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Cuban Mahogany Drawing Table, Denmark, 1940s
Located in London, GB
Denmark by a master cabinetmaker between 1940-1950.
The deep proportions of this elegant piece speak of
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
1940s Speech Table, Czechoslovakia
Located in Praha, CZ
- made of solid pine tree wood
- good original condition with some sign of use
Category
Vintage 1940s Czech Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
1940s Petite Mahogany Ornate Painted Secretary Bureau with Flip Leather Top
Located in Germantown, MD
. Desk knee clearance is 24 and writing table height is 29.75 inches.
Category
Mid-20th Century American Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Paint
French Walnut Veneer Table, 1940s
Located in Miami, FL
19th Spanish side table with cared Solomonic turned legs and iron stretcher. The top has a carved edges and a beautiful grain and patina.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Neoclassical Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
1940s Danish Oak Table with Twisted Legs and New Patinated Leather Top by Cabine
Located in Lejre, DK
This table is a beautiful example of Danish craftsmanship from the 1940s, created by a Danish
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Oak
1940s Classic Green Marble Dark Wood Bank Table
Located in New York, NY
1940s one sided bank table featuring dark stained wood, a green veined marble top and brass plates
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Marble, Brass
Writing Desk by Gio Ponti, Italy 1940s
By Gio Ponti
Located in San Francisco, CA
Designed in Italy during the 1940s, this writing desk reflects Gio Ponti’s signature approach to
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks
Materials
Brass
1940s Traditional style Writing Desk w/ Hermes Orange Leather Top
Located in Opa Locka, FL
1940's Traditional style Writing Desk with Hermes Leather Top. Beautifully carved with 4 spacious
Category
Vintage 1940s North American Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Wood
$3,680 Sale Price
20% Off
André Arbus Mid-Century French Sycamore Desk Writing Table
By André Arbus
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century French (1940s) sycamore rectangular desk / writing table featuring 3 front drawers with
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks
Materials
Brass
ANTiQUE CIRCA 1940
S HAND CARVED CHINESE BUREAU WRITING DESK
MATCHING ARMCHAIR
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
's Chinese Export hand carved Bureau desk with matching armchair
Please note the delivery fee
Category
Vintage 1940s Chinese Chinese Export Furniture
Materials
Hardwood
1940s Maddox Chippendale Mahogany Serpentine Secretary Writing Desk Bookcase
By Maddox Furniture
Located in Dayton, OH
A gorgeous serpentine oxbow secretary desk by Maddox Tables of Jamestown NY. Made from American
Category
Mid-20th Century American Chippendale Secretaires
Materials
Brass
$1,001 Sale Price
30% Off
1940s lacquered wood writing desk attributed to René Drouet French art deco
By René Drouet
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Rare '40s secrétaire attributed to French designer René Drouet. Structure in lacquered solid wood with attractive floral decoration on the top door (original paint, gilding and lacqu...
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Secretaires
Materials
Wood
Jean Pascaud, Ebonized Writing Desk with Tapered Legs, France, 1940s
By Jean Pascaud
Located in New York, NY
The elegance of this desk can be attributed to the essential quality of its form—with little more
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Jean Pascaud, Ebonized Lacquered Coffee Table, France, 1940s
By Jean Pascaud
Located in New York, NY
Low, black table with glass top and gently tapering legs characteristic of the French Deco master.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
French Maison Dominique Palisander and Glass Writing Desk
By Maison Dominique
Located in Queens, NY
French 1940s palisander writing desk with rounded rectangular glass top above 2 frieze drawers
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Palisander
1940
s writing table
Located in Toronto, ON
Finely crafted walnut writing table with fitted drawer. Solid walnut construction. Original surface.
Category
20th Century American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
$4,800
1940s Bauhaus Steel Tube and Beech Writing Desk
Located in Berlin, DE
A Bauhaus writing desk with one container.
Category
20th Century German Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome, Steel
1940s Bauhaus Chrome Steel Tube and Beech Writing Desk
Located in Berlin, DE
This modern writing desk manufactured circa 1940 is a beautiful example of the Bauhaus style.
