Can someone help me identify the style of this secretary? Maybe the maker?

I'm sorry, but I've done a truly diligent search online for the unique characteristics of this drop front desk / secretary, and I've failed. I've seen similar legs and carvings, but after looking at image after image online with a ton of different search terms, I've failed. Figured I'd try asking some experts... Photos attached!!!



- Paul

 

Welcome, Whalerman. If you could edit your post and choose full image instead of thumbnails, it will save the furniture experts from having to click the icons.

 

Thank you Sabre123 - I appreciate the helpful tip! - Paul

 

Hi Whalerman!

Welcome to Antiquers........

I have known them to be called Larkin desks.........google to find the story behind the name and similar photos.

Also wait for @verybrad & @James Conrad the furniture men for comment.

 

Thanks a lot Judy! I'll take a look online. Glad to have found the site (although I have to admit I've already started thinking about new things I should keep an eye out for - not good considering my space allocation at home....)

 

Here, late 19th Arts and Crafts.

 

Thanks OBB. If you or anyone has a site that might have photos of similar pieces, I'd appreciate it. Whenever I looked for Arts and Crafts via Google images, all I got was Stickley, Roycroft, Greene & Greene, etc.
- Paul

 

Sometimes called Arts and Crafts Students bureau.

 

It's A&C or Mission style but i don't think period, it looks fairly new. Another tip off that it isn't period is, almost the entire desk except the lid is rotary cut oak, it should be quarter sawn like the lid is. Wait for Brad, he is more up on this style

Well yes, those are the heavy hitters in American Mission movement during the 1st quarter of 20th century.
To view those makers you might look at this site for period pieces of this style
https://www.acstickley.com/category/furniture/

 

Yeah, very similar, good eye Judy!
https://www.google.com/search?q=Lar...sKvjAhW5Ap0JHfAJCwYQ_AUIESgC&biw=1920&bih=937

 

Thanks James - both the Larkin and the Student Bureau references seem close in terms of function. I have as yet to find anything with the interesting leg pattern (both front and side), nor the interesting carving. I would say it's definitely not a recent offering - the back is well aged, no cheap plywood or anything, and the interior (no pics...) is well used. More to learn!!!

 

Yeah does seem very similar form & could well be older than i thought. It's just not what i think of when period Mission/A&C is mentioned.

 

It is a period piece so late 19th or early 20th century. There are arts and crafts period transitional from the Victorian age pieces such as this that are not well categorized. They tend to be more elaborate than mainstream American arts and crafts period pieces and are often characterized by brass mounts such as is seen on this escutcheon and some carved details. Most were made in Grand Rapids or upstate New York and tended to be a bit more expensive than the standard fare. Consequently, there are not a lot of them out there. They do pop up from time to time but I have never heard them called anything but late Victorian or arts and crafts, fitting neither very neatly.

They are more akin to British arts and crafts pieces as seen in similarities to the piece posted by houseful. Another comparison can be made to the very early Prairie furnishings as designed by H. H. Richardson. Here is a drop front by him that bears some marginal similarity to your piece, through the use of brass mounts and face detail carving.

 

I would contend that such furniture needs to be termed Early Prairie School. Unfortunately, the Prairie School has become so ubiquitous with Frank Lloyd Wright that it is difficult to make distinctions from his style. However, the early pioneers of the style and his own early work bear little resemblance to what the Prairie school would become. H. H. Richardson's style has become known as Richardson Romanesque, though he s widely seen as one of the seminal voices of the arts and crafts movement in America. As you can see, the nomenclature and categorization can be complex and some pieces don't neatly fit in to a particular style.

 

Brad, much more like our A&C than your typical ones.

 

@Whalerman
Are you in U.K.?

 

Had a little time this morning and thought I might look for some other examples of what I was talking about above. Ironically, it lead me back to here Here is a thread about a brass mounted drop-front where I discuss the same.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/cant-find-out-who-made-this-desk.7235/

Here is a discussion about a rocking chair that is further afield from this desk but continues the Early Prairie School discussion.

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/rocking-chair.21114/

Am I the only voice out there in this regard? The use of the Early Prairie School nomenclature is common when discussing architecture. Is it such a stretch to apply this to furniture?

 

Hi all! Appreciate the incremental info! This weekend I'll do a thorough search to see if there are any maker's marks on it. I bought the piece in Maine (US!), but it's in an area where lots of people retire, so it could have come from anywhere originally. I just thought the carving or leg treatment might be something unique to a particular maker.
I did a search on HH Richardson's work, and although modestly similar, this seems to be a good bit different. We have lots of arts and crafts furniture, and I've done a good deal of looking over the years - this is just such a unique one (at least to me!)... THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE! Still interested if anyone has additional thoughts or ideas!
- Paul

 

I dunno, I am not sure exactly what this is, i don't think i have ever seen it before, course it is way out of my field of interest.
Was this furniture Grand Rapids reaction to the A&C/Mission movement in america? If so then i would guess it wasn't very successful as there isn't much of it around that i see & 2, they kind of missed the boat on the main design features of that style didn't they? quarter sawn oak and exposed joinery. Am i missing something here?

 

This is what i expect to see in period desks of this style

Harden Slatted desk, 1910



Early Stickley, 1902