The gentleman’s secretary, more commodious than the earlier desk and bookcase, also differs by having its writing desk discreetly concealed behind a fall-front sliding drawer. Thomas Sheraton published a related design and alluded to its diverse functions: “[It] is intended for standing to write at, and therefore the height is adjusted for this purpose. ...  The door on the right incloses a cupboard for a pot and slippers, and the left side contains a place for day book, ledger, and journal, for a gentlemen’s own accounts.” An imposing and costly form, these secretaries are closely identified with Salem, where examples were locally owned as well as manufactured for export.

Technical notes: Mahogany, eastern white pine (eagle), soft maple (finials), unidentified inlay; birch (finial dowels, bottom framing members), yellow-poplar (cabinet doors’ core), eastern white pine (shelves, drawers, backboards, top). The bottoms of the side cabinets are framed, recessed, and secured with glue blocks. The doors have an applied backing. The cabinets’ interiors have nailed horizontal supports for the shelves, two in the right and a single in the left cabinet. The top central drawer is outfitted as a desk, the front hinged to drop down and function as a writing surface. It comprises a central bank with three stacked drawers. On either side are three pigeonholes with a single, rectangular drawer above. Within the bookcase side panels create notched openings for the sliding shelves. The interior is stained red, undoubtedly to resemble mahogany. The glazing bars’ pattern was derived from The Cabinet-Maker’s London Book of Prices (1793) and is ascribed to “W Casement,” presumably a pseudonym for the designer. There is no indication of hardware for the bookcase doors’ curtains. The cornice is a facade backed with partitions. Two finials are replacements. The brasses appear to be original. Behind the bottom drawer is “EH Tucker 1896” and the initials HMT inscribed in pencil. The interior stacked and side drawers are numbered consecutively.

Related examples: Lockwood 1913, vol. 1, pp. 201, 203; Hinckley 1953, p. 350, no. 1092: Montgomery 1966b. pp. 224–26, no. 181; Fede 1966, pp. 68, 70, no. 56; Antiques 119 (March 1981), p. 643: Christie’s, New York, sale 6320, January 24, 1987, lot 292; Theta 1988, p. 75; Sotheby’s, New York, sale 6350, October 25, 1992, lot 277; Christie’s, New York, sale 8238, October 21, 1995, lot 217.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.