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Secretary and bookcase

1795–1810
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 725
The combined desk and bookcase, with a fitted secretary drawer, the front of which drops down to provide a writing surface, offered an efficient means of conducting correspondence, managing household accounts, and storing a family’s books. Because they were a symbol of education and literacy, secretary bookcases were sometimes located in public rooms such as parlors or entry halls, where they could be on full display for visitors.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Secretary and bookcase
  • Date: 1795–1810
  • Geography: Possibly made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States; Possibly made in Baltimore, Maryland, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar
  • Dimensions: 89 1/2 x 42 x 24 1/2 in. (227.3 x 106.7 x 62.2 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of the Members of the Committee of the Bertha King Benkard Memorial Fund, 1946
  • Object Number: 46.67.89
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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