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English secretary bookcase Arts&Crats 1910
Located in Meulebeke, BE
This English secretary bookcase in arts & crafts style is a beautiful piece of furniture that
Category
Vintage 1910s English Arts and Crafts Secretaires
Materials
Copper
18th Century English Secretary
Located in New Orleans, LA
examples of English cabinetmaking. This secretary is of the most outstanding caliber, boasting desirable
Category
Antique 18th Century English Queen Anne Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Exceptional Two Part George I English Secretary Desk in Walnut
Located in Milford, NH
An exceptional example of a late George I English secretary desk in walnut, its upper case with a
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English George I Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Antique English secretary desk, 18th century
Located in Linkebeek, BE
antique English drop-front secretary desk, featuring three large drawers and two smaller drawers in the
Category
Antique 18th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Antique English Secretary Campaign Chest With Brass Hardware
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Diminutive Antique English mahogany campaign secretary chest with four drawers, the upper of which
Category
Antique 19th Century English Campaign Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Antique subtle English secretary from the 19th century with a beautiful interior
Located in Harderwijk, NL
This beautiful antique English secretaire is not only a stunning decorative piece but also highly
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Wood
English Bookcase Secretary with Moroccan Style Glass Doors, 19th Century
Located in Savannah, GA
English secretary with glass door and three glass shelves, leather inlay on desk surface, original
Category
Antique 19th Century English Bookcases
Materials
Wood
English Scarlet Gilt and Polychrome Japanned Secretary
Located in Stamford, CT
A marvelous 18th century scarlet gilt and poly chrome secretary later Japanned. This English
Category
Antique 18th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Wood
An antique English Secretaire
Located in Schellebelle, BE
Antique English Secretary Bureau in Burr Walnut Wood,
late 18 th Century,
the desk has a desirable
Category
Antique 1790s British Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
English mahogany Scriban secretary chest of drawers - England 18th - Georges III
Located in Beuzevillette, FR
Magnificent secretary, chest of drawers or 18th century English scriban desk from the George III
Category
Antique 18th Century British George III Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
$2,685 Sale Price
20% Off
Outstanding Early 18th Century English George I Secretary
Located in Dallas, TX
Presenting a stunningly gorgeous and outstanding early 18th century English George I Secretary
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English George I Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany, Satinwood, Walnut
English Sheraton Satinwood Secretary
Located in Queens, NY
English Sheraton-style (19th Century) satinwood and inlaid small secretary with arched lattice
Category
Antique 19th Century Sheraton Secretaires
Materials
Glass, Satinwood
English Georgian Mahogany Secretary
Located in Queens, NY
English Georgian mahogany secretary cabinet with a bottom section with drawers and an upper section
Category
Antique 19th Century English Georgian Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century English Oak Secretary
Located in Charlottesville, VA
English oak secretary with an upper cabinet fitted with geometric glazed doors and a shaped cornice
Category
Antique 19th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Glass, Oak
18th-Century English Georgian Secretary
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare 18th-century English Georgian-style secretary or butler chest, never restored with original
Category
Antique 18th Century English Georgian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
$1,050 Sale Price
30% Off
English Georgian Mahogany Secretary Bookcase
Located in Queens, NY
English Georgian (18/19th Century) mahogany secretary bookcase having a 2 glass mullioned doors
Category
Antique 19th Century British Georgian Bookcases
Materials
Brass
English 19th Century Sheraton Secretary
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A slender mahogany bureau bookcase with secretary desk, made in England, circa 1820. The
Category
Antique 19th Century English Sheraton Secretaires
Materials
Brass
19th Century English Mahogany Secretary
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Early 19th century English heavily carved mahogany secretary with bronze drawer and door hardware
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
English Mahogany Secretary Desk, 19th Century
Located in Southampton, NY
English Mahogany secretary desk, 19th century
Three pieces: Crown, upper drawers and lower cabinet
Category
Antique 19th Century British Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
1940's English Oak Drop Front Secretary
By Aesthetic Movement
Located in Pasadena, TX
This is an English Oak drop front secretary.
The legs are turned and fashioned in a William and
Category
Vintage 1940s English Neoclassical Revival Secretaires
Materials
Brass
English 19th Century Regency Secretary Figured Mahogany
Located in Atlanta, GA
English 19th Century Regency Secretary Figured Mahogany with Flat Moulded Top, Cabinet Doors and
Category
Antique 19th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
18th Century English Kashmir Walnut Secretary
Located in Savannah, GA
This is a slant front secretary or bureau made in England circa 1780. It is made of Kashmir walnut
Category
Antique 1780s English George III Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Early Antique English Georgian Secretary, circa 1750
Located in Big Flats, NY
An early antique English Georgian secretary offers lift top and drop-down desk over two long
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English Georgian Desks
Materials
Wood
$1,160 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique 19th century English oak secretary / bureau
Located in Eindhoven, NL
A very fine antique secretary/ bureau.
