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1940
s Ebonized Writing Table with inset Leather Top
Located in New York, NY
over 3 drawers, on tapered legs.
Category
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
French Art Deco Writing Table or Desk, circa 1940s
Located in New York, NY
French Art Deco writing table or desk with three drawers. Centre drawer is lockable. Red lacquer
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
1940
s Leather Top Louis XV Style Desk
Located in Stamford, CT
1940's Leather Top Louis XV Style Desk
Category
Vintage 1940s Louis XV Desks and Writing Tables
Midcentury Pastoe "EE02" Writing Desk, Cees Braakman, 1940s
By Pastoe, Cees Braakman
Located in Brussels , BE
Midcentury Pastoe "EE02" writing desk, Cees BRAAKMAN - 1940s.
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1940
S FAUX BAMBOO, WOODEN, ASIAN MOTIF DESK
Located in Los Angeles, CA
UNIQUE BLACK AND BONE LACQUERED DESK, WITH ASIAN MOTIF. IT HAS 4 BONE LACQUERED DEEP DRAWERS
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Lacquer
Desk, 1940s
Located in Milan, IT
Italian work desk, 1940s.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
$950
A Swedish Black Lacquer Desk Circa 1940
s
By Eero Saarinen
Located in London, GB
A black lacquer desk with a front cupboard, two internal drawers and a shelf, two drawer above
Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Lacquer
Carved Wood 1940
s Faux Draped Fabric Vanity Desk
By Grosfeld House
Located in Hudson, NY
an incredibly charming 1940's Cerused Oak vanity desk entirely in carved wood made to look like
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Hardwood
1940
s Art Moderne Steel and Aluminum large desk
Located in Hudson, NY
Large black steel and aluminum desk with one drawer.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel, Aluminum
1940s French Oak Writing Table
Located in London, GB
1940s French oak writing table
Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood, Oak
French Art Deco Black Forest Walnut Root Writing Desk, circa 1940s
Located in New York, NY
This French Art Deco Black Forest Walnut writing table or desk has bronze drawer pulls and banding
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
1940
s Chinoiserie Hand Painted Black and Gold Painted Desk
Located in Pasadena, CA
1940's Hand Painted Black and Gold Wood Desk
7 Drawers Brass Handles
Category
Vintage 1940s French Chinoiserie Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1940s Bentwood Mid-Century Modern Writing Desk by Paul Goldman for Plymold
By Paul Goldman
Located in Belmont, MA
This Art Deco-style bentwood Mid-Century Modern writing desk was designed by Paul Goldman in 1946
Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Plywood
Desk by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman c. 1940
s
Located in Palm Springs, CA
stained, cerused oak desk was manufactured in the 1940's and has the signature Frankl innovation of
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1940
s black and white lacquered desk
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large substantial desk with 6 spacious pull out drawers, comes w/original hardware. The desk top is
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1940
s French Avant Garde Modernist Desk
By Jean Royère
Located in Antwerp, BE
Elegant modernist desk with great avant garde features...
One side of the surface is rounded, the
Category
Vintage 1940s French Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1940
s Cerused Oak Writing Table with Canted Corners
Located in New York, NY
Inset Leather Top
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
1940
s Giò Ponti Typewriting Desk and Chair
By Gio Ponti
Located in London, GB
Rare- Giò Ponti -Type-writing desk and Chair , original conditions .
Old metal label of
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
French 1940
s secretary
Located in New Jersey City, NJ
French lacquered secretary in the style of Jansen.Age appropriate wear to brass as seen in photos.
Category
French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
$2,400
1940
s French bureau plat.
