Desk, Campaign
- Object Name:
- Desk, Campaign
- Object ID:
- 1983.002.03
- Place of Origin:
- Durham, NH
- Date:
- circa 1862
- Description:
- Desk, campaign. Rectangular box with carrying handles, where one side of box drops to form a writing surface, and remainder contains a compartmentalized interior. Unidentified hardwood with maple interior. Dovetail construction with nailed back. Iron swing handles on sides. Handles rest flush in iron inset. Exterior painted reddish-brown with gold stencilled identification: "Capt. Natl. Low. Jr. / Asst. Quarter-Master. / U.S.A." (middle line in italics). Four nails on top formally held a paper label now missing. Front held on with two iron hinges. Iron lock, but no escutcheon. Front opens to form flat writing surface. Several inscriptions or doodles in ink and pencil along with ink stains are present on writing surface. Some are "NATTIE", "little desk "_pick" / NATTIE LOW", "HLR / ___ ___ Ruth" (different writer), "N. Low", "Nat Low was here", "N. Low Jr." (four times), and others. Interior is divided into drawers, shelves, and pigeon holes. Two drawers in lower left corner. Dovetail construction. Made of unknown wood (possibly elm). Upper drawer "4" written in pencil on several boards. Lower drawer "2" written in pencil on several boards. Heights are 4.125". Drawers have brass ring pulls. Right is divided into a shelf area for books or ledgers with two vertical dividers. Dividers have bracket shaped ends with height of 19.75". At top is a shelf divided in half with height 2" and length 17" for each shelf section. Remainder of desk is divided into fourteen pigeon holes that are approximately 4" by 4.5". "N. Low" written on edge of one pigeon hole.
- Material:
- Wood
Maple
Iron - Dimensions:
- H-24 L-35.75 D-13 inches
- Provenance:
- One of many items donated that were used at the Frost Homestead in Durham, New Hampshire, now the Three Chimneys Inn-Ffrost Sawyer Tavern. Used in the Civil War by Nathaniel Low Jr. as Asst. Quarter-Master. He was the great uncle of the donors.
- Credit Line:
- Gift of George F. Sawyer and Charles H. Sawyer
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