Lane Altavista “First Edition” Tambour Door Bookcase Front Kneehole Writing Desk
View Similar Items
Lane Altavista “First Edition” Tambour Door Bookcase Front Kneehole Writing Desk
About the Item
- Creator:Lane Furniture (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30 in (76.2 cm)Width: 50 in (127 cm)Depth: 26 in (66.04 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU93417192823
Lane Furniture
When the first iteration of the Lane Furniture company began to produce its now-famous Lane cedar chests in the early 20th century, the family behind the brand was unsure of how successful they’d be, so they initially didn’t bother adding their name to the offerings.
The manufacturer was off to a modest start but the family was industrious: The Lanes were made up of farmers and contractors who’d built more than 30 miles of the Virginian railroad. They owned a cotton mill and purchased thousands of acres of land in Campbell County, Virginia, where the Virginian railroad was intended to cross the main line of the Southern Railway. The Lanes intended to start a town in this region of the state, and by 1912, streets for the town of Altavista had been laid out and utility lines were installed. In the spring of that year, John Lane purchased a defunct box factory at a bankruptcy auction. His son, Edward Hudson Lane, was tasked with the manufacturing of the cedar “hope” chests for which the Lane family would become known, even though the company was initially incorporated as the Standard Red Cedar Chest Company.
The Standard Red Cedar Chest Company struggled in its early days but introduced an assembly system at its small factory after securing a contract with the federal government to produce ammunition boxes made of pine during World War I. The company prospered and applied mass-production methods to its cedar-chest manufacturing after the war, and, in 1922, rebranding as the Lane Company, it implemented a national advertising campaign to market its products. Ads tied the company’s strong cedar hope chests to romance. Anchored by copy that read “The gift that starts the home,” the campaign rendered a Lane cedar chest a necessary purchase for young women to store linens, clothing and keepsakes as they prepared to marry.
Wartime production during World War II had Lane producing aircraft parts. In the 1950s, the family-owned company began to branch out into manufacturing tables, bedroom pieces and other various furnishings for the entire home. The brand’s vintage mid-century furniture is highly sought after.
Lane’s Acclaim walnut furniture line, which, designed by Andre Bus, has been compared to Drexel’s Declaration series for its blend of modern furniture’s clean contours and traditional craftsmanship. Ads for the Lane series suggested that it included “probably the best-selling table in the world.” (There are end tables, cocktail tables and more in the Acclaim collection, sporting graceful tapered legs and dovetail inlays.) Later, during the 1960s, Lane offered handsome modular wall units designed by the likes of Paul McCobb. Today, the company is owned by United Furniture Industries and is particularly well-known for its upholstered furniture.
Vintage Lane furniture is generally characterized by relatively neutral styles, which are versatile in different kinds of interiors, as well as good quality woods and careful manufacturing. All of these attributes have made Lane one of the most recognizable names in American furniture.
Browse storage cabinets, tables and other vintage Lane Furniture on 1stDibs.
- Mid Century Modern Brass Legs and Base Walnut Kneehole Writing Desk ModernistLocated in Philadelphia, PAMid-Century Modern brass legs and base walnut kneehole writing desk modernist. Item features unique brass base and stretcher support, beautiful wood grain, 4 dovetailed drawers, tape...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Chinoiserie Black Chinese Painted Red Leather Top Kneehole Writing DeskLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Chinoiserie Black Chinese Painted Red Leather Top Kneehole Writing Desk. item features 7 drawers, red tooled leather top, hand painted scenes and details on all sides includi...Category
Early 20th Century Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Lane Altavista Mid-Century Modern Walnut 2 Door Side Drum End Table CabinetBy Lane FurnitureLocated in Philadelphia, PALane Altavista Mid-Century Modern walnut 2 door side drum end table cabinet. Item features a beautiful wood grain, 2 swing doors, very nice vintage item, quality American craftsmansh...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWalnut
- Vintage Mid Century Modern Walnut Sculpted Legs Kneehole Desk & Chair - 2 Pc SetLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Mid Century Modern Walnut Sculpted Legs Kneehole Desk & Chair - 2 Pc Set. Item features a brown laminated top, 6 dovetailed drawers, sculpted wood drawer pulls and legs, ladd...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsFormica, Walnut
- Vintage Adjustable Height Metal School Writing Desk With Laminate TopLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Adjustable Height Metal School Desk With Laminate Top. Item features a wood grain laminate top, adjustable height metal base, very nice vinta...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal
- French Louis XV Style Gold Gilt Writing Desk with Marquetry Inlaid TopLocated in Philadelphia, PA19th century French Louis XV style gold gilt small writing desk with marquetry inlaid top. Item features distressed gold gilt finish, shaped top, carvings on all sides, stunning marq...Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XV Desks
MaterialsWalnut
- LANE Altavista Mahogany Chippendale Bookmatched Writing DeskBy Lane FurnitureLocated in Charlotte, NCA Chippendale style writing desk by Lane Furniture. Mahogany with brass hardware, a banded bookmatched top with an ogee edge, decoratively carved gallery, stretchers, and fluted stra...Category
Late 20th Century American Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Mahogany Kneehole DeskLocated in Folkestone, GBA good quality George III period mahogany kneehole desk with moulded edge top above a long drawer and arrangement of three graduated small drawe...Category
Antique Late 18th Century English Georgian Desks
MaterialsMahogany
$12,077 - English Hepplewhite Mahogany Tambour Writing Desk. Circa 1780Located in Hollywood, SCEnglish five drawer Hepplewhite tambour writing desk with fitted interior, satinwood string inlay, original brasses, and terminating on satinwood...Category
Antique 18th Century and Earlier British Hepplewhite Desks and Writing T...
- Late 20th Century Lane Altavista Chinese Chippendale Writing DeskBy Lane FurnitureLocated in Germantown, MDThis is a charming little vintage Lane Furniture Chinese Chippendale, Mahogany wood writing desk. This features a beautiful banded inlaid center piping and a stretcher base, with brass handles on either side. It has a center drawer and fretwork inside corner...Category
Late 20th Century American Chinese Chippendale Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsBrass
$2,171 Sale Price25% Off - English Mahogany Tambour Satinwood Inlaid Writing Desk, Circa 1780Located in Hollywood, SCEnglish mahogany tambour desk with sliding leather writing surface, interior satinwood compartmentalized drawers with the original bone knobs, five lower drawers with the original br...Category
Antique 1780s English George III Desks
MaterialsBrass
- Early American Style Oak Kneehole Library Office Writing Desk Dressing TableLocated in Dayton, OHEarly American style kneehole desk or vanity, circa 1960s. Made of oak featuring turned and ribbed accents with scrolled backsplash and six drawer...Category
Vintage 1960s American Colonial Desks
MaterialsOak