Located in London, GB
A large 1940's French ebonised and parcel gilt partners desk, with a later leather top.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather
$19,800
1940
s French Bureau Plat
Located in Houston, TX
Handsome French Oak Bureau Plat. Top is veneered in checker board patterned oak,two drawers."X" base joined by twisted wrought iron rod.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Iron
Danish Rosewood Desk, circa 1940s
By Ole Wanscher
Located in London, GB
This Danish rosewood desk was made during the 1930s-1950s. In the style of Ole Wanscher, who in
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
French Art Deco Exotic Macassar, Ebony Writing Desk
Located in Hialeah, FL
A French Art Deco Exotic Macassar Ebony Writing Desk, circa 1940s. Two drawer, black lacquer legs
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
French Oak Writing Desk with a Parquet Top
Located in Stamford, CT
Circa 1940s French oak writing desk with a parquet top and brass hardware on cabriole legs. Please
Category
20th Century Unknown Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1940s Oak Desk with Leather Top
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Oak desk with leather top
Category
20th Century French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak, Leather
French 1940s Neoclassical Two Drawer Cherry Desk
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Two drawer cherry desk, the matched inlaid surface raised on tapered legs, finishing in bronze
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
1940s Modern Walnut Desk with Book Shelves
Located in TUJUNGA, CA
Streamline modern- finished walnut desk featuring book shelves and drawers that slide out sideways
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Painted steel desk by Rene Herbst, French 1940s
Located in Hoboken, NJ
Brown painted steel desk by Rene Herbst, French, 1940s.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
Modernist Bauhaus Desk, England, 1940s
By Bauhaus
Located in Berlin, DE
This desk was built in England as a neutral, objective purpose furniture with lockable box and
Category
Vintage 1930s English Bauhaus Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage Walnut Slope-Front Child
s Desk, Scotland, 1940s, B1902
Located in Vancouver, BC
Vintage walnut slope-front child's desk, Scotland, 1940s, B1902
Scotland, 1940s
Solid walnut
Category
Vintage 1940s Scottish Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Walnut
Circa 1940s French Desk in the Louis XVI Taste
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A circa 1940s French desk of elegant proportions in the Louis XVI taste, with three drawers
Category
Vintage 1940s Desks and Writing Tables
Vintage 1940s Leather Top Wing Desk by Grosfeld House
By Grosfeld House
Located in Hudson, NY
A rare vintage 1940s wing shaped desk with original leather top by Grosfeld House. Beautiful design
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Italian Desk in Walnut, Italy, 1940s
Located in Milan, IT
Particular Italian desk in walnut, made in Italy in the 1940s.
There are four drawers.
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Desks and Writing Tables
Fabulous 1940s Mirrored Desk with Brass or Bronze Fittings
Located in Charlotte, NC
The hardware is original to this beautiful mirrored desk, mirror has been replaced. Stunning
Category
Vintage 1940s Unknown Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Parchment and Black Lacquer Desk by Osvaldo Borsani from 1940s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in London, GB
Impressive black lacquer and parchment desk by Osvaldo Borsani.
The desk has four drawers on
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Lacquer, Wood
Good Quality circa 1940s Ebonized Desk
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A good quality mid-20th century ebonized desk with brass details, and brushing slides. This piece
Category
Vintage 1940s European Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1940
s Architect
s Drafting Table - Midcentury Wooden
Iron Metal Base
Located in Dorchester, GB
A 1940's Architect's drawing table with cast iron metal base, Beech & Oak frame and top.
A fully
Category
Early 20th Century British Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
Industrial Workbench, Two-Seat Desk Table, Factory Table, Metal, 1940s
Located in Retie, BE
Industrial duo-seat workbench - desk table - work table - factory table
These metal tables with 2
Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Industrial Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Metal
1940s Cerused Grey Oak and Nickel Hardware Vanity or Desk
Located in Miami, FL
.
