Constructed in 1880 from oak timbers salvaged from the HMS Resolute, the Resolute desk (also known as Hayes desk) stands in the Oval Office of the White House and has been used by several presidents, including the five most recent ones. Due to its prominence, numerous detailed replicas of this desk has been constructed for private offices or for museum displays. More or less accurate replicas can also be seen in movies, TV-shows and similar. Anyone who wish to commission a high-end replica of the Resolute desk for their own office will be required to pay dearly, since it will need to be hand-crafted by a highly skilled woodworker using…

Below, we will take a brief look at some writing desk models form the past. Bureau plat A bureau plat is a French-style type of writing table with a series of drawers located under the flat surface. The support is four legs. An antique bureau plat will usually be designed with handwriting with an ink pen in mind. The surface of the table will therefore be covered in leather or a similar material that is better for ink writing than a simple hardwood surface. Also, one of the drawers is usually designed to keep the writing tools, i.e. with compartments for the inkwell, the blotter, the powder tray, etc. This…