Table, desk

The desk comes from a private apartment of Janina Szczerska (born on 22 October 1897 in Stryj, died on 10 July 1981 in Szczecin) – founder and headmistress of the first general high school in Szczecin. This piece of furniture, together with other personal effects, was donated to the collection of the National Museum in Szczecin on the basis of a bequest made on 1 September 1976. Desks like this one were created in the 2nd half of the 17th century in France by combining a table and a chest of drawers. The most popular model was a writing desk with numerous drawers for envelopes, paper and various writing utensils, often closed with a shutter or a simple lid. In many cases, they were also equipped with a slanted desktop for writing while standing. The desk and its design evolved with the style of the era. Massive desks with a top covered with leather, carved, with numerous ornaments became fashionable at some point,. and in the 19th century, they became the most important decorative element of home offices. By the 1940s, they were a staple in  offices, which became widespread at that point.

Anna Lew-Machniak