This desk or vanity has six ample lateral drawers and a pull-out central are for storage. All hardware
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Nickel
Large 1940s French Double Sided Ebonised Desk
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A good quality and of great proportions, circa 1940s, French ebonised desk, of simple, yet elegant
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
Italian Mid-Century Burl Veneer Desk, 1940s
Located in Savona, IT
This desk was made in Italy in the 1940s. It is made from burl veneer and features several drawers
Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
Elegant 1940s Desk with Matching Chair, Black Lacquered Wood, Silvered Bronze
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Elegant 1940s desk with matching chair, black lacquered wood, silvered bronze handles.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Wood
20th Century Art Deco Birchwood Desk , 1940s
Located in Roma, RM
Art Deco desk, full frame, in birch wood with ebonized parts, the lower part of the legs is in full
Category
Vintage 1930s Swedish Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Birch
1940s Danish Desk in Fine Cuban Mahogany
By Mogens Koch
Located in Long Island City, NY
Attributed to Mogens Koch with terminating brass feet. Useful drawer configuration, two drawers left and right with ankle space to sit and one-drawer on other side in middle.
Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Desks and Writing Tables
Four-Legged Tanker Table with Drawer by General Fireproofing, 1940
s
By General Fireproofing Company, Steelcase, Mcdowell-Craig
Located in Alhambra, CA
Four-legged tanker table with drawer by General Fireproofing, c. 1940's. This unique "mini tanker
Category
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel, Aluminum
Art Deco Very Big Walnut Desk, circa 1940s
Located in Bielsko Biala, slaskie
Vintage walnut desk .This desk was designed and made in the circa 1940s in the former
Category
Vintage 1940s Czech Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Nutwood
Art Deco Rosewood Writing Table with Two Drawers, France, circa 1940s
Located in New York, NY
Stunning French Art Deco rosewood writing table with two drawers, the rectangular top supported by
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Rosewood
1940s Half-Moon Black Desk by Jacques Adnet
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Milan, IT
Jacques Adnet (1900-1984) half-moon desk in black varnished wood. Topped
by a black opaline slab
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass, Bronze
1940s Art Deco Desk by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman
By Paul Frankl, Brown Saltman
Located in Alhambra, CA
1940s Art Deco desk by Paul Frankl for Brown Saltman. Oak has been beautifully refinished in a
Category
Mid-20th Century North American Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Monumental French Art Deco Exotic Macassar Ebony Desk, circa 1940s
Located in Hialeah, FL
Monumental French Art Deco exotic Macassar ebony desk. Beautiful Macassar wood! Brass Hardware
Category
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
French 1940s 1950s Art Deco Design Oak Wooden Little Desk
Located in Tourcoing, FR
French Late Art Deco Design Oak wooden desk composed of an all in wooden structure, 4 drawers, drop
Category
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Oak
Black Lacquered Maison Jansen 1940s Neoclassic Refined Style Louis XV Desk
By Maison Jansen
Located in Paris, ile de france
Black lacquered Maison Jansen 1940s neoclassic refined style Louis XV desk.
Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Bronze
1940s Mid-Century Modern French Desk in Ceruzè Oak, Brass Details
Located in Firenze, IT
Mid-Century Modern desk in Ceruzè oak in perfect condition and vintage patina, original brass
Category
Vintage 1940s French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1940s French Ebonized Bureau Plat
Located in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire
Small proportioned 1940s French ebonized bureau plat with original, nicely faded leather.
Category
Vintage 1940s French Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Leather, Wood
1940s Industrial Sawhorse Work Table Legs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Antique saw horse legs.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Schoolhouse Desks and Writing Tables
English Leather Top Library Table, circa 1940s
Located in Stamford, CT
escutcheon. Comes with two keys for working drawers. Desk is refinished there are some ink marks to interior
Category
Early 20th Century Empire Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Brass
1940s Steel Tanker Table with Reclaimed Wood Top
By Art Metal Co., Mcdowell-Craig, Allsteel
Located in Alhambra, CA
Classic American steel tanker table with tapered legs and single drawer. Original Formica table-top has been replaced with reclaimed wood. Wonderful vintage patina.
Category
Vintage 1940s American Desks and Writing Tables
Materials
Steel
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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 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.
- 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.
- 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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