1. Have the students closely observe, sketch, and write a description of the desk-and-bookcase, including information about the object's size, materials, and details.
   
   
2. Discuss the function of this piece of furniture. Search the collection for this piece and read about its attributes.
   
   
3. Who might have used it? What kind of work did the owner of this desk do? What features of the desk help you reach your answer? What does this desk-and-bookcase reveal about the social status of the owner? Why? What happened to the value of the desk over time? Students will be able to find and read the inscription. What does the inscription reveal about changing tastes and values?
   
   
4. Working in teams, have students design the ideal desk and storage unit for someone in their grade level. Have students begin by listing all the functions a desk and storage unit would need to serve. Consider that the size of such a peice of furniture would need to fit into a modern house or apartment. What materials would be most appropriate? What kinds of messages would students want to send about the person who worked at this desk? Have students develop drawings of the exterior and interior of the desk, specifications about the various features of the desk, and a written description to convince others of the practicality and good design of this product. Decide on a price and a rationale for the price.

Background Information - Desk and Bookcase

Until well into the 1800s, most men, including crafsmen, worked in or near the home. A magnificent desk like this Boston example could have served as a well-equipped office in the dining room or parlor of a well-to-do home and as a symbol to the visiting client or colleague of the owner's wealth, taste, and power. Numerous drawers, pigeonholes, and secret compartments provided spaces for filing and safeguarding valuable papers in the era before banks and safe deposit boxes. An inscription on a drawer in this desk records that it was sold at auction in 1818 for $25, "being then rather ancient and out of fashion."