Category
20th Century German Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome, Steel
Danish rosewood desk circa 1940s
Located in London, GB
This rosewood desk was made in Denmark during the 1940s in Denmark. With a good height of 75cm or
Category
Vintage 1940s European Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Late 1940s Italian Pupil desk
Located in London, GB
Italian Pupil desk,wooden structure with a green patina all around.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
1940s Paul Laszlo Freeform Desk
By Paul Laszlo
Located in Oakland, CA
53" W x 26.5" D x 29.75" H
1940s "Freeform desk" by celebrated designer, Paul Laszlo for Brown
Category
Vintage 1940s North American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Metal Desk from the 1940s by Ribeauville Brussels
By Ribeauville Demolder
Located in Cologne, DE
Beautiful writing desk, manufactured in the 1940s in Belgium by Ribeauville Demolder Brussels. The
Category
Vintage 1940s Belgian Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Steel
Late 1940s Large Table/Desk
Located in London, GB
Late 1940's Big Table with 2 drawers and leather top
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Cherry, Leather
Large Teak Desk by Bela Angelus, Italy, 1940s
Located in Maastricht, NL
A large teak desk by Bela Angelus. The Hungarian born but Milan based architect who worked between
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Teak
1940s Bauhaus Steel Tube Desk Purple Red
Located in Berlin, DE
A beautiful recently restored Bauhaus writing desk with one container.
Category
20th Century German Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Stylish 1940s Walnut Dining Table or Desk
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A very stylish, and of great design, circa 1940s, continental table in walnut, that will make a
Category
Early 20th Century Desks and Writing Tables
Chinoiserie Back Lacquered Art Deco Mother of Pearl Inlay Desk, Spain, 1940s
Located in Valencia, Valencia
Chinoiserie back lacquered with mother of pearl inlay desk, Spain, 1940s.
- Art Deco style with
Category
Vintage 1940s Spanish Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Metal Tanker Desk, Unrestored 1940s-1960s, South Africa
Located in Cape Town, ZA
Unrestored tanker steel desk in grey with pontoon style legs. Original feet are adjustable. The
Category
Mid-20th Century South African Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
1940s Bauhaus Steel Tube Desk Lacquered Black by Slezak
Located in Berlin, DE
A 1930s Bauhaus Functionalism writing desk black lacquered.
Category
20th Century Czech Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Chrome, Steel
1940s Small Italian Desk in the style of Guglielmo Ulrich
By Guglielmo Ulrich
Located in London, GB
Small desk in rosewood and green glass top in the style of Guglielmo Ulrich.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Mid-Century Per Hermansen Desk in Cherrywood and 1940s Fritz Hansen Swivel Chair
By Fritz Hansen
Located in Bonita Springs, FL
A refined and functional writing desk by Danish cabinetmaker Per Hermansen, crafted in solid
Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
1940s Rare Small Desk or Sofa Table in the Style of Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
Amazing small desk / sofa table with glass top . Original glass
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Glass, Wood
French 1940s White Lacquered Library Table
Located in New Jersey City, NJ
This table could be used as a desk.
The table has a new glass top.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
French 1940s Kingwood and Ormolu Mounted Bureau Plat
Located in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire
Excellent quality, 1940s kingwood bureau plat with rare fitted cabinet back and stunning ormolu
Category
Mid-20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Ormolu
20th Century Italian Wooden Pastry Counter with Drawers, 1940s
Located in Florence, IT
20th century Italian wooden pastry counter with drawers, 1940s.
Measures:
cm 130 x cm 80x H cm
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian British Colonial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum, Brass
Exceptional Desk and Chair in the Manner of Hermes
By Hermès
Located in Mount Penn, PA
An exceptional, French, 1940s writing table or desk with chair in the manner of Hermes.
Chair
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
French Louis XV Style Writing Desk w/ Drawers C. 1940
s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
1940's French writing desk, rich in history and detail, a testament to the craftsmanship of the era
Category
Vintage 1940s French Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint
1940
S Mirrored Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
1940's Mirrored Writing Desk
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mirror, Wood
1940
s Neo Classical Mirrored Writing Desk
Located in New York, NY
1940's Neo Classical Mirrored Writing Desk
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mirror, Wood
Frits Henningsen writing desk in mahogany, 1940
s
By A. J. Iversen, Ole Wanscher
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Frits Hennignsen writing desk in mahogany. With drawers.
Table top is solid.
