Desk and Bookcase

Object Name:

Desk and Bookcase

Object ID:

2022.018

Creator:

Rowell, John (1793-1867) -- Cabinetmaker

Place of Origin:

Franklin, NH

Date:

1830-1831

Description:

Desk and bookcase, Empire style. Made by John Rowell (1793-1867) of Franklin, NH, for Josiah Bachelder (1790-1866) of Andover, NH. Glass front upper section with two doors; each door has six panes. Interior bookcase section has four fixed shelves with a purple-red stain. Lower desk section has slant front top with three drawers below, flanked by twisted columns with carved foliate capitals. Slant front rests on wooden drawer slides with brass knob pulls. Top drawer overhangs the two bottom drawers. Each drawer has two circular hollow brass pulls; appears to be original hardware. Top two drawers have locking escutcheons, bottom drawer has a solid escutcheon.
Desk interior has a center long, narrow drawer over a single pigeon hole flanked by two narrow drawers over three pigeon holes at left and right. Left narrow drawers are marked on bottom in pencil with "1" (lower drawer) and "2" (upper drawer). Right narrow drawers are marked on bottom in pencil with "4" (lower drawer), "3" (upper drawer). Center drawer is not numbered. Desk has four vase-shaped legs with squat bun feet.
Handwritten note inside desk section: "This desk was bought / by Josiah Bachelder of / John Rowell Franklin / April 13, 1831 / price $20.00 / as per Rowell's book. WAB".

Material:

Mahogany
Glass
Brass

Dimensions:

H-81.5 W-44.625 D-19.25 inches

Provenance:

Deacon Josiah Bachelder (1790-1866) purchased the desk and bookcase on April 13, 1831. He was the original owner and lived in Andover, NH, with his wife Sarah Knowles Bachelder (1789-1859). The desk and bookcase passed to his son, William Adams Bachelder (1823-1902), and then to his son, Nahum Josiah Bachelder (1854-1934). Nahum Bachelder served as governor of New Hampshire, 1903-1905. The desk and bookcase then passed to Nahum's younger sister, Bertha Sarah Bachelder (1859-1899), who married Dr. Charles F. Flanders (1856-1919) in 1884. Then to her son, David James Flanders (1898-1989), then to his daughter, Shirlie Flanders English, who was born and raised in Manchester, NH.

Credit Line:

Gift of Shirlie Flanders English

People:

Bachelder, Josiah (1790-1866)