$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
H 89 in W 45.25 in D 22.75 in
Antique Victorian Walnut & Burl Barrel Roll Top Secretary Bookcase & Desk C1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Victorian Walnut & Burl Barrel Roll Top Secretary, Double Glass Door Bookcase & Desk with
Walnut, Glass
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 87.5 in W 38 in D 22 in
Antique Eastlake Chip Caved Walnut Barrel Roll Cylinder Secretary Desk c1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
Chip Caved Walnut Barrel Roll Cylinder Secretary Desk C1890. Measures - 87 1/2" x 38" x 22". This
Walnut
Sold
H 91.5 in W 40.75 in D 27.88 in
Antique Victorian Eastlake Walnut Barrel Roll Secretary Desk, circa 1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Victorian Eastlake barrel roll secretary offers walnut construction with upper double
Metal
Sold
H 92 in W 37.5 in D 21.5 in
Antique Eastlake Walnut & Burl Barrel Roll Secretary Desk, Circa 1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
glass door bookcase with adjustable shelves surmounting barrel roll desk opening to pull-out writing
Walnut, Burl
Sold
H 91.5 in W 40.25 in D 23 in
Antique Eastlake Walnut & Burl Barrel Roll Secretary Desk with Carved Ivy, c1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
case with barrel roll desk opening to interior with slide out writing surface and storage compartments
Walnut, Burl, Glass
Sold
H 108.75 in W 49.5 in D 26 in
Renaissance Revival Carved Walnut & Burl Barrel Roll Top Secretary c1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Renaissance Revival Carved Walnut & Burl Barrel Roll Secretary Desk With Broken Arch Crest
Walnut
Sold
H 91.5 in W 44 in D 19.75 in
Antique Eastlake Walnut & Bur Barrel Roll Secretary Desk, Circa 1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
doors with arched filigree corbels and opening to shelved interior; lower with barrel roll desk with
Metal
Sold
H 83.25 in W 35.25 in D 23.5 in
Antique Victorian Eastlake Cherry & Burl Barrel Roll Top Secretary Desk C1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
Victorian Eastlake Cherry & Burl Barrel Roll Top Secretary Desk & Bookcase with Incised Decoration
Burl
$2,695
H 82 in W 36 in D 18.5 in
Henredon Georgian Walnut Drop Front Secretary Desk With Bookcase Hutch
By Henredon
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Georgian or Queen Anne style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top By Henredon USA, Circa 1980s Gorgeous figured walnut, with original bra...
Brass
$1,100
H 29 in W 41 in D 20 in
Antique Late 18th Century Mahogany English Georgian Chest of Drawers Dresser
Located in Dayton, OH
Late 18th century mahogany Georgian chest of drawers Made from mahogany with four drawers, featuring brass hardware over bracket feet.
Mahogany
$2,595
H 76.25 in W 36.5 in D 18.75 in
Georgian Solid Birch Drop Front Secretary Desk With Bookcase Hutch
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Georgian, Chippendale, or Early American style bureau with drop front secretary desk and bookcase hutch top USA, Circa 1970s Gorgeous carved solid birch, with original ...
Brass
Venetian Italian Style Polychrome Secretary Bookcase
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Embrace the timeless charm of this Classic Venetian Style Italian Polychrome Lacquered Hand-Painted two parts Bookcase, a piece of furniture that exudes both artistry and history. Th...
Wood, Paint
Antique Walnut Slant Front Secretary Desk, Queen Anne Style, 1880s
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Late 19th century English Queen Anne style slant front desk with three drawers & inner compartments.
Walnut
$42,500
H 101 in W 164.5 in D 27 in
Antique English Break-Front Bibliotheque Bookcase in Mahogany, circa 1870
By S.E. & R. Johnson. Warrington
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A handsome and very well crafted English break-front bookcase or bibliotheque in solid mahogany by S.E. & R. Johnson of Warrington, England, circa 1870. Features six doors with glass...
Mahogany
$3,000
H 92 in W 46 in D 23.5 in
Adams Style Mahogany Half Cylinder Secretary Writing Desk Hutch Curio 92"
Located in Dayton, OH
A very large and impressive vintage Adams style half cylinder secretary desk / hutch featuring a mahogany finish with upper bookcase curio cabinet with fretwork doors supported by a ...
Mahogany
Victorian Secretary Desk Circa. 1800's
Located in Fulton, CA
American Victorian secretary desk made of solid walnut. Circa. 1875. Drop-front desk with birdseye maple detail. Carved walnut pulls with "race-track moldings. Exceptional original c...
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
$68,477 / set
H 87.8 in W 72.05 in D 16.15 in
Pair of Very Important Samuel Pepys 1666 Large Library Bookcases After Original
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this pair of Samuel Pepys 1666 large library bookcases after the original. These bookcases are basically the birthplace of the free standing book...
Glass, Hardwood
$46,000
H 90 in W 45 in D 19.5 in
Edwards and Roberts Antique Inlaid Secretary Desk, 1860-1875, London
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Stately Mahogany inlaid leather top secretary desk, London England 1860-1875 by Cabinetmakers Edwards and Roberts. Moulded cornice over arched glazed panel doors with green fabric li...
Leather, Glass, Mahogany
$1,960Sale Price|20% Off
H 95.25 in W 36 in D 24 in
Antique Eastlake Walnut Cylinder Roll Top Desk C1890
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Eastlake Walnut Cylinder Roll Top Desk C1890 Measures - 95 1/4" x 36" x 23 7/8" This antique Eastlake cylinder roll top desk, crafted around 1890, showcases the design and ...
Walnut
$3,766
H 83.86 in W 74.81 in D 24.41 in
Rare Victorian Flamed Hardwood Library Bookcase Secretaire Desk Chest of Drawers
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely Victorian flamed mahogany library bookcase with built in secrataire desk and chest of drawers A good looking and multifunctional pie...
Hardwood
Large Mahogany Secretary Desk
Located in Annville, PA
Inspired by an antique desk and bookcase this Large Mahogany Secretary Desk from Niagara Furniture is impressive in both it’s design and scale. Made of beautifully grained mahogany, ...
Mahogany
Burled Secretary Desk
Located in Annville, PA
This Burled Secretary Desk from Niagara Furniture has all the features of an antique original. Made of high quality mahogany solids and burled veneers, the bookcase has a lovely swan...
Glass, Wood
Antique Secretary Chest In The Style Of Michael Allison
Located in Bridgeport, CT
For Restoration: A handsome Antique Chest with pull-out desk having drawers with original brass knobs oval brass drawer pulls and cubbies. The case with highly figured Mahogany with ...
Brass
Mahogany Secretary Desk
Located in Annville, PA
The Mahogany Secretary Desk from Niagara Furniture. This reproduction slant front writing desk has all the outstanding qualities of an antique original. Made of select mahogany solid...
Glass, Mahogany
Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.
Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.
Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.
At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.
When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.
“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”
No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.
Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.
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