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Desk and bookcase

1765–90
Not on view
According to late-nineteenth-century tradition, this desk was in George Washington’s headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the Siege of Boston (April 1775–March 1776). Consequently, it was exhibited at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago as “Washington’s desk.” It is the only known piece of American furniture to combine the bombé and blockfront forms. A later collector replaced the original mirror-glass doors in the upper section with wood panels.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Desk and bookcase
  • Date: 1765–90
  • Geography: Made in Boston, Massachusetts, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Mahogany, white pine
  • Dimensions: 93 1/2 x 45 5/8 x 24 5/8 in. (237.5 x 115.9 x 62.5 cm)
  • Credit Line: John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1918
  • Object Number: 18.110.3
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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