My grandfather’s desk, moving into its new home. Both were built at about the same time 100 years ago.
I inherited my grandfather’s desk. I’ve had it now for years, unused, holding old papers and postcards and artifacts of his time. Many were momentarily interesting as I went through them, and I packaged them up for my dad to review. The desk can now be used again, but it hasn’t found its natural home with me yet.
Dad augmented his recollections with research into his archives of old family photographs, studying them to examine the furniture in the scenes, finding clues of its origin. The desk was originally crafted by my grandfather’s grandfather, Hans Jacob Upjörden, a ship’s carpenter, with the tools he retained from that trade. He left the ship’s commission in 1868, married a US citizen, and moved to Minnesota to homestead a farm, while his wife became the local schoolteacher.
It is a simple piece, without delicate or fancy features, yet carries a style that is more than just functional. The writing surface folds up on a hinge to provide compact protection for cubbyholes and small drawers to hold pens and envelopes. There are several large drawers below, the top one must be pulled out to catch and hold the writing surface when it opens– a simple solution to provide the stop for the hinge.
The desk has spent earlier times in disuse, at one time stored in a barn or granary, the source of a mouse hole in its back. The desk stayed there for many years until discovered by my young grandfather, who restored it, refinished it and gave it a new, modern, linseed oil based writing surface. The linoleum has since stiffened, the finish has taken some wear and tear, but it still holds its unique style.
I now have a home for it, and it seems that it will fit well in the 1910 building I am renovating. Perhaps the wood in the frame of this house is the same age! Maybe the desk will again find its purpose as I use it to hold papers, photos, memory cards, and artifacts of my time.