1800s Secretary
Victorian Secretary Desk Circa. 1800
s
Located in Fulton, CA
American Victorian secretary desk made of solid walnut. Circa. 1875. Drop-front desk with birdseye
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century American Victorian Secretaires
Materials
Birdseye Maple, Walnut
Small Decorative Carpenter
s Sample Secretary, Sweden circa 1800
s
Located in Round Top, TX
ordering a full size secretary. Note the size of 24" wide x 27" high.
All the paint is original, from the
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Country Models and Miniatures
Materials
Wood, Paint
1800s Hancrafted Tall Slant Top Secretary Desk
Located in Germantown, MD
1800s Hancrafted tall slant top secretary desk. Wood appears to be flame maple. Solid dove tail
Category
Mid-20th Century American American Classical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Pine
1800s American Federal Mahogany Butler
s Secretary Desk
Located in Germantown, MD
An early 19th Century Federal Mahogany Butler's Secretary Desk recently refinished.
Measure 45.75
Category
Antique Early 19th Century American Federal Desks
Materials
Mahogany
$6,746 Sale Price
25% Off
H 44 in W 45.75 in D 21 in
European 1800s Two-Part Painted Wood Secretary with Slanted Front Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
lateral handles allowing the piece to be moved more easily, this European two-part secretary circa 1800
Category
Antique Early 19th Century European Secretaires
Materials
Brass
$13,950
H 87.5 in W 48 in D 21.75 in
French 19th Century Ebonized
Inlay Secretary
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This French Louis XVI style drop front secretary from the 1800s has impressive etched brass inlay
Category
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble, Brass
19th Century Swedish Pine Secretary Bureau
Located in Round Top, TX
Pine secretary or "bureau" from Sweden from the latter 1800's.
Standing 4.5' tall, this secretary
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Country Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Swedish Pine Secretary, circa 1860-80
Located in Round Top, TX
Pine secretary or "bureau" from Sweden from the latter 1800's.
Standing 4' tall, this secretary has
Category
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Country Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Antique Pine Roll Top Desk Bureau from Sweden circa 1840
Located in Round Top, TX
Lovely pine roll top desk or bureau from Sweden from the 1800's.
The age of this secretary is
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Country Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Recent Sales
1800s Tall Secretary with Lower Chest of Drawers
Located in Memphis, TN
1800s tall secretary with lower chest of drawers. Gorgeous wood grain on dresser face, bun feet
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Early 1800s Swedish Pine Secretary with Original Brass Hardware
Located in Memphis, TN
Early 1800s Swedish pine secretary with original brass hardware. Substantial and gorgeous, the
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Pine
1800s Burl Wood Veneered Tall Secretary with Black Trim Throughout
Located in Memphis, TN
Tall secretary from 1800s. Beautiful burl wood veneered drawer and cabinet facing with detailed
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Burl
Northern European Biedermeier-style secretary from the second half of the 1800s
Located in Barletta, IT
Beautiful Northern European secretary from the second half of the 1800s, Biedermeier style, made of
Category
Antique Early 19th Century German Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
H 165 in W 104 in D 46 in
Exceptional Consulate Period Mahogany Secretary 1800s -1X42
Located in Bordeaux, FR
Step into the grandeur of the Consulate era with this exceptional mahogany secretary, crafted
Category
Antique Early 1800s Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
1800s Antique Renaissance Revival, Burl Veneer Bambocci Cabinet, Secretary!!
Located in Austin, TX
Stunning Bambocci Cabinet, Secretary, Renaissance Revival, Burl Veneer, Gorgeous, 1800s!!
Bambocci
Category
Antique 19th Century European Renaissance Revival Cabinets
Materials
Wood, Burl
H 76.75 in W 49 in D 21 in
1800
s Antique Cont
al Gothic Revival, Black P
d, Armorial, Fall-Front Secretary
Located in Austin, TX
Stunning 1800's Antique Continental Gothic Revival, Black Painted, Armorial, Fall-Front Secretary
Category
Antique 19th Century European Gothic Revival Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
H 71 in W 33 in D 17.5 in
Excellent 1800s Irish Glass Front Cabinet Secretary
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Wonderful antique pine secretary having five drawers on the bottom section, two doors on top with
Category
Antique 19th Century Irish Cabinets
Materials
Pine
1800s Scandinavian Light Painted Slant-Front Secretary with Multiple Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Scandinavian slant-front secretary from circa 1800 with carved panel, four drawers, light gray
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Scandinavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
H 39.4 in W 40.75 in D 21 in
Fine early 1800s Era English Georgian Chinoiserie Paint Decorated Secretary Desk
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
This is a rare and unique form of Chinese Chippendale two piece secretary desk. The desk was made
Category
Antique 1820s English Chinese Chippendale Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
H 82 in W 44 in D 21 in
Swedish Gustavian 1800s Painted Tall Secretary with Slant Front Desk and Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
with a thin reeded one. Raised on bracket feet, this Swedish Gustavian painted secretary circa 1800
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood
H 79.25 in W 47.25 in L 79.25 in
19th Century Painted Baroque Style Secretary Commode from Southern Germany
Located in Dallas, TX
surmounted by a slant-top desk. Hand-carved in Southern Germany during the 1800s, the secretary has been
Category
Antique 19th Century German Baroque Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Paint
H 45.25 in W 42 in D 34 in
Antique Pine Secretary Bureau, Sweden, circa 1820-40
Located in Round Top, TX
Lovely pine secretary or "bureau" from Sweden from the early 1800s.
The age of this secretary is
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Antique Pine Secretary Desk, Sweden circa 1820-1840
Located in Round Top, TX
Lovely pine secretary or "bureau" from Sweden from the early 1800s.
