Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - May 18, 1986
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society

Lap desk combines design, practicality

The lap desk--sometimes called a desk box--in the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, is an ingenious and artistic creation.

Beneath the ornately-decorated lid, the box opens on hinges to reveal a faded blue-green velvet surface upon which the Victorian lady could write. Since the velvet is trimmed around the edges with a ric-rac braid, the box probably was designed for a lady.

The top of the box bears a design with a nest of doves, vines and acanthus leaves. This classical design of Greek mythological origin probably carries a message to the young lady receiving the box as a gift.

A lock with a dainty key guarantees the owner's privacy. Compartments within provide the necessary accoutrements for notes or letters.

The craftsmanship of the desk box is intriguing to any artist or wood worker. The box is white pine stained a cherry-wood color. The top is cherry veneer upon which the complicated picture is painted. The artist cleverly put no pigment on the wood when the designed called for a brown tint. He left the design bare where the cherry veneer supplied the color. Inside, the box is square of cherry veneer.

The lap desk, desk box or lap secretary dates from the 16th century as a form of furniture. Paper and writing equipment were kept inside. The sloping lid served both as a support for an open book and as a writing surface. The lid originally was hinged at the top. When it was hinged at the bottom, it could be brought forward and supported to provide a writing platform. The box was popular both in England the continent. On the continent it often was called a scrutoire or an escritoire. In addition to its three English names, in American it sometimes was referred to as a Bible box.

The desk box in the 17th century often was placed upon a table, a chest of drawers or a frame. This was the origin of the secretary or desk as it is known to day.

The original item was especially popular in American for a very practical reason. Even the wealthiest of early Americans worked for their income and as a result had practical interests and a modest lifestyle. Furniture was on a small scale because rooms were smaller than those in wealthy homes in Europe. Large secretaries and desks did not fit in American rooms.

Closer to the Wabash Valley, William S. Wooten of Indianapolis produced an exceptional line of secretaries and desks during the 1870s. Most of his pieces were large cabinet styles containing many drawers. He advertised one desk that contained 110 compartments that could be reached by a homemaker or an office worker without moving or swiveling the chair. One of Wooten's pieces was commissioned as a presentation piece for Queen Victoria in 1874.

The elaborate pieces of Wooten and the functional desks of the modern office seem far removed from the simple lap desk. Actually, these pieces all began with the simple, practical, well-made box for papers and writing equipment placed on a frame. The box in the museum is an example of the artistic and utilitarian work of the Victorian era.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.