Secretary and bookcase

American

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.

Secretary and bookcase, Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar, American

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Secretary and bookcase, Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar, American
Secretary and bookcase, Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar, American
Secretary and bookcase, Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar, American
Secretary and bookcase, Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar, American
Secretary and bookcase, Mahogany, satinwood, ebony with white pine, cedar, American

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