Have you ever seen a desk like this?

13 years ago

This has been in the family for years and we have never been able to find any info on it.

It has Automatic wrote on it and when you open it the tray slides out and the doors open.

I believe it is oak and has been refinished.

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Comments (9)

sombreuil_mongrel
13 years ago
I think it was a typist/secretary's desk; the depressed center is for the large typewriter.
Casey
karinl
13 years ago
It's lovely, and your panelling is pretty cool too.

A lot of those old desks are actually of limited value once you put either a typewriter or a computer monitor on them because you can't get at the stuff behind. So I wonder if it's meant for a typewriter or not.

KarinL
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jemdandy
13 years ago
It looks like a forerunner to a computer desk. Just kidding.

A typewritter station seems plausable.
lindac
13 years ago
It's a steno desk....note the fold down shelf on the right?
Don't know how old but would guess 1920, give or take 10 years.
Linda c
sombreuil_mongrel
13 years ago
When you roll down the lid, the typewriter shelf retracts, right? So it's automated; cool. There may be a patent on it somewhere, which can be looked up; many patents with dates, drawings, etc., are now online.
Casey
mollycats
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks everyone. Linda I think you are right, steno desk makes perfect sense.
It has automatic stenciled on the roll top and when you open it all the doors open and the tray slides out.
I have never tried to research a patent before but I'll give it a try, great idea sombreuil_mongrel.
izzie
13 years ago
Could it be some kind of drafting or drawing table. It looks like the middle portion can be slid up and set at an angle. Can the desk top be slid up and into it?
lazy_gardens
13 years ago
Maybe these people would recognize it:

http://www.officemuseum.com/ (they don't do values, but they might know what it was sold as)

Check it carefully for a little brass label with the patent number on it.
lazypup
13 years ago
At 64 yrs old I can fondly remember pounding the keys on an old Remington Manual Typewriter in the hopes of passing the required 60wpm speed test to complete the course.

The base of that desk, minus the hutch top is identical to the typing desks that we used in school. The small fold up table leaf on the right side of the desk is to provide a place to stand a top bound "stenographers pad" or in some cases a vertical metal document holder so you could easily see the original document that you were typing.

I do not believe that to be a stenographers desk because it lacks the amenities required by a stenographer, by example, where is the drawer to hold pencils and spare steno pads for taking dictation?

I suspect what you have is a much more specialized desk, a "typing pool desk." One clue would be to check the back of the hutch top to see if its plain wood or is it finished?

If its plain wood it was most likely intended to be placed against a wall in the manner that you have it now, but if the back is finished it was designed to be a free standing piece where both the front and back would be visible while in use.

Typewriters were relatively noisy so in larger offices where the noise of a number of typewriters might interfere with normal business they generally had a separate room called the "Typing Pool". A secretary or stenographer would go into the office and take dictation, then the notes were taken to the typing pool to be transcribed onto final hard copy.

In the typing pool the typing desks were aligned in rows like seats in a class room. Note that your desk has small compartments on each side of the typewriter platform that are sized for envelopes while the hutch top would allow ample space for different varieties, sizes and grades of bond paper, and/or the necessary company forms and letterheads. In some cases they had a person who was known as the office devil, who was responsible for stocking each desk with the appropriate envelopes, paper and forms.

In those days "Time was money". By automating the desk in the manner you describe a typist could come in, lift the lid and voila, the typewriter slid out, the paper compartments opened and she was ready to sit down and get to business in seconds.

The top hutch also serves another function in an office of that period. When seated at the desk you could not see the person ahead of you, and if you turned around you could not see the person behind you, therefore it helped reduce time lost to trivial gossip between desks, and of course there was a supervisor constantly walking up and down the aisles to insure you weren't leaning across the aisle to disturb your neighbor. Also note that there was no place to put your favorite potted plant, the pictures of your kids and your coffee cup, sorry folks, your hear to type, not set up housekeeping....LOL.