Name/Title
Desk, PortableContext
On the desk in the upstairs hall of the Neill-Cochran House Museum is a 19th c., American-made writing box. The box is lacquered black and the lid is decorated with inlaid mother-of-pearl. Inside the box are a number of compartments for papers, pens, pencils, etc.
Writing boxes date back to the beginning of writing. Monks used boxes called scriptoriums in the Middle Ages. Eventually, craftsmen mounted these on stands and later added legs, creating the first desks for doing illuminated manuscripts. The writing box, which came much later, survived through the 19th century. Writing boxes are sometimes referred to as 'lap desks'.
This writing box was originally owned by Mary Josephine Palm (1866-1956). Records show that the Palm family lived on Hickory Street, now 8th Street, and Mary was born and died in Austin, Texas. The box was acquired at auction from the estate of Jamie Armstrong Bennett and given to the Neill-Cochran House Museum Collection by Mrs. Benjamin F. Thompson in 1972.
You can see this lap desk, and all of our practical artifacts, Wed-Sun, 11-4pm, at the Neill-Cochran House Museum.
Source: The Antiques AlmanacAcquisition
Accession
1972.03Source or Donor
Mrs. Benjamin F. Thompson (Frederika Lykes)Acquisition Method
Gift