Beauty, Romance and Function: The Rolltop Desk

Before the classic, mass-produced roll top desk became the mainstay of the 19th century office setting, cylinder desks containing secret compartments, introduced during the 1700s, were the rage of the French court. The most famous cylinder desk, commissioned in 1760 by King Louis XV,  took nine years to complete. Known as the ‘Bureau du Roi’  the opulent desk featured intricate marquetry, gilt-bronze molding, statuettes, miniature busts and vases. But the cylinder desk had its drawbacks.  The top, formed from a single piece of wood, tended to warp and only the very wealthy could afford one.

In 1850, the U.S. Patent Office issued a patent to Abner Cutler of Buffalo, New York for the first American-made rolltop desk.  Building on the functional features of the kingly cylinder desk — multiple drawers, slots, and pigeon holes, Cutler’s desk featured a slated rolltop ( or tambour door) known both as a waterfall-style or curtain top.  Abner’s company manufactured sturdy, massive decks that filled offices everywhere through the end of the Victorian age. Keeping things tidy and proper by closing the cover was beneficial, but there was (and still is) an aura of mystery about all those secret drawers and cubbies. Leave it to the Victorians to be both practical and proper while maintaining a mysterious allure.

DID YOU KNOW?  The curved slots on the sides of the top were added for letter delivery when the desk was closed and locked? The side slots were also used to slide letters out to drop into a Out basket that would be picked  at regular intervals by office staff.

The 1897 Sears-Roebuck catalog featured a “curtain top” desk in three sizes.  The largest at five-foot long was priced at $20.  Five years later, the catalog offered six different models along with additional high top sections. 

Stately rolltops flourished through the turn of the 20th century until the sleek lines of Art Deco and Art Nouveau became fashionable in the 1920s. As more women entered the workforce as secretaries, offices changed and the era the masculine roll top was over.  Not only were they heavy to move around, modern office girls handled a greater volume of work and saving time was important.  Opening and shutting little drawers and re-folding letters to place them on slotted shelves was counter productive.

Lighter, metal desks that could be arranged easier in an office became more popular, but the romance and functional elegance of the roll top remained alive.  These beautifully crafted pieces of sold-wood furniture were passed down in families as treasured antiques.  Rolltops became popular finds for antique dealers, and the image of the roll top has been a part of popular culture for the past one hundred years in film, theatre and later television. American artist Normal Rockwell’s captured roll tops in three famous illustrations of family doctors, each sitting in front of his desk consulting with patients. 

Today’s roll top desks combine the best of traditional design and craftsmanship with modern elements for computer adaptation, cable access, and hanging file drawers.Country Marketplace offers carefully crafted classic 19th-century styling roll top desks featuring sturdy dovetail construction and beautiful side paneling.  Desks can be shipped almost anywhere directly to your home or office.

Country Marketplace proudly offers classic rolltop desks in four sizes.

Both the 54” Deluxe Executive  and 54” Executive comes in three stains – Harvest Oak, Antique Glazed and Rich Dark Cherry.  Each model features 17 drawers to organize your office, two deep file drawers with heavy duty metal extension glides, locking file drawers, solid oak/birch tambour with full canvas underneath, tambour locks, two writing tablets; and seven letter slots to organize your stuff. An under shelf can be used for your printer, scanner or just for extra storage.

The Student pedestal roll top desk is 42″ wide and features: a deep file drawer with lock, heavy duty extension glides; solid oak tambour with full canvas underneath; locking tambour; writing tablet; and seven drawers.  Three finishes are available including Harvest Oak, Antique Glazed and Rich Dark Cherry.

Designed for small spaces, the 32” Mini-roll top desk features a solid oak tambour with lock, felt lined center drawer with pencil tray organizer, envelope slots, and four cute little drawers for small items.  Your laptop will fit the space surface desk space perfectly. The mini is available in Harvest Oak, Antique Glazed and Rich Dark Cherry.