Made in the 1940s
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Lovely 1940
s Burl Walnut Lady
s Writing Desk
Chair
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
Golden toned Burl Wood contrasted with black leather desk top and chair upholstery. A padded
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Art Deco Writing Desk, 1940s
Located in Brussels, BE
Art Deco writing desk, 1940s.
Category
Vintage 1940s Belgian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1940
s French Desk
Located in North Miami, FL
A simply chic french desk from the 1940's. Design of desk has design inspiration from the
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
$2,600
Amazing Italian Writing Desk, 1940s
Located in Roma, Lazio
Amazing Italian writing desk 1940s, veneered in elmwood, covered in parchment and refined of brass
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French 1940
s Mahogany Desk
Located in Buchanan, NY
French 1940's mahogany Louis XVI desk with green leather and original brass hardware and sabots
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Italian 1940
s Walnut Folding Writing Desk or Console Table, Italy, circa 1940
Located in New York, NY
An Italian 1940's folding or flip-top walnut writing desk or console with two faux drawers, the top
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Laminate, Walnut
Wooden dressing table / writing desk - Italy, 1940s
Located in London, GB
A simple wooden writing desk or dressing table with a drawer to the front, enhanced by the
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Jacques Adnet Modernist Writing Desk/1940s Desk
By Jacques Adnet
Located in London, Lambeth
Modernist tripod desk in oak with single draw in oak simple functional design
Dimensions: 75cm
Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
A Sleek French 1940
s Amboyna Writing Desk w/Parchment Top
Located in San Francisco, CA
A sleek and refined French 1940's amboyna 3-drawer writing desk with parchment top and ebonized
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Amboyna
Bamboo Base Writing Desk, France, 1940s
Located in New York, NY
1940s French bamboo base writing desk with glass top.
The desk has been recently refurbished and
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bamboo, Glass
French Heavily Carved Writing Table C. 1940
s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
French painted heavily carved writing table/desk.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Paint, Gesso
Paul Laszlo Art Deco Mahogany Writing Desk, 1940s
By Paul Laszlo
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Art Deco writing desk
By Paul Laszlo
USA, 1940s
Bleached mahogany and black
Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany, Lacquer
1940
s Mirrored Silver Trim Vanity Desk
Located in New York, NY
1940's American Mirrored Silver Trim Desk
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mirror, Wood
1940
s Industrial Metal Desk - Linoleum To
Located in Hook, Hampshire
1940's Industrial Metal Desk - Linoleum Top.
Practical early 1940's metal desk with original
Category
Vintage 1940s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Italian Mid-Century Parchment Writing Desk, 1940s
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Amazing Italian writing desk of the 1940s, all decorated in parchment paper and equipped with
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Parchment Paper
Vintage Writing Desk Sessile Oak Veneer from the, 1940s
Located in Milano, IT
Desk with side drawers and under-top drawer in oak veneered wood with linoleum top.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Mahogany Writing Desk with Hammered Wood Sides, Italy, 1940s
Located in London, GB
This svelte mahogany desk is made up of two slab legs set on splayed bracket feet, surmounted by a
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Mahogany
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1940s Writing Desk For Sale on 1stDibs
With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the 1940s writing desk you’re looking for. Each 1940s writing desk for sale was constructed with extraordinary care, often using wood, metal and brass. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect 1940s writing desk — we have versions that date back to the 19th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century are available. A 1940s writing desk made by Mid-Century Modern designers — as well as those associated with Art Deco — is very popular. A well-made 1940s writing desk has long been a part of the offerings for many furniture designers and manufacturers, but those produced by Maison Jansen, Frits Henningsen and George Nelson are consistently popular.
How Much is a 1940s Writing Desk?
A 1940s writing desk can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $4,995, while the lowest priced sells for $60 and the highest can go for as much as $113,245.
Finding the Right Desks-writing-tables for You
Choosing the perfect writing desk or writing table is a profoundly personal journey, one that people have been embarking upon for centuries.
Queen Atossa of Persia, from her writing table circa 500 B.C., is said to have been the originator of the art of handwritten letters. Hers was reportedly the first in a long and colorful history of penned correspondence that grew in popularity alongside literacy. The demand for suitable writing desks, which would serve the composer of the letters as well as ensure the comfort of the recipient naturally followed, and the design of these necessary furnishings has evolved throughout history.
