I was attracted to this peanut of a secretary with its full blown raised tombstone doors and its broken arch pediment that retains its original finial. Also, it was one of those rare case pieces that was supported by a separate detachable frame with squat cabriole pad feet.
The frame was the first thing I wanted to check before I got interested because they are often broken, if they exist at all, and this one was perfect. The rest of the secretary was in great condition and the interior was all there without any hinge breakouts to the lid which to me is a big turn off. However, it did not have an original dry first surface but retained a beautiful deep red/orange glow.
I was intrigued with its size of 34 inch wide as secretaries of this dimension were very rarely constructed and are impossible to find. Secretaries in general are wide pieces ,usually around 40/42 inches wide. One that’s 38 is considered small. I did find one of this grouping illustrated in America Furniture, Christie’s, October 1989 No.252 by obviously the same cabinetmaker. It looks virtually the same however it was 38 1/4 inches wide and a bit taller. Also, a desk on frame which appears exactly like our secretary without the top is also 34 inches wide and is illustrated in Connecticut Valley Furniture, Thomas P. Kugelman, Alice K.Kugelman, and Robert Lionetti no.155. They believe it was constructed in Suffield, Connecticut, according to their research into its maker.
Our secretary was illustrated in a piece titled Jeffersonian ideal, University of Virginia, Museum of Art in Antiques Magazine, May 1975 p.957. Another of this grouping is illustrated in American Antiques in the Israel Sack Collection, Vol. ix,p.2466.
I was familiar with the form and always suspect of its detachable frame; however this one appeared tiny compared to the known examples in this grouping of secretaries with no compromise given to its style with raised tombstone doors and swans neck pediment. There were no repairs or alterations to turn me off ,and I was immediately smitten and seduced. Certainly as a passionate collector, I found a place in my heart for this small delicate secretary and provided a rational explanation for its inclusion to our collection.
Provenance: The Collection of Dr. & Mrs. Henry C. Landon, III
Exhibited at: The University of Virginia Museum of Art: August 27th – October 23rd, 2005
Height: 84 3/4 in. Width: 34 in. Depth: 18in.
Revised Aug 14, 2025, 3:01 PM