$20,000
H 79 in W 35.5 in D 19 in
Venetian Hand-Painted Blind Door Secretary with Bookcase, Circa 1900
Located in Charleston, SC
Venetian blind door secretary with a carved scrolled decorative cornice, upper case bookcase with
Brass
$22,000
H 89.5 in W 48 in D 25 in
English Chippendale Mahogany Blind Door Secretary With Bookcase, Circa 1775
Located in Charleston, SC
English Chippendale mahogany blind door secretary with bookcase. Upper case has a carved cornice
Brass
$3,650
H 82 in W 40.5 in D 21.75 in
Kittinger Williamsburg Adaptation Mahogany Two Piece Secretary Desk / Bookcase
By Kittinger Furniture Company
Located in Milford, NH
A fine example of a two piece mahogany blind door secretary desk / bookcase in the Chippendale
Brass
$1,320Sale Price|20% Off
H 69.75 in W 40.5 in D 23.5 in
Antique Empire Classical Flame Mahogany Secretary Desk c1840
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Empire Classical Flame Mahogany Secretary with Blind Door Upper, Drop Down Desk and
Mahogany
A wonderful vibrantly inlaid secretary desk
Located in Sharon, MA
contrasting inlays and beautiful figured mahogany. Blind door secretary desks such as this were extremely
Mahogany, Birdseye Maple
American Blind Door Secretary Walnut, circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
American walnut secretary with fitted secretary and fitted top behind blind doors New Jersey c
Sold
H 94 in W 42.75 in D 23.5 in
English Mahogany Inlaid Blind Door Secretary With Bookcase. 18th Century
Located in Charleston, SC
floral medallions and centered urn, patera satinwood inlaid blind doors, with upper case interior
Mahogany, Satinwood
English Walnut Blind Door Secretary with Fitted Upper Case, circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
English walnut mirrored door secretary with fitted upper case. Nice with figured walnut, circa 1780.
Sold
H 94 in W 38 in D 20.5 in
Wright Table Co. New England Style Cherry Blind Door Secretary Desk and Bookcase
Located in Dayton, OH
A Monumental New England style secretary desk from Wright Table Company. Made from solid cherrywood
Cherry
English Mahogany Secretary with Blind Door Bookcase. Circa 1770
Located in Charleston, SC
blind doors with a fitted interior and adjustable shelving. Lower case has a slant front desk with
Mahogany
Empire Bookcase Secretary
Located in Bradenton, FL
A superb two piece 19th century Empire Mahogany and Cherry blind door bookcase secretary
Mahogany
Sold
H 90.75 in W 44.5 in D 24.5 in
English Regency Burl Walnut Blind Door Secretary Bookcase with Bun Feet, C. 1815
Located in Charleston, SC
foliage bulbous finials, flanking hinged scalloped blind doors revealing a fitted interior with valanced
Brass
Georgian Mahogany Blind Door Bookcase Secretary
Located in Bradenton, FL
A very nice early Georgian Mahogany blind door bookcase secretary desk 1740-50. This is a great
Mahogany
Sheraton Blind Door Secretary
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
American mahogany and maple Sheraton blind door secretary with original brasses and green leather
Brass
Late 18th Century English Chinoiserie Decorated Secretary Desk
Located in Kilmarnock, VA
An elegant late 18th C. English scarlet lacquer and chinoiserie decorated blind-door secretary
Wood
Sold
H 78.75 in W 40.5 in D 22.5 in
Mid 20th Century Cherry Secretary Desk W/ Blind Door Bookcase, Attrib. BENBOW'S
Located in Charlotte, NC
with brass hardware, crown moulding to top and ogee bracket feet. Upper blind bookcase has two doors
Brass
Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Brass Inlaid Secretary
By Paolo Buffa, Giovanni Gariboldi, Marelli & Colico
Located in Atlanta, GA
Paolo Buffa, Secretary, Italy c. 1948, Brass Intarsia by Giovanni Gariboldi, Manufactured by Marelli e Colico, Cantù. An exquisite and collectible Mid-Century secretary by esteemed ...
Brass
Pair of Tang Dynasty Painted Pottery Soldiers
Located in Austin, TX
A well modelled pair of Tang dynasty painted pottery soldiers. The warriors portrayed standing, dressed in form fitting, elaborate layered Armor with fitted helmets. The breastplate...
Pottery
$1,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 20 in Dm 29 in
Vintage Brass Chandelier - Elegant 8-Light Fixture-Chapman Style
By Chapman Manufacturing Company
Located in Cincinnati, OH
Add a touch of timeless elegance to your home with this stunning vintage brass chandelier. This exquisite piece features eight gracefully curved arms, each holding a candelabra (e12)...