With writing desk, 2 large and 2 small drawers and hidden
Category
Antique 19th Century English George III Secretaires
Materials
Brass
English Regency Sheraton-Style Secretary and Bookcase
Located in Dallas, TX
English Regency period mahogany and satinwood two-piece secretary cabinet. Pine secondary wood. Top
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Regency Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Fine English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary-Desk
Located in Long Island City, NY
A fine English table with a "hidden" writing desk/ secretary opening via three articulated
Category
Antique Late 19th Century British Edwardian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
19th Century English Sheraton Mahogany Secretary ~ Bookcase
Located in Dallas, TX
19th Century English Sheraton Mahogany Secretary ~ Bookcase is a remarkable combination of style
Category
Antique 1890s English Sheraton Bookcases
Materials
Brass
English Chinese Chippendale Style Lattice Design Secretary
Located in Queens, NY
English Chinese Chippendale style (19th century) carved mahogany lattice design secretary with gilt
Category
Antique 19th Century Chinese Chippendale Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany, Giltwood
Vintage Hong Kong Camphor Seamans Trunk with Brass Inlay by George Zee and Co.
Located in Hanover, MA
(and who later became the longtime English secretary to high ranking KMT officials such as C.K. Yen and
Category
Vintage 1950s Hong Kong Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Brass, Copper
$1,470 Sale Price
30% Off
19th Century Two-Piece English Butler's Secretary
Located in Asheville, NC
This two-piece secretary is constructed of oak with contrast mahogany banding, the compartmented
Category
Antique 19th Century American Secretaires
Materials
Brass
19th Century English Walnut Bookcase or Secretary
Located in Savannah, GA
This is a bookcase / secretary or Bureau bookcase, made in England, circa 1825. There is a Pagoda
Category
Antique 1820s English George IV Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Antique English Fall Front Secretary Desk in Oak
Located in Meer, VAN
a wonderful English antique fall front secretary desk in solid oak with brass fittings. It features
Category
Antique Early 19th Century British George III Secretaires
Materials
Brass
19th Century Bleached Mahogany English Butler's Secretary Desk
Located in Viterbo, VT
Georgian butler's secretary hand-made in the United Kingdom in the early 1900s using mahogany and
Category
Antique Early 19th Century British Georgian Bookcases
Materials
Mahogany
Antique English Regency Mahogany Secretary Bookcase, Circa 1890
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique English Regency Mahogany Secretary bookcase, Circa 1890.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Regency Secretaires
Materials
Glass, Mahogany
Antique English Regency Mahogany Butlers Secretary c. 1820
Located in Westfield, MA
This exquisite English Regency mahogany butler’s secretary, dating to circa 1820, captures the
Category
Antique 1820s English Regency Desks
Materials
Mahogany
English Mahogany Secretary With Mirrored Bookcase. Circa 1780
Located in Charleston, SC
English mahogany secretary with mirrored bookcase. Secretary has a upper case broken pediment top
Category
Antique 1780s English George III Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Antique English Georgian Walnut Slant Front Secretary Desk
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An antique slant front secretary desk with graduated drawers (one over two short, over two long
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English Georgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Walnut
18th Century English George II Walnut Secretary Bookcase
By Giles Grendey
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a fine quality 18th century English George II walnut secretary bookcase in the manner
Category
Antique Mid-18th Century English George II Bookcases
Materials
Walnut
$16,497 Sale Price
20% Off
Antique Barley Twist English Oak Secretary with Display Cabinet
Located in Pasadena, TX
This cabinet/secretary comes from England.
The cabinet is made from English oak.
It is highly
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Secretaires
Materials
Brass
18th Century English George I Walnut Secretary Bookcase
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
For sale is a good quality George I walnut secretary bookcase, having a domed cornice above a
Category
Antique Early 18th Century English George I Bookcases
Materials
Walnut
English Chippendale Style Painted Goddard Chest Secretary Writing Desk
Located in Dayton, OH
secretary.
