John & Rico's
# 5035. A lady's writing desk. Att. to A.H. Davenport Company of Boston, Ma. Size: 27" wide x 16" deep x 39" tall; the writing surface when opened is 19" deep. Birds eye Maple and Maple. c. 1885-90. The high style desk reflects American Art Nouveau and Colonial Revival in the same design. The key escution is a Nouveau/Gothic interpretation. Condition: original surface: very dirty showing continued use. There are applied leaf and scroll decoration on the sides and front of this desk and some of that applied decoration is missing and must be recarved when restored. When opened this desk reveal the writing surface and two small drawers. Under the writing surface is a large pull out drawing (that does not lock). P.O.R.
Info about Francis Bacon:Francis Henry Bacon had received a degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1877 and spent several years working with such architecture firms as the prestigious McKim, Meade and Bigelow in New York. During these years he also traveled and studied in Europe, working on the excavations of Assos, Turkey during two years of travel with the Archaeological Institute of America. Francis Bacon first designed furniture for Herter Brothers, the firm engaged by William H. Vanderbilt to decorate his New York City mansion. In 1883, Bacon began working in the office of celebrated American architect H.H. Richardson. By 1885 he had become principle designer for A. H. Davenport and Company, where he later served as vice-president. There he translated the handcraft ideals of the late 19th century into machine-produced furniture designs. Because of Bacon's earlier affiliation with Richardson's firm, and because Richardson's office was extremely busy at the time, Bacon, and in turn Davenport and Company, were given furniture commissions for many of Richardson's late buildings. Such commissions included the Converse Memorial Library and the Glessners' house, for which furniture was designed and executed under the supervision of Richardson's architects.
View of the applied carved decoration.
The feet represent an Art Nouveau/Queen Anne style
View of the writing surface
View of the back side of the writing desk
View of the escution (we have no key)
The birds eye maple is very striking
The inside of the wrting surface
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The Drawing Room is
located at 152-154 Spring Street, Newport, Rhode Island 02840.We are open daily
from 11 am to 5 pm and by appointment. If you have an interest in an item
listed in this document or wish to purchase an item, please call us at
1-401-841-5060 (cell: 401-261-3980). The Partnership of Gacher and Santi has
been in business for over 30 years. We have been located in Newport since
1985. Our email address
is:
drawrm@hotmail.com
Offering a Luxury Bed and Breakfast Suite in the Heart of Newport
Visitors since 01-17-01