Description:

Important Wooton Ebonized, Carved and Burled Walnut Standard Grade Rotary Desk, c. 1874, labeled "Wooton Desk Manf. Co., Indianapolis", "Queen Anne" pattern, superstructure with spindled gallery, carved frieze, doors opening to a fall front writing surface, and upright files, doors fitted with cartonnier boxes to one side and open shelves on opposite side, shoe feet, casters, h. 69 in., w. 42 in., d. 28 1/4 in. Note: Beginning in 1874, Indianapolis cabinetmaker William Wooten began manufacturing these innovative desks with civil servants in mind. However, bankers, lawyers, and captains of industry soon found them indispensable. Boasting 110 compartments, they came in four grades: ordinary, standard, extra, and superior. Used by dignitaries such as Smithsonian Director Spencer Baird, philanthropist Joseph Pulitzer, and railroad magnate Jay Gould, many established 19th century furniture dealers praised the desks, including London dealers Richards Terry and Co., who noted, “Nothing in its line can exceed it in usefulness or beauty, and purchasers everywhere express themselves delighted with its manifold conveniences.” Ref.: Talbott, Walters, Cooper, Wooten Patent Desks: A Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place. Indiana State Museum: 1983, pp. 33-35, 71; Dubrow, Eileen and Richard. American Furniture of the 19th Century. Schiffer: Pennsylvania, 1983, pp. 186-197; Walters, “The King of Desks: Wooton’s Patent Secretary,” Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology; Indiana State Museum, Wooten Patent Desks, 1983.

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November 18, 2017 10:00 AM CST
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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
$3,000,000 + $20,000