These two pieces of neoclassical-style furniture were designed and made in Maine, a province of Massachusetts until 1820. Design influences from northeastern Massachusetts blend with local aesthetics, giving the furniture a distinctive style.
The combined three-tier desk and bookcase was called a “ladies secretary” in design books of the period. It’s attributed to an unknown cabinetmaker from Augusta, Maine, and dates to the 1820s. Similar desks and bookcases have been found in Boston and Newburyport, Mass. However, in place of the sliding tambour doors seen in Boston examples, hinged doors are used to conceal the various pigeonholes and small drawers inside the middle tier. This design choice was perhaps due to a local preference or a concession to cost. Maine cabinetmakers extensively used locally available birch in both decoration and construction. The birch wood waist moldings and veneer panels form a distinctive contrast with the imported mahogany used on the front.
Between 1810 and 1814, silversmith and clockmaker Frederick Wingate of Augusta made works for the tall case clock. Because of design similarities to that of Boston examples, the case’s unknown cabinetmaker likely trained in that city. The design features imported mahogany and locally available wood, in this instance maple, to create a visual contrast similar to the desk and bookcase. The imported mahogany applied sparingly only on the front suggests a costly touch.
Photos by Patrick Sheary
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