Secretary Desk
A sentimental piece indeed, this desk belonged
to a good friend of a client who had passed
away. The client acquired the desk after
a long time of storage and neglect.
To start the restoration process was to
first research the origin, background and
any historical or value to the piece. Originally
built by the Monitor Furniture Company in
Jamestown, N.Y., these secretaries were
most poplar in the mid 20th century. Built
using solid cherry and mahogany veneers,
this piece features “ball & claw”
feet and four large drawers for storage.
Swing down the desktop reveales six “pigeon
hole” compartments, so typical of
the secretary design, along with a center
compartment hidden behind a shelled carved
door and adjacent vertical pilasters that
pull out to reveal “secret”
compartments.
Continuing the restoration included disassembly
(as much as needed), removal of the old
finish, extensive veneer repair and replacement,
a new replica of the “pigeon hole”
assembly out of solid cherry, (the original
had been made out of too thin a material
and had warped, causing difficulty in door
and drawer movement) and re-squaring the
drawers. The center door, drawers and pilasters
were reused.
Finishing up the restoration concluded
with matching the original color and topcoat.
All hardware was reused after a refurbishing
process.
