Beschreibung:

Joseph Moore Renaissance Revival Marquetry-inlaid Walnut Office Queen Cabinet Secretary, Indianapolis, Indiana, last quarter 19th century, Moore Combination Desk Company, with many burl walnut and bird's-eye maple panels offset by marquetry-inlaid designs throughout, the pierced superstructure centering an inlaid foliate spray above a single half-domed door with an upper letter slot, the interior of the door with document slots and an upper prospect door above a central row of long drawers flanked by two rows of smaller pigeonhole drawers, the case also with various document compartments above a pullout writing surface featuring a finely inlaid eagle on an ebony ground within checkered stringing and various burl veneers, all above two rows of labeled and inlaid drawers, the reverse with a plaque "MOORE'S CABINET DESK/INDIANAPOLIS IND./PAT. JAN. 8 1878," ht. 55 3/4, wd. 32, dp. 23 in. N.B. Joseph Moore was the general manager of Wooton Manufacturing Co. in 1876, but by 1878 he had patented his own "Cabinet Desk" and began working in direct competition with Wooton. The present cabinet displays some of the changes to the Wooton design that Moore originally patented including the single door with its own set of casters and the pullout writing surface, which allowed the user to shut the door and leave objects on the surface. Provenance: Purportedly purchased the desk from Richard & Eileen Dubrow about 25-30 years ago. Durbow purportedly purchased the desk from the Lehmann family in Chicago, the original owner/purchaser was thought to be Ernst Johann Lehmann, the founder of "The Fair" department store.