Name/Title
desk, portableEntry/Object ID
L2025.002.004Description
Portable lap desk. Mahogany portable desk with brass lock and pull out drawer. Two unattached cloth covered wood panels inside for writing. Poor condition; top lid has a piece of veneer loose, cloth writing surface worn and peeling, hinges are broken and the lock is missing the key. Used during the War of 1812 by Dr. William Hilleary (1775-1834). 11” x 12” x 8”.Context
Records indicate Dr. George Colgate received his medical training as a Surgeon's Mate in the Navy and then went on to practice as a Naval Surgeon during the War of 1812. He might have carried a desk like this one, used by Dr. William Hilleary (1775-1834).Exhibition
Main Street at Work: Merchants and Medicine in Carroll CountyIntake
Loan In
Credit Line
Credit to the Maryland State Medical SocietyGeneral Notes
Note Type
Historical NoteNote
Label from Maryland State Medical Society: "This portable tent desk closes and forms a box which could easily be carried from one military camp to another. It was used during the War of 1812 by Dr. William Hilleary, one of the five Frederick County founders of the Medical & Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland."
