Issue Seventeen T.O.C. – “An Examination of a Mid-18th-century English Slant-front Desk”


This post is part of a blog series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Seventeen. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come. 

The subscription window that includes Issue Seventeen is open now.

To get Issue Seventeen when it ships in early October, you can sign up for a subscription here. 

If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Seventeen is coming your way soon!

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“An Examination of a Mid-18th-century English Slant-front Desk”


Vintage furniture offers a snapshot of the world in which it was created. The tools used show trends in technology and technique; primary and secondary woods and materials show what the local economy and forests provided or the nature of global trade. Seeing the context of a given piece offers rich insights into history.

In our Issue Seventeen examination, we will investigate a walnut-veneered English desk built right on the cusp of revolution. American resources were being harvested and sent across the Atlantic at an ever-increasing rate after English and Continental forests had already been depleted, a fact that did not sit well with some colonists. But the fashions of the day drove the requirements of the cabinetmaker, and an increasingly global supply chain brought goods from multiple continents into the marketplace. This lovely desk is an artifact of that time.

We will look closely at the construction details, tool marks, and secondary surfaces of the desk, seeking an understanding of what these things can tell us about who made it and how. The slant-front style was common in homes and businesses throughout the Western world at the time, and was valued for its beauty as well as practicality. The rich American black walnut veneer and English secondary woods together create a fascinating whole with a story to tell.


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