Writing or Library Table Dating to the 1870s
This writing or library table would have been used in a Treasury executive's office. It was designed after the work of the English architect, Charles Eastlake, whose "Hints on Household Taste" was widely read and republished in the United States. The table is a very striking adaptation of Eastlake's designs. It is in the Renaissance Revival style and is decorated with incised lines, rosettes and turned spindles. Such tables were utilitarian in nature and were used as a complement to desks for reading or writing. Since it was used for writing, the top is outfitted with leather.
The table is well executed and shows the use of walnut and walnut burl veneers. Its stylish design, fine woods and finish treatment distinguish this table from its humbler contemporary counterpart, the utility table. The design of the table is architectural in feeling and is comparable to tables designed by noted Philadelphia architects of the period particularly Frank Furness. The presence of the Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury would have contributed to the Department's use of well-designed furniture in the most fashionable styles of the late nineteenth century.
When President Clinton visited the Treasury on September 29, 1994 for the signing of a bank bill, he used this table which is original to the Treasury Building.