Once people began to seek freedom from the outwardly ornate styles of the walnut and rosewood writing desks and drafting tables introduced in the name of Queen Victoria and King Louis XV, radical shifts occurred, such as those that materialized during the Art Nouveau period, when designers longed to produce furniture inspired by the natural world’s beauty. A prime example is the work of the famous late-19th-century Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí — his rolltop desk featured deep side drawers and was adorned with carved motifs that paid tribute to nature. Gaudí regularly combined structural precision with decorative elements, creating beautiful pieces of furniture in wood and metal.
Soon afterward, preferences for sleek, geometric, stylized forms in furniture that saw an emphasis on natural wood grains and traditional craftsmanship took hold. Today, Art Deco desks are still favored by designers who seek to infuse interiors with an air of luxury. One of the most prominent figures of the Art Deco movement was French decorator and furniture designer Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann. With his use of neoclassical motifs as well as expensive and exotic materials such as imported dark woods and inlays of precious metals for his writing desks, Ruhlmann came to symbolize good taste and modernity.
The rise in appreciation for Scandinavian modernism continues to influence the design of contemporary writing desks. It employs the “no fuss” or “less is more” approach to creating a tasteful, sophisticated space. Sweden’s master cabinetmaker Bruno Mathsson created gallery-worthy designs that are as functional as they are beautiful. Finnish architect Alvar Aalto never viewed himself as an artist, but, like Mathsson, his furniture designs reflected a fondness for organic materials and a humanistic approach. Danish designers such as Hans Wegner introduced elegant shapes and lines to mid-century desks and writing tables, often working in oak and solid teak.
From vintage desks to contemporary styles, 1stDibs offers a broad spectrum of choices for conducting all personal and business writing and reading activities.
Questions About 1940s Writing Desk
- What is a writing desk?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
A writing desk may refer to a desk with a top, often sloping, for writing on or to a portable case with compartments to hold writing materials and a surface for writing.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021A small writing table is also called a davenport table or davenport desk. They normally feature a sloped or inclined top attached with hinges to the back of the table. On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique and vintage davenport desks.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021A writing desk with drawers is also called a secretary. It is a desk with drawers, one of which can be pushed out and the front of the desk lowered to create a flat writing surface. These writing desks have been made in a variety of styles over the years. Shop for a variety of writing tables with drawers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A number of dresses were popular during the 1940s. Many women wore short-waist dresses with button necks, collars, fitted waists and full skirts. The classic A-lines with knee-length hems in red, white and blue colors were also a trend. Shop a collection of vintage dresses on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021In the 1940s, ladies wore clothes defined by clean and slim silhouettes. The jackets, blouses and sweaters often featured shoulderpads and had somewhat of a military feel. Most dresses were quite casual and pants and playsuits became part of a woman's everyday style.
- What is a 1940s style dress?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021The most popular 1940s-style dress was the shirtwaist dress. It had a front opening like a men’s shirt, but with large buttons in the front of the dress, which was practical and easy to wear. The sleeves were short and necklines varied from shirt style to sweetheart and other necklines. Antique and vintage dresses from well-known designers are available on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertJune 15, 2023What an old-fashioned writing desk is called varies by design. Pieces with drop-down fronts are secretary desks (these are typically made of two parts: a chest of drawers on the bottom and a hutch or cupboard with shelves on the top), while ones that rest on two pillars, cabinets or bookcases are pedestal desks. A desk with a small writing surface positioned in front of drawers and cubbies is a bureau à gradin. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of desks.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023In French, the term for a writing desk that often featured a drop-down writing surface is secretaire. This type of desk is called a secretary desk in English. 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, which are called pigeonholes, cubbies, recesses or drawers, are revealed. On 1stDibs, shop antique secretary desks from some of the world's top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 23, 2024Claire McCardell was the designer often called the Mother of American Fashion in the 1940s. An American designer, she helped introduce women's sportswear to the United States and was particularly well-known for her bias-cut, loose-fitting Monastic dress. When World War II broke out in the 1940s, she designed pieces out of readily available materials like denim, calico and wool jersey, introducing new fabrics for women's clothing that would remain popular well after the close of the war. Many people point to McCardell as one of the first successful American fashion designers. Shop a collection of Claire McCardell apparel on 1stDibs.
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