RARE Large Restored Vintage Four-Leg Pedestal Typewriter Desk in Mahogany Finish
Extremely sturdy Retractable/Pop-Up Typewriter Shelf fitted with a perfectly functioning The Seng Company, Chicago Patented Extensible Support Mechanism
This gorgeous desk would be an obvious fit for someone who still enjoys using a typewriter. However, it’s sturdy, pop-up extensible shelf isn’t limited to retro functionality. Since the shelf functions as a storage compartment and an extension of the desktop surface, there are any number of possibilities for this space. We used it for our printer. I could also envision it working out well for a sewing machine.
Description:
Center: Dovetailed pencil drawer with three trays
Right Pedestal: Pull-out writing slide with pencil slot atop three dovetailed drawers. The drawers were probably originally secured by a single lock in the center box drawer, however, the lock mechanism was not on the desk when I purchased it.
Left Pedestal: Side door with decorative drawer pulls opens to extensible typewriter shelf fitted with perfectly-functioning spring-loaded retraction mechanism
Dimensions: 60" wide x 34" deep x 30.5" tall
Brand: The only brand marked on the desk is Seng Chicago, which is stamped on the extensible support (Pic #8).
I have done extensive research on pedestal typewriter desks, and I have found this desk to be quite rare. The Seng Co. supports are a fairly rare find, and perfectly functioning supports are rarer still. However, what makes this desk truly unique is that it is the only one I have seen in a 4-leg vs. a 6-leg (the 4-leg is an upgrade, as it gives more leg room), and it is also the only one I have seen in mahogany.
Condition:
The desk was purchased at an antiques fair in 2001. Overall, it was in very good condition, however, it was coated in multiple layers of paint. At that time, it was restored to its original beauty by stripping off the paint, sanding it, staining it, and finishing it with polyurethane. The handle pulls were also replaced. I did not keep the original pulls.
The desk has been very well maintained, since its restoration 17 years ago, and, with the exception of some chipping of the mahogany face veneer, it has sustained only very light wear, which is primarily at the bottoms of the legs. The broad flat-top surface has a couple of light scratches and some clouding (Pic #11-Top), which would both be remedied with a fresh coat of polyurethane. The chipping of the mahogany face veneer is primarily located at the base of the modesty panel (Pic #12) and the base of the right end panel (Pic #10). Some wood repair filler sticks would help hugely with this issue, and some decorative molding around the base could completely cover the damage.
Condition: Vintage / Antique / Used, Restored, Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Very Good - Minor wear consistent with age
History:
The Seng Company, Chicago were the licensed manufacturers of a patented mechanism used extensively in the construction of pedestal typewriter desks, so called because the typewriter, when not in use, was contained in one of the desk pedestals.
Pedestal typewriter desks were distinctive in that the machine and its convenient use were provided for without sacrificing the top of the desk. The typewriter, resting on its own platform, emerged from the pedestal with first an outward and then an upward movement, automatically, and stopped on a level with the desk-top proper. The pedestal desk was, in fact, two desks in one—a typewriter desk and a clerical desk, each complete and independent of the other.
—Office Appliances; The Magazine of Office Equipment, Volume 24, September, 1916 Edition, Page 92
The Seng Co. advertisements in Office Appliances; The Magazine of Office Equipment, Volume 24, 1916 Editions shown in Pic #2 are for The Seng Co.’s earliest patented ball-bearing support mechanism.
Over the next four decades, the Seng Co. filed multiple patents improving upon this earliest version of its extensible support, up until the final version, which was patented on Sept. 30, 1947 (Pic #8). The pedestal typewriter desk for sale in this listing is equipped with the final and best version.
Disclaimer:
I enjoy learning about the history of my antique and vintage items. I do my own research via the methods available to me (mostly trusted internet sources). I am not an expert. Any information I have provided is based solely on my own experience, my own research, and my own opinion. Any reference materials I have provided are to be used as guidance tools only.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an item that may be especially difficult to move and/or transport. Unless shipping arrangements are available and made by the buyer, that individual is responsible for, and advised to bring, appropriate assistance, vehicle, and any necessary tools to pickup.
