Barrel/Cylinder top desk questions

[pjadams]

We were given this desk 25 years ago.?

?

We were told it was antique, had been in a fire and "restored."? It had been "restored" using huge nails to hold it together.? I would not hesitate to call them spikes.? We had it rebuilt at a local antique store,and were told several of the pieces of it were new, not original wood, and the leather? from the pull out writing surface was gone.

I am trying to find out what style it is, it's approximate age, approximate value, and if it originally had a bookshelf on top.? I'd like to put a bookshelf on it again and want to have it styled in keeping with the desk style.? Hinges are a mix, most if not all not original.

There is scallop trim along the top edge of the inside shelves

The side

A similar desk in a local museum

I sure will appreciate any opinions on this.? Thank you!
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[Gabbit]

Can you get some pictures of the legs / dovetails / and a picture of the back of the pice -- inital thought is it looks like white oak -- which was very popular at the turn of the centry -- the pulls look to be the same, but that is up for grabs -- the majority of people modified furniture to fit the style of the times -- added scrolls -- pulls -- ect -- if you run your hand over the smooth surfaces does it feel straight and flat or does it go up and down a hair? Is the back of the piece cut with a circular saw? Is the back one piece of wood or a couple? and if so does it have nice size splits in the wood from natural drying?

 

[titus2pj]

The back looks sort of like board and batten, 3 panels with boards between them.

The bottom horizontal board covers the bottom 8 inches or so, and looks tacked on. Under it near the edge I can see damage on the original wood. This view showing the 4' inch wide board (lighter color) that covers the panel joins.
If these are dovetails, I've never seen the like. All 3 drawers have these.

What lookes like shiny mesh at the edge of the dovetails is the cut edge of wood of the front drawer piece.

The leg.

That bottom piece is smooth but not even, like it wasn't done on a precise machine.

if you run your hand over the smooth surfaces does it feel straight and flat or does it go up and down a hair?

Sometimes feels smooth and straight, but there are places that go up and down, I would say slightly wavy?

Is the back of the piece cut with a circular saw?

I don't know how to tell if it is or not.

Yes, in the drawers and the bottom left door area, plus on the barrel top there are splits from drying, in the drawers some are "nice sizes". :-)

Thank you SO MUCH for helping me!

 

[Gabbit]

I am going to have to do some research -- I have seen a lot of dove tails but nothing like that. I am starting to think it may be older than my initial thoughts. I was initially thinking circa 1880 transition piece from East Lake style -- Look around the piece for circular saw marks -- that helps date the piece. A circular saw mark is basically saw marks in a circular pattern instead of marks made by a traditional saw. It also may have not been by a well known maker -- could be something that was just made by an amature woodworker. Have the drawer slides been replaced? If not are they well worn. Also check the underside of the slide to see if it is smooth. Often slides were turned upside down to provide a new flat surface (helps date the piece also). Have any nails been used in construction? If so describe the shape of the head of the nail. (square - round - rectangle) -- what do the screws look like that are holding the hinges? Sounds like it may be a hand planned piece. Sorry to ask so many questions just not an easy piece to date -- and it is not a traditional style more of a transitional style.

 

[titus2pj]

It appears to be both new and old construction. I don't think there are drawer slides. The drawers rest on 1"x1" boards fastened to the side of the desk. The 1x1's don't look old. I don't see saw marks. The nails that I can frind are puttied over. The "dovetails" appear to have wooden pegs in the holes.

 

[Gabbit]

Your Cylinder roll top desk was most likely made 1870-1880 -- the scalops are an influence of East Lake design, some would say the desk is Victorian. Yours probably had a bookshelf on the top. I haven't seen a picture of the top, but if there are scrolls or anthing that would prohibit a bookshelf, then it may not have come with one. The wood looks to be white oak -- I believe it is also called tiger oak? I would say that auction value would be between $600.00 - $1200.00 -- I have seen those dovetails before -- I thought that was a picture of the back of the piece. Neat desk - hope you complete it with a bookshelf.