise dating of the desk. But the desk functions well for my use and that's the main thing, I think ...