Featured Age and Style request

My brother-in-law dropped this old desk off and asked me to "do what you can with this". My first thoughts were over-ruled when I found out the item had been in the family for a few generations and that if made presentable it could bring him and his children some joy. As he lacked the funds for a true restoration, which I do not have the skill or expertise for I agreed try a repair and refinish.
The item has seen a few previous repairs and I am not entirely sure what is completely original. I would like to offer him some recommendations on period appropriate hardware, I don't think what it currently has is appropriate, but I am not qualified to say so.
I think the piece is pre 1900 because of the cut nails and hand cut joinery. On close examination the wire nails seem to be from a previous repair. All outer pieces were originally solid walnut.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

Whoa - you have your work cut out for you.
Agree the handles on the drawer do not look original.

@Jeff Drum are you the furniture restorer?

 

Yes, that looks to be a massive project. I don't want to be discouraging, but I wouldn't take that on. That said, I understand that pieces with family history can make it worthwhile so I commend your efforts.

This piece reminds me of another recent thread for a sideboard because the pictures don't all add up for this piece. In the first three pics I can see the front of the desk with doors underneath (which is an odd configuration to start with). Since I can see only the front but can't see either side it's hard to guess how it works together. Based on the moulding shapes, though, it looks like maybe a desk top was plopped on top of a cabinet (with the doors removed) and is a marriage. That is a guess however.

Then we have a hand-cut drawer dovetail that doesn't seem to be the same drawer as the one shown in your picture from the front - so where is it from? Then a diamond carving that isn't visible in the first pictures either - where is that from? Then a leg that must be taken from the back since there are so many visible nails but then what is going on to the right?

If you add some more pics it may all come together and make sense, but at this point it looks like a collection of bits from a few different pieces and time periods. You have good pics of the front, but it would help a lot to add a pic showing the side, and a pic with the desk lid down (what keeps that lid from breaking off?), and one with the drawer pulled out but still in its runner, and one from the back. Maybe then the elephant will start to become visible; for now it seems like we only have the trunk and the ears.

p.s. At this point, except for the drawer, all the pieces I can see seem to be from an early 20th century piece. But more pics will tell more I hope.

 

Thank you for your reply Jeff. I am not a restorer just a guy who dabbles in woodworking, not for profit but requests from friends and family. I'll re-assemble the piece and take, hopefully, some more helpful pictures. I am definitely not a photographer.

 

@Jeff Drum
I think the diamond is here. Hard to see

 

Clutteredcloset is correct on the diamond location.
Here are some more photos I hope are helpful:
Left side view with drawer and one door in place. Drawer is partially open to show the dovetail joinery.

Closer view of diamond detail

Not sure it is obvious but to Jeff's point on this being a combination, the woods are very strikingly the same and the widths between the sides of the top and the sides of the bottom are identical, however notice the poor cut on the bottom of the top portion. That cut does not look to be the same standard as those I would consider original. I wonder if the top and bottom were part of some item that was originally taller but the middle portion was cut off to make a desk out of it. That would explain why that top portion seems to be nailed on with wire nails.
Picture of right side and back with some of the boards temporarily placed back on:
Disregard the interior of the top it is clearly not original to the piece, although it appears that there was some type of a pigeon hole or drawer system I that space earlier.

Close up of same

Mechanism for holding up drop down slant front(I did not re-attach the front as I am currently trying to make it pretty or at least prettier than when I got it.

This chain is clearly not original. The marks inside the top point to a swing arm type of mechanism.

The foot I showed earlier is off the front of the piece:

The back legs are square blocks.
Hope this not too long of a post.
I would appreciate any thoughts.

 

Great set of pictures, they explain a lot. It does look like this was put together from many parts and time periods, so no real conclusion about age and style can be made.

It does look like the top is unrelated to the bottom. The different configuration of backboards supports that conclusion, as do the saw marks and molding of the wood on top of the cabinet. The chain for the desk lid was used in the 20th century, so that suggests the desk top had a 20th century start before being chopped up.

The cabinet on the bottom also looks 20th century, especially the legs and door fronts. Possible the carcass is older with newer legs and doors attached. The drawer is still the oldest looking bit here, and may have been from a whole different piece. The shaped wood overlay tacked on the front doesn't look original to the drawer, and could have been added to tie it in with the doors underneath.

Overall a real mixture of parts, that won't appeal to most buyers. But the fact that someone in your family took the time to put it all together, back when furniture wasn't quite yet disposable as it is today, makes it worth saving. Let us know how it turns out.

 

Thanks Jeff. I'll put it together and leave the hardware decisions up to my brother in law. If it were staying in my house, I would probably opt for some wooden knobs, some brass swing arms to support the drop down and maybe a leather cover for the writing area. At the pace I am going, it may be a month or so till I finish fooling around with it but I'll add a photo or two when I am.

 

Appears you are a skilled woodworker.
Would like to see photos of the finished project.

 

All the pieces back together:

 

Good job! Love it!

 

That looks great! I am sure it was quite an experience. Good job.

 

Very nice work, and fast too. You should make a label documenting the work you did and leave it stuck inside a drawer.

 

Thank you all for your generous comments.
I like the idea of documenting the repairs and I will include your opinions on age and style.
Thank you again for your help.