Name/Title
DeskContext
In the southeast corner of the Cochran Girls' Bedroom, on the second floor of the Neill-Cochran House Museum, sits a Colonial Revival mahogany desk that used to belong to Frankie Cochran Hill, daughter of Judge Thomas and Bessie Cochran.
This lady's writing desk is American-made from the 1910s. It features a slanted fall front that folds down to reveal a setback interior chest with letter slots, cubby holes and a central drawer with a brass handle. The fold-down front becomes a writing surface. The desk has three full-length lower drawers with undulating fronts and wooden knobs. It is topped with a built-in oblong mirror that is experiencing desilvering due to age.
Frankie Cochran Hill (1891-1973) and her two older sisters all attended the University of Texas during the 1910s while living in this house. It is said that while studying for her master's degree, Frankie's older sister, Bessie, put a towel under the door to keep her father from noticing the light as she studied into the night. It is possible that Bessie was studying so furiously at this very desk, or a similar desk (since this desk is believed to have belonged to her sister).
Frankie's lady's writing desk was donated to the Neill-Cochran House Museum by her niece, Mary Cochran Bohls. Take a field trip down to the NCHM to see this desk, and all of our educational artifacts, Wed-Sun, 11-4pm.Acquisition
Accession
2010.01Source or Donor
Mrs. Everett Dayton Bohls (Mary Jewell Cochran)Acquisition Method
Gift