The age of this secretary is
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Materials
Pine
Antique Black Painted Secretary from Sweden with Hidden Storage
Located in Round Top, TX
This inviting secretary or "bureau" likely graced a Swedish country manor house in the 1800's. The
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Antique Genuine Swedish Escritoire, Original Faux Paint Country Secretary Desk
Located in Kramfors, SE
Genuine antique Swedish escritoire from the early 1800s. This escritoire, or secretary desk, is a
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Country Secretaires
Materials
Pine
H 41.74 in W 42.13 in D 14.97 in
Antique French Louis Philippe Style Walnut Bureau Commode With Green Marble Top
Located in Sheridan, CO
Antique French Louis Philippe Style Burl Walnut Bureau Commode With Green Marble Top, late 1800s
Category
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis Philippe Commodes and Chests of D...
Materials
Marble, Brass
H 37.6 in W 51.25 in D 25.25 in
Swedish Painted Oak Secretary Bureau circa 1800
s
Located in Round Top, TX
This oak secretary reflects the refined grace, functionality and style of early 1800's Sweden.
Note
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Brass
Early 1800s Swedish Country Baroque Style Secretary Cabinet
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish pine secretary cabinet in two parts. The cabinet is a country house furniture from
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Country Cabinets
Materials
Pine
Swedish 1800s Light Gray Painted Secretary from Värmland with Slant Front Desk
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish tall secretary from Värmland circa 1800, with gray painted finish, carved bonnet top
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Secretaires
Materials
Wood
H 82.75 in W 54 in D 25 in
Empire Secretary or Writing Cabinet in Mahogany, Paris, 1800s
Located in Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein
Elaborately designed, courtly Empire secretary / writing cabinet in mahogany, Paris, 1800s.
The
Category
Antique Early 1800s French Empire Secretaires
Materials
Bronze
Richly Inlaid Dutch Secretary Desk from the 1800s, Made of Rosewood
Located in Barletta, IT
Beautiful Dutch Louis XVI style secretary desk from the Mid-1800s, made of rosewood. It features 4
Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Dutch Louis XVI Secretaires
Materials
Marble
Walnut Providence Secretary
Located in San Francisco, CA
Late 1800s French secretary hand cut and carved wood with brass hardware. Two wide drawers, tabs
Category
Antique 19th Century French Secretaires
Materials
Walnut
Reduced Louis XVI Danish secretary inlaid mini ballroom
Located in Scarsdale, NY
Danish secretary early 1800's. The well is an inlaid mirrored ballroom. It has secret drawers
Category
Antique 19th Century Danish Secretaires
1800s Folklore Secretary
Located in Memphis, TN
Add a little magic to your home with this hand painted, folklore secretary from the 1800s. Features
Category
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Secretaires
Materials
Wood, Paint
1800s English Secretary Bookcase
Located in Charleston, SC
A truly wonderful English mahogany secretary. This piece dates to 1800, and features lovely large
Category
Antique 19th Century British Secretaires
Materials
Mahogany
English 1800s Neoclassical Butler
s Secretary
Located in Charleston, SC
A wonderful early 19th century butler's secretary from England. This piece features drawers for
Category
Antique 19th Century British Secretaires
Materials
Satinwood
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1800s Secretary For Sale on 1stDibs
Choose from an assortment of styles, material and more with respect to the 1800s secretary you’re looking for at 1stDibs. A 1800s secretary — often made from wood, mahogany and brass — can elevate any home. There are many kinds of the 1800s secretary you’re looking for, from those produced as long ago as the 18th Century to those made as recently as the 19th Century. When you’re browsing for the right 1800s secretary, those designed in Georgian, Regency and Baroque styles are of considerable interest.
How Much is a 1800s Secretary?
Prices for a 1800s secretary start at $185 and top out at $38,000 with the average selling for $8,243.
Finding the Right Secretaires for You
Your antique, new or vintage secretary desk has become the (chic) saving grace of the "new normal" at home.
Simply put, a secretary desk is a multifunctional piece of furniture with a hinged writing surface that folds open or drops down. When the leaf is folded out, small inner storage compartments — pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers — are revealed.
Traditionally, a secretary is composed of two parts — a chest of drawers on the bottom and a cabinet with shelves on the top. Taking its name from the French word for the piece, secrétaire, the secretary desk dates back to the 18th century, when Paris-based cabinetmaker Jean-François Oeben, known for his exquisite marquetry and clever mechanical desks, is thought to have invented the secrétaire à abbattant, or drop-leaf desk.
While the defining drop-down feature of the secretary desk has remained constant, the materials used, as well as its configuration, size and style have evolved over time.
At first, secretaries were typically made from exotic woods, like rosewood, tulipwood and kingwood; later, hardwoods like cherry, maple, oak and mahogany were more common. The desks also became lighter, with space carved out of the lower half for the writer’s feet or with drawers replaced by legs — making them more table-like.
When open, the secretary is a dynamic, versatile Wunderkammer. When closed, it’s a sophisticated, space-saving piece of furniture.
“A fine secretary with a good provenance adds stature and credence to its owner — it is a cornerstone piece,” says antiques dealer Stanley Weiss, who specializes in 18th- and 19th-century English and American furniture. “In this disposable world, fine furniture is always passed on and speaks to who its owner is.”
No matter what style or period you choose, and no matter how you decide to use it, the timeless, flexible secretary desk is bound to become an indispensable part of your daily routine.
Browse a range of antique and vintage secretary desks on 1stDibs, including mid-century modern secretaires, Georgian secretaires and others.
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