The history of roll top desks
A roll top desk is a desk with a sliding roll top that can be closed over the work area and locked when the desk is not in use. The roll-up top hatch of the desk can be rolled up and down. The hatch is made of narrow wooden slats and glued to a flexible material such as sturdy fabric or leather, with the wooden slates running along slides or grooves embedded in the top edges of the desk.
Roll-top desks were very popular in the 19th century and were favored because they were highly functional desks. These desks were in high demand because they had a variety of custom cubicles, drawers, and shelves close at hand, and could be rolled down to store important papers and documents when the desk was not in use. People found them very useful to work with and safe, and the large number of compartments was a good way to store things. Some roll top desks even came with hidden compartments where special items could be stored out of sight.
The roll top desk design evolved from three different types of desks. The Carleton House Desk, Cylindrical Desk, and Drum Desk Designs were combined to make the Roll Top Desk.
Roll-top desks were very popular in the 19th century. They were first introduced to England from France in the late 18th century, and by the 19th century, the roll-top desk was being produced in massive quantities and had become a common fixture in many work offices and in homes up until the 19th century. final. twentieth century. The roll top desk could be mass produced easily because the wooden slats of the roll top could be manufactured quickly and easily.
As the 20th century progressed, the use of roll-top desks declined because more offices had more paperwork and documents, and storage in the small compartments and drawers of the roll-top desk was limited. People started buying larger steel desks to meet their workspace needs. Additionally, as computers became more popular and commonly used in offices and homes, the demand for roll-top desks dropped dramatically due to lack of space. (There is little room to put a computer tower under the desk, and a monitor and keyboard on top of a roll-top desk with all the nooks and crannies in it.)
There are some roll top desks that have been cleverly converted to accommodate computers; However, this conversion still creates a very narrow workspace, and people much prefer a much larger workspace due to more space and convenience for storage, making roll-top desks more than an item sought after by antique collectors today. Well-made vintage roll top desks are very valuable and can cost several thousand dollars.
Today, roll top desks are a great collector’s item. People who just want to do paperwork strictly can also use them. Since computers take up a lot of desk space, people are opting for a more practical and spacious workspace, choosing larger desks with more space to place their documents and computers. The roll top desk serves as a nostalgic, popular and classic piece of our history that was once highly favored and highly desired.
