HD Desk

Historic Deerfield recently added a very special item to its collection that is sure to delight fans of early American furniture—a desk that bears the label of Springfield cabinetmaker William Lloyd (1779-1845). This desk joins eight other examples of Lloyd’s furniture already in Historic Deerfield’s collection, including tall-case clocks, card tables, bureaus, a sideboard, and a portable writing desk.

“This desk broadens Historic Deerfield’s ability to interpret the range of furniture forms that Lloyd made and advertised in Springfield and Northampton newspapers between 1802 and 1815,” said Joshua Lane, Curator of Furniture and Curator of Academic Programs at Historic Deerfield. “It also illustrates his distinctive construction techniques and decorative practices.”

The cherry desk has a number of fascinating details including several patterns of inlay, “French feet,” and a central removable compartment. It is considered among Deerfield’s finest examples of rural Connecticut River Valley furniture made in the neoclassical style.

Despite the survival of approximately 35 examples of Lloyd’s work, little is known about his life. Between 1802 and 1811 several advertisements were published in Springfield newspapers bolstering Lloyd’s reputation as the city’s most successful cabinetmaker. 
“But more than any written document, Lloyd’s early furniture—including this desk—attests to the skill, ingenuity and effort that Lloyd brought to the task of supplying stylish furniture to clients throughout the Connecticut River Valley,” Lane said. “It is truly a great find for the museum.”

Historic Deerfield visitors will have the opportunity to take a peek at the “new” Lloyd desk in the new exhibition "What's New: Recent Acquisitions at Historic Deerfield" opening on February 13, 2010. If you can’t get to Deerfield, don’t worry: in a future issue we’ll be giving you an up-close-and-personal look at the desk, along with Historic Deerfield’s other new acquisitions.