orepass

There is a small writing desk by the front door that arrived with my wife. It has traveled around the country from apartment to home. It has seen dogs come and go. It suffered the indignity of being attached to a wall so children could not topple it. The drawer handles were removed because there are no drawer stops and little hands kept pulling them open. This week I was walking out the door took a second glance. That small writing desk has a story to tell:

The desk is very simple in design. Constructed of quarter sawn oak it stands 3′ 10″ tall, 20″ across the front and 11″ wide. It is contains a shelf at the bottom, a single drawer with a lock and a writing desk carefully carved. The desk’s simplicity (not its photograph) catches the eye.

Opening the writing desk leads to the first piece of curiosity. At first it looks like a very simple drawer pull used to open and close the writing surface, but as you move closer you can see that the pull is nailed onto the desk and once opened a lock is revealed.

Perhaps the key was misplaced and the pull installed to allow easy access to the desk? The interior of the desk contains typical cubby holes for letters and envelopes and a drawer for other small items. The entire structure containing the cubby holes and drawer is supported by a board nailed to the top of the chest. It hangs down as if by magic, leaving room underneath and to each side for bigger items.

My wife wants to note that all items in the desk were staged for the photograph. I want to note that I didn’t know there was anything in the desk – I’m going back outside now…..