Lap desk

Desk

Desk; Lap desk; from the collection of Captain Richard C. Mears (1829-1899); mahogany lap desk, rectangular in shape with a keyhole on the front where a lock would have been; hinged lid which opens to reveal a sloped writing surface on the inside; writing surface is lined with a dark colored velvet; inside area of lid is part of the sloped writing surface, and is hinged and able to open, revealing a storage area behind writing surface, but held shut by a small hinge; bottom portion of the box is the rest of the writing surface (covered in the dark velvet), and also hinged to lift up and reveal another storage area; in front of the lower writing surface are three compartments, two small ones near either side, with a long narrow one in the center; the left compartment has a lock mechanism, most likely the lock for the writing desk itself; the center compartment has a removable lid, with a fountain pen below; printed on pen "EAGLE PENCIL Co. NEW YORK/ PAT'D MARCH 25, 79."; in the small compartment on the right is a small glass ink bottle, empty, with a metal lid and star stickers on the bottom as well as each side of the bottle.