Brass, Steel
$3,960Sale Price|43% Off
H 93 in W 95 in D 22 in
Auffray & Co French Provincial Antique Distressed Style Bookcase China Cabinet
By Auffray Furniture
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This elegant French Provincial bookcase and china cabinet by Auffray & Co is a remarkable piece that captures the timeless sophistication of European-inspired design. Known for their...
Oak
$9,024
H 80.71 in W 74.81 in D 27.76 in
circa 1800 Sublime Hand Painted European Wardrobe or House Cupboard in Solid Oak
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer this stunning original central European circa 1800 hand painted with floral detailing wardrobe. An exceptionally good looking well made and collectable w...
Oak
$41,651
H 28.35 in W 30.32 in D 12.21 in
Antique Tiffany Studios Adjustable Lamp Base with Later Stained Glass Shade
By Tiffany & Co.
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Tiffany adjustable bronze lamp base, stamped "Tiffany Studios, New York, 7984", circa 1915. The base was acquired with its current Tiffany Style stained glass shade with Dragonfly mo...
Bronze
Émile Gallé Alpine Glass Vase
By Émile Gallé
Located in New Orleans, LA
Exceptional in both size and artistry, this sand-polished cameo art glass vase from the famed Art Nouveau master Émile Gallé features an exceedingly rare alpine scene. The artist's l...
Art Glass
$15,097
H 46.46 in W 45.67 in D 24.41 in
Late 18th Century German Louis XVI Secretary, Walnut, Marquetry, Cylinder Desk
Located in Greven, DE
Louis XVI cylinder desk with marquetry Germany (Westphalia) Walnut etc. Classicism around 1795 Dimensions: H x W x D: 118 x 116 x 62 cm Description: Beautiful writing fur...
Maple, Oak, Walnut
$12,000
H 19 in W 42 in D 13 in
English Cast Bronze Acanthus Decorative Gallery Fire Place Fender, Circa 1820
Located in Charleston, SC
English cast bronze fire place fender with decorative scrolled acanthus motif, upper flanking griffons with lower centered wind god flanked by finial urns, pierced bulbous floral gal...
Bronze
$5,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 42 in W 46 in D 26 in
Kindel Winterthur Collection Mahogany Goddard Townsend Secretary Writing Desk
By Kindel Furniture
Located in Dayton, OH
Kindel Winterthur Collection Mahogany Goddard Townsend Blockfront Secretary Writing Desk. Made from mahogany with a high sheen finish. This exception example of a late 18th century p...
Mahogany
Tiffany Studios Rare Empire Jewel Table Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios Empire Jewel Table Lamp Important and rare Tiffany Studios New York "Empire Jewel" Table Lamp, Only 2-3 known to exist and well documented in Alastair Duncans Tiffan...
Bronze
Pair of 19th Century French Bronze Candlestick Lamps
Located in Chicago, IL
Step into the allure of the past with this pair of 19th-century French bronze candlesticks, thoughtfully transformed into radiant lamps. Electrified with precision, their once-candle...
Bronze
$20,548
H 33.5 in W 21 in D 22 in
Georgian Period Mahogany Davenport Desk with Green Leather Writing Surface
By Gillows of Lancaster & London
Located in London, GB
A fine late Georgian Davenport in the manner of Gillow Constructed in mahogany, rising from caster shod turned feet, the base of square form, having reeded columns to the angles, ...
Brass
$16,000 / set
H 35.5 in W 26.5 in D 20 in
Pair of Italian Walnut Bergere Upholstered Armchairs, Circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of Italian Walnut Bergere armchairs with carved molded reeded edges, floral corner decorative finials, flanking scrolled arms, floral corner rosettes, and terminating on the ori...
Silk, Upholstery, Walnut
$18,950Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 39 in Dm 16 in
Pair of French 19th Century Louis XVI Style Ormolu & Marble Candelabra Beurdeley
By Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Alfred Emmanuel Louis Beurdeley (French, 1847-1919) A very fine pair of French 19th century Louis XVI style ormolu-mounted and white marble three-light candelabra (now electrified), ...
Marble, Ormolu
$20,000
H 91.25 in W 60.5 in D 24 in
French Provincial Walnut Hinged Blind Door Armoire w/ Cabriole Legs, Circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
French Provincial Walnut hinged blind door armoire with decorative scrolled foliage and shell carvings, original flanking polished steel hinges, original central decorative brass esc...
Brass, Steel
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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