An excellent and rare American Federal mahogany secretary and bookcase from New York City, circa 1820. Furniture design in 18th century America was largely based directly upon English forms fashionable in the period. William and Mary (1690-1725), Queen Anne (1725-1760), and Chippendale (1760-1785) furniture produced in the colonies was, in both construction and form, with few exceptions, virtually identical to English and European counterparts. In the case of both William and Mary and Queen Anne periods, one could certainly argue that the reason for the distinct similarities was the result of English craftsmen immigrating to America and bringing with them these styles. Chippendale furniture, by contrast, succeeded in America because of the distribution of the widely popular and readily available publication, The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker's Director, of 1754. English designs maintained a dominant presence in America furniture until the Federal Period (1785-1820) when French influences became more prevalent. Nowhere was this trend more evident than in Federal period New York City. Cabinetmakers such as Duncan Phyfe, Charles Lannuier, Michael Allison, and many others not only made furniture in the "French style" but also succeeded in surpassing its quality. The French artist, Jean Milbert, recorded after his visit to New York City in 1815:

"Furnishings for the home...are either manufactured by the Americans or imported from France or England. Beds, tables, chairs, chests of drawers, secretaries, etc. are made here, and they are superior in construction and solidity if not in taste and shape. Elegant but fragile pieces of French furniture are occasionally ordered for use as models, but as they are veneered on an inferior quality of white wood, poorly made and glued, and intended merely to please the eye...they cannot stand competition with the perfectly fitted American products of heavy mahogany. However, to pay our country its due homage, I shall add that French workmen started this business in America and it is they who are developing it most successfully. They use the best models and books on furniture and interior decoration by Messieurs Percier and Fontaine." (P. Kenny, Honore Lannuier, p. 43).

Substantiating this account is the fact that the basic form of the New York secretary bookcase shown here is drawn directly from plate 20 of Percier and Fountaine's design book, Recueil de Decorations Interieures, published in 1812. French First Empire (1799-1816) designs permeated the American market and appeared not only as furniture styles but also in household objects such as wallpapers, porcelains, and lighting devices. While Americans certainly favored French fashions of the day, it should be noted that the Federal Period produced one of the first recognizable and distinct styles of American furniture. This particular secretary bookcase (standing of four raised legs) is a relatively rare form. The style, however, was popular in Federal New York City; several documented bookcases of similar design are attributed to the workshop of Duncan Phyfe. With the exception of some Philadelphia and Baltimore examples, the basic form was not produced in other urban areas of America.

Condition and Construction: The secretary is comprised of three individual pieces. The cornice is constructed of white pine, which is vertically veneered with crotch mahogany. The back of the bookcase is constructed with a two-board floating panel. The sides of the upper case are solid mahogany, which are ploughed with grooves on the inside to allow for shelves. The front features two-glass paned doors that contain Gothic, detailed mullions. Below the doors are three graduated drawers, each veneered on the facings and constructed entirely of mahogany. The lower case contains a folding writing surface covered in wool baize and features a series of five drawers. The sides are solid mahogany. The brass pulls are replacements and they have been gilded in a manner consistent with practices of the period. The whole case is set on four turned legs. The two front legs are veneered with crotch mahogany and contain brass, ferule feet. The upper cornice-projecting mantle and the semicircular kneehole facing are modern replacements. New York City, circa 1815-1825.

Dimensions: HOA=88 1/2" DOA=24 1/2" WOA=44"

Materials: Mahogany, mahogany veneers, poplar, white pine, cherry, brass.

Note: A closely related secretary bookcase by the workshop of Duncan Phyfe and appears in Duncan Phyfe and the English Regency, N. McCelland, plate 251. The secretary is labeled twice.

CA-98-133