When I grew up in 1940s and 1950s Britain, most communication was by post
- snail mail as it came to be called decades later. People (mostly men, who were at the time considered more suited to tackling business and
financial
matters) had a 'desk' in which they stored their writing materials and which
provided as smooth surface for writing. Whereas this was probably a recognisable
'desk' at work,
at home it was entirely different.
In the early 1900s and before, it was common for a man's desk to be a portable
polished wooden lockable box designed
to carry everything required for correspondence - and many elderly people
still used one into the 1940s and 1950s.
My grandfather had such a desk which was probably new in Victorian or
Edwardian times and which I am fortunate to have in my
possession. It can
serve as a model for other such desks in ordinary working class households,
although more expensive desks would have had more compartments and been more
decorative.
The outside of the desk
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My grandfather's desk - a polished box
of dark wood which locks with a
key.
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Inside the desk
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When opened, the lid forms a smooth slightly
tilted writing area with the lower half of the desk. Both parts of
the writing surface lift
off to give storage spaces underneath.
The surfaces are covered in a coloured fabric,
sadly now badly faded.
At the back of the desk, (as seen by the user), are holders for pens,
ink and small items of stationery. |
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Left, top: detail of the desk showing the
pen compartment which is curved so that the pens can be
removed and replaced more easily. Note that the handles of two of
the pens are bone, and of the third is wood.
Left below: detail without pens, showing the
ink stains, produced through years
of putting away pens with still-inky nibs.
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Old pens and nibs
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Pen with bone handle. Note how inky the handle is. |
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Nibs stored in the desk. Clearly these have
been well-used, mainly with blue ink - presumably my grandfather's favourite
colour.
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Left top enlargement of the nib housing.
There are two concentric metal grips, the outer slit so that it can be
forced open
Left below, the nib in place having been forced
between the two grips and then held firm. When (not if)
the nib breaks, it can be forcibly removed and replaced with a new
nib,
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Sealing wax
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Also found in the desk, which I have not
photographed, are two well-used rubbers (erasers), paperclips and a pencil with
a particularly thick lead.,
I have, however, photographed the sealing wax
as it is of historical interest.
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Sealing was was placed in a flame to soften and
then daubed over the secured part of an envelope or the knot in the
string of a parcel. It cooled rapidly making a surface that was so
brittle that it chipped or broke if anyone tried to tamper with the
seal. So it was used for important, private documents or valuable
parcels.
The melted and cooled ends of the sealing wax
in the photo show that it has been well used.
Better-off people had a 'seal' which made a
personalised impression in the hot wax, often initials or a coat of
arms. It was often part of a finger ring. The likes of my grandfather,
ie working class people, would not have owned such a thing.
In the 1940s my parents owned sealing
wax but I can't ever remember it being used. I do, though, remember
letters and parcels arriving with it.
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This website Join me in the 1900s is also known as
Join me in the 1900's and is ©
Pat Cryer.
The 1940s and 1950s are also written as the 1940's and 1950's.