Tags:
tanker pop up wood mcm mid century modern mid-century midmod mid mod antique computer unique authentic retract
RARE Large Restored Vintage Four-Leg Pedestal Typewriter Desk in Mahogany Finish
Extremely sturdy Retractable/Pop-Up Typewriter Shelf fitted with a perfectly functioning The Seng Company, Chicago Patented Extensible Support Mechanism
This gorgeous desk would be an obvious fit for someone who still enjoys using a typewriter. However, it’s sturdy, pop-up extensible shelf isn’t limited to retro functionality. Since the shelf functions as a storage compartment and an extension of the desktop surface, there are any number of possibilities for this space. We used it for our printer. I could also envision it working out well for a sewing machine.
Description:
Center: Dovetailed pencil drawer with three trays
Right Pedestal: Pull-out writing slide with pencil slot atop three dovetailed drawers. The drawers were probably originally secured by a single lock in the center box drawer, however, the lock mechanism was not on the desk when I purchased it.
Left Pedestal: Side door with decorative drawer pulls opens to extensible typewriter shelf fitted with perfectly-functioning spring-loaded retraction mechanism
Dimensions: 60" wide x 34" deep x 30.5" tall
Brand: The only brand marked on the desk is Seng Chicago, which is stamped on the extensible support (Pic #8).
I have done extensive research on pedestal typewriter desks, and I have found this desk to be quite rare. The Seng Co. supports are a fairly rare find, and perfectly functioning supports are rarer still. However, what makes this desk truly unique is that it is the only one I have seen in a 4-leg vs. a 6-leg (the 4-leg is an upgrade, as it gives more leg room), and it is also the only one I have seen in mahogany.
Condition:
The desk was purchased at an antiques fair in 2001. Overall, it was in very good condition, however, it was coated in multiple layers of paint. At that time, it was restored to its original beauty by stripping off the paint, sanding it, staining it, and finishing it with polyurethane. The handle pulls were also replaced. I did not keep the original pulls.
The desk has been very well maintained, since its restoration 17 years ago, and, with the exception of some chipping of the mahogany face veneer, it has sustained only very light wear, which is primarily at the bottoms of the legs. The broad flat-top surface has a couple of light scratches and some clouding (Pic #11-Top), which would both be remedied with a fresh coat of polyurethane. The chipping of the mahogany face veneer is primarily located at the base of the modesty panel (Pic #12) and the base of the right end panel (Pic #10). Some wood repair filler sticks would help hugely with this issue, and some decorative molding around the base could completely cover the damage.
Condition: Vintage / Antique / Used, Restored, Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Very Good - Minor wear consistent with age
History:
The Seng Company, Chicago were the licensed manufacturers of a patented mechanism used extensively in the construction of pedestal typewriter desks, so called because the typewriter, when not in use, was contained in one of the desk pedestals.
Pedestal typewriter desks were distinctive in that the machine and its convenient use were provided for without sacrificing the top of the desk. The typewriter, resting on its own platform, emerged from the pedestal with first an outward and then an upward movement, automatically, and stopped on a level with the desk-top proper. The pedestal desk was, in fact, two desks in one—a typewriter desk and a clerical desk, each complete and independent of the other.
—Office Appliances; The Magazine of Office Equipment, Volume 24, September, 1916 Edition, Page 92
The Seng Co. advertisements in Office Appliances; The Magazine of Office Equipment, Volume 24, 1916 Editions shown in Pic #2 are for The Seng Co.’s earliest patented ball-bearing support mechanism.
Over the next four decades, the Seng Co. filed multiple patents improving upon this earliest version of its extensible support, up until the final version, which was patented on Sept. 30, 1947 (Pic #8). The pedestal typewriter desk for sale in this listing is equipped with the final and best version.
Disclaimer:
I enjoy learning about the history of my antique and vintage items. I do my own research via the methods available to me (mostly trusted internet sources). I am not an expert. Any information I have provided is based solely on my own experience, my own research, and my own opinion. Any reference materials I have provided are to be used as guidance tools only.
PLEASE NOTE: This is an item that may be especially difficult to move and/or transport. Unless shipping arrangements are available and made by the buyer, that individual is responsible for, and advised to bring, appropriate assistance, vehicle, and any necessary tools to pickup.
Tags:
tanker pop up wood mcm mid century modern mid-century midmod mid mod antique computer unique authentic retract
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