Featured Furniture at Regent Antiques – The Antique Davenport Desk

There is something enduring about Victorian antique furniture; so solid, warm, and such high quality with a superb standard of materials & workmanship – take a look at this Antique Davenport Desk and see what we mean.

This desk, currently on offer by Regent Antiques at just £2850, is known as a Davenport, is one of several that we have in stock and is typical of the Davenport style which would have been more than just a piece of ornate furniture, it would have had an important function as well.

Victorian Antique Davenport Desk in Burr Walnut c. 1860

The Victorians were serious about writing: letters, lists & introductions would have been composed on such a desk, diaries kept, poems & novels drafted. Maybe a Charles Dickens or a Lewis Carroll would have used a desk of this kind.
A Davenport desk was also central to the organisation of family & financial life. The lady of the house would manage the staff, the shopping & delivery of household items, the menus & order of things.

The husband would keep track of financial matters & business relations. Hence the desk has many drawers, compartments & a sliding lid with a functional lock. We don’t want the servants prying do we?

The Davenport – almost as much storage as your laptop’s hard drive – and much better looking!

So the Davenport was akin to the Personal Computer of today in many respects, though I am sure you will agree it is a lot more attractive & works without electricity!

In particular the desk available, which dates from 1860 is a really fine example, made from burr walnut with some excellent metal fittings and decorative features. The desk measures some 95cm in height, 61.5cm in width and is 62cm deep when closed.

It is said the style is named after a Captain Davonport who thought of the design as being useful in another way : it is portable so can transported on military campaigns or by ship to the corners of the British Empire.

This desk has survived many journeys in good condition & has been professionally restored. Owning such a piece would provide such pleasure in imagining how, where & by whom it was used over the last 150 years. But you can use it yourself, it is entirely practical & would enhance any suitable home.

To see more fine quality antique desks, writing tables and other beautiful antique furniture, visit our website or our London showrooms. We have several more Davenport desks for you to look at here.