Fall-front secretary, c. 1815–1830
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mahogany, cherry, poplar, pine, maple, ebony, and gilt bronze
62 7/8 x 35 7/8 x 21 1/8 in. (159.69 x 91.11 x 53.64 cm)
The Faith P. and Charles L. Bybee Collection, anonymous gift in memory of Frederick M. Mayer, 1985.B.51

In the early 19th century, this type of fall-front secretary was called a secrétaire à abattant, or French secretary. The form achieved maturity in Paris in the mid-18th century and subsequently spread to other parts of Europe. Although never popular in England, such desks were especially favored in areas dominated by Biedermeier design, namely Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia. The appearance of the fall-front secretary in Philadelphia was likely the result of Continental influence. Some Continental-made examples are known to have been imported into Philadelphia early in the century, as were German and possibly French furniture designs featuring the form.

Unlike other Philadelphia examples, which are very French in their strongly unified design, the Dallas desk is based on Germanic prototypes. At present, eight closely related secretaries from the same unidentified shop are known. All these pieces reflect a Germanic predilection for imaginative design in which the façade is an amalgamation of parts, not a unified whole. Here, for example, the columns do not extend the length of the piece, as in a typical French example, but stop halfway, becoming pilasters in the lower section. The upper and lower halves are further differentiated by the orientation of the doors—the central fall being horizontal, those below vertical. Both the use of contrasting burl veneers, inset at various places on the façade, and the emphatic horizontal banding at top, middle, and bottom further fragment the façade.