Dimensions:
31" x 17" x 40.5"h, surface 29.5"
Category
Early 20th Century American Chippendale Secretaires
Materials
Hardwood, Paint
$770 Sale Price
30% Off
English Mid 19th Century Mahogany Breakfront with Secretary Drawer
Located in Atlanta, GA
English Mid 19th Century Mahogany Breakfront with Secretary Drawer
Category
Antique 19th Century English Bookcases
Materials
Mahogany
English Chinoiserie Georgian Style Japanned Scarlet Vermillion Cabinet Secretary
Located in New York, NY
Vintage bureau cabinet secretary in the English chinoiserie style with elements of Queen Anne and
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Queen Anne Cabinets
Materials
Wood
English Chippendale Mahogany Breakfront with Secretary, Circa 1770
Located in Charleston, SC
English Chippendale mahogany broken pediment breakfront with carved floral medallions, candle light
Category
Antique 1770s English Chippendale Bookcases
English Chippendale Mahogany Breakfront With Secretary, Circa 1790
Located in Charleston, SC
English Chippendale mahogany breakfront with carved molded cornice, four upper case glass doors
Category
Antique 1790s English George III Bookcases
Materials
Brass
Foldable Patent Secretary with Ink Drawing, English 19th-Century
Located in Worpswede / Bremen, DE
This filigree patent secretary, also known as a folding travel desk, is made of mahogany veneer and
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century English Early Victorian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
19th Century English Mahogany Campaign Secretary / Chest of Drawers
Located in Viterbo, VT
Campaign secretary chest of drawers hand-made in England in the early 1800s using mahogany. This is
Category
Early 20th Century English Campaign Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Materials
Mahogany
English Mahogany and Satinwood Secretary Desk Bookcase, 1790-1820
Located in San Francisco, CA
secretary with Chinese Chippendale style fine tracery (open-work) decoration.
An impressive possibly one of
Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany, Satinwood
18th Century English Country Secretary in Hand-Carved Oak
Located in Dallas, TX
18th Century English Country Secretary in Hand-Carved Oak is a superlative example of the design
Category
Antique 1790s English Neoclassical Secretaires
Materials
Brass
1950s English Modern Bar Cabinet + Secretary Desk in Mahogany
Located in Berkeley, CA
Origin: England
Designer: Unknown
Manufacturer: Lebus
Era: 1950s
Materials: Mahogany, Glass
Measurements: 54" wide x 15" deep x 42.5" tall
Category
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Materials
Glass, Mahogany
English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary with Dental Moulded Flat Cornince
Located in Atlanta, GA
English 19th Century Mahogany Secretary with Dental Moulded Flat Cornince and Splayed Feet
Category
Antique 19th Century English Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
Fantastic English Adams Paint Decorated Satinwood Slant Lid Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This English Adams paint decorated satinwood slant lid secretary desk is a stunning example of
Category
Antique Early 1900s English Adam Style Secretaires
Materials
Satinwood
Very rare English travel writing desk/secretary chest around 1860
Located in Berlin, DE
Very rare English travel writing desk/secretary chest around 1860
Solid mahogany lidded box that
Category
Antique 1860s English Desk Sets
Materials
Brass
English Satinwood Adams Inlaid Secretary Desk Vitrine Top with Inkwells
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This English satinwood Adams style inlaid secretary desk with vitrine top and original inkwells is
Category
Antique 1890s English Adam Style Secretaires
Materials
Satinwood
Antique English Walnut Glass-Front Secretary Bookcase, Circa 1880-1890
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique English walnut glass-front secretary bookcase, circa 1880-1890.
Category
Antique Late 19th Century English Bookcases
Materials
Walnut, Glass
Antique English Georgian Mahogany with Inlay Secretary Breakfront, circa 1840
Located in New Orleans, LA
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Mahogany with Inlay Secretary Breakfront, Circa 1840
Category
Antique Early 19th Century English Georgian Cabinets
Materials
Mahogany
George III English Antique Mahogany Bookcase Secretary Desk circa 1780
Located in Tarry Town, NY
Immerse yourself in the timeless elegance of this distinguished George III Secretary Bookcase, a
Category
Antique 1790s English George III Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
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English Secretary For Sale on 1stDibs
Find many varieties of an authentic English secretary available at 1stDibs. Each English secretary for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, mahogany and metal. If you’re shopping for an English secretary, we have 224 options in-stock, while there are 1 modern editions to choose from as well. Your living room may not be complete without an English secretary — find older editions for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century. An English secretary is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Georgian, Regency and Victorian styles are sought with frequency. A well-made English secretary has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Bevan Funnell Ltd. and Nathan Furniture are consistently popular.
How Much is an English Secretary?
Prices for an English secretary start at $970 and top out at $88,500 with the average selling for $8,050.
Finding the Right Secretaires for You
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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