The 1940s was a great time for furniture production in America. Our country was recovering from the great depression and people were establishing themselves once again. Italian and Irish immigrants were finding work, buying land and building homes. The American Dream was alive again! And people needed furniture.
Thanks to the Industrial Revo
lution craftsman now had machines to help build furniture so not everything had to been done by hand. However, these craftsman still had great skills that they would find ways to put to use. In many cases, these craftsman would get creative and they would add a hidden compartment in a dresser or create a unique mechanism that would allow for a table to expand. Machines were taking away the craftsman's ability to create and have fun with a piece so it is common with some pieces in the 1940s to see these creative touches in furniture.
What is really neat about this desk is that when you close the center top drawer, it
automatically locks the top two drawers on the right and on the left. This is very creative because that way, only the center drawer would need to be locked and important papers could be stored in either of the drawers on the left and right side. This feature is pretty cool and is likely the result of a craftsman who was looking for a way to make the desk special.
This walnut desk is beautiful. Most desks from this era were much smaller. They didn't have large computers and large rooms. This desk was probably built for an executive at a thriving company because the average person, even a business man, would have had little need for a desk of this size. For most people, a simple secretary with a flip down desk was all that was needed to write personal notes or to maintain a chart of accounts.
The wood grain on this desk is stunning and even though it has been refinished, it is in excellent condition and there are no signs of any repair work. The desk is a great deal, is super functional and is priced at $1,170.
You can find wonderful pieces like this refinished 1940s executive desk at our Hanover Furniture Consignment Gallery or at our newest Furniture Consignment Gallery in Newton, MA.
