Artist unknown (American, 18th century)
Boston
Desk and Bookcase
INV-1043
Artist unknown (American, 18th century)
Boston1700–35
Desk and Bookcase
Artist unknown (American, 18th century) Boston →deskfurniture
Date
1700–35
Medium
Walnut and white pine
Dimensions
228.6 × 104.1 × 61.3 cm (90 × 65 1/8 × in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of the Antiquarian Society through the Mr. and Mrs. William Y. Hutchinson Fund
Pieces such as this desk and bookcase were multifunctional practical storage units used in the management of business and personal affairs. Most of the compartments on this desk have locks in order to safeguard the household possessions. The larger drawers of the desk held expensive linens and other textiles, while the small drawers on the interior of the desk section held everything from one’s personal papers, money, and jewelry to shoe buckles and snuff boxes. In a time when the modern idea of banks did not exist, a locking desk was the safest place for one’s valuables.
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