Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Desk
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{short description|Type of table often used in a school or office setting}} {{other uses}} {{pp-semi-indef}} [[File:Bureau table MET DP108643.jpg|300px|thumb|Desk; {{Circa}} 1765; [[mahogany]], chestnut and tulip poplar; 87.3 x 92.7 x 52.1 cm; [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] (New York City)]] A '''desk''' or '''bureau''' is a piece of [[furniture]] with a flat [[table (furniture)|table]]-style work surface used in a school, [[office]], home or the like for academic, professional or domestic activities such as [[reading (activity)|reading]], [[writing]], or using equipment such as a [[computer]].<ref name=FreeDict>{{cite web |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/desk |title=Desk |publisher=The Free Dictionary By Farlex |access-date=2012-05-17 |archive-date=2020-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518075745/https://www.thefreedictionary.com/desk |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=MerriamWebster>{{cite web| url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desk?show=0&t=1337298790%2F| title=Desk| publisher=Merriam-Webster| access-date=2012-05-17| archive-date=2021-08-01| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801093454/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desk?show=0&t=1337298790%2F| url-status=live}}</ref> Desks often have one or more [[Drawer (furniture)|drawers]], compartments, or pigeonholes to store items such as office supplies and papers.<ref name=MerriamWebster/> Desks are usually made of wood or metal, although materials such as glass are sometimes seen. Some desks have the form of a [[table (furniture)|table]], although usually only one side of a desk is suitable to sit at (there are some exceptions, such as a [[partners desk]])<ref>{{cite web |title=Partners' desk |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/partners---desk |website=Dictionary.com |access-date=August 5, 2018 |archive-date=August 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801093449/https://www.dictionary.com/browse/partners---desk |url-status=live }}</ref> Some desks do not have the form of a table, for instance, an [[armoire desk]]<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/ARMOIRE+DESK?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744%3Av0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=ARMOIRE+DESK&sa=Search| title= Armoire desk| publisher= Webster's Online Dictionary| access-date= 2012-05-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210801093406/http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/definitions/ARMOIRE+DESK?cx=partner-pub-0939450753529744:v0qd01-tdlq&cof=FORID:9&ie=UTF-8&q=ARMOIRE+DESK&sa=Search#906//| archive-date= 2021-08-01| url-status= dead}}</ref> is a desk built within a large wardrobe-like [[cabinet (furniture)|cabinet]], and a [[portable desk]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gohistoric.com/glossary/portable-desk// |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731110141/http://www.gohistoric.com/glossary/portable-desk// |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-31 |title=Portable desk |publisher=Go Historic |access-date=2012-05-17 }}</ref> is light enough to be placed on a person's lap. Since many people lean on a desk while using it, a desk must be sturdy. In most cases, people sit at a desk, either on a separate [[chair]] or a built-in chair (e.g., in some school desks). Some people use [[standing desk]]s to be able to stand while using them. ==Etymology== The word "desk" originated from the Modern Latin word ''desca'' "table to write on", from the mid 14th century.<ref name=etymonline>{{cite web|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=help+desk%2F|title=Desk|publisher=Online Etymology|access-date=2012-05-17|archive-date=2014-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006132904/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=help+desk%2F|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a modification of the Old Italian ''desco'' "table", from Latin ''discus'' "dish" or "disc".<ref name=MerriamWebster/> The word desk has been used figuratively since 1797.<ref name=etymonline/> A desk may also be known as a bureau, counter, [[davenport desk|davenport]], [[escritoire]], [[lectern]], reading stand, [[rolltop desk]], school desk, workspace, or [[writing desk]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thesaurus.com/browse/desk+?s=t%2F|title=Desk|publisher=Thesaurus.com|access-date=2012-05-17|archive-date=2017-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170731231958/http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/desk+?s=t%2F|url-status=live}}</ref> ==History== [[File:Yokeback armchair and painting table, Ming dynasty, Metropolitan Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|left|Chinese editing desk of the 12th century]] Desk-style furniture appears not to have been used in [[classical antiquity]] or in other ancient centers of literate civilization in the [[Middle East]] or [[Far East]], but there is no specific proof. [[Middle Ages|Medieval]] illustrations show the first pieces of furniture which seem to have been designed and constructed for reading and writing. Before the invention of the movable type [[printing press]] in the 15th century, any reader was potentially a writer or publisher or both, since any [[book]] or other [[document]] had to be copied by hand. The desks were designed with slots and hooks for [[bookmark]]s and for writing implements. Since manuscript volumes were sometimes large and heavy, desks of the period usually had massive structures.<ref name=FineWoodWorking>{{cite web | url=http://www.finewoodworking.com/PlansAndProjects/PlansAndProjectsAllAbout.aspx?id=3029 | title=A Short History of Desks | publisher=FineWoodWorking.com | access-date=2012-05-17 | archive-date=2012-10-30 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030145714/http://www.finewoodworking.com/PlansAndProjects/PlansAndProjectsAllAbout.aspx?id=3029 | url-status=live }}</ref> [[File:Desk, designed by Frank Furness, 1870-71, Philadelphia Museum of Art.jpg|thumb|upright|Ornamental desk (walnut), designed by [[Frank Furness]], 1870–71, [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]]] Desks of the [[Renaissance]] and later eras had relatively slimmer structures, and more and more drawers were added as [[woodworking]] became more precise and [[cabinet-making]] became a distinct trade.<ref name=FineWoodWorking/> It is often possible to find out if a table or other piece of furniture of those times was designed to be used as a desk, by looking for a drawer with three small separations (one each for the ink pot, the [[Blotting paper|blotter]] and the powder tray) and storage for [[pen]]s. The basic desk forms were developed mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. The modern [[ergonomic desk]] is a refinement of the mechanically complex [[drawing table]] or drafting table<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/drafting+table|title=Drawing table|publisher=The Free Dictionary By Farlex.|access-date=2012-05-17|archive-date=2005-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050523234421/http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Drafting%20table|url-status=live}}</ref> from the end of the 18th century. ==Industrial era== Refinements to the first desk forms were considerable through the 19th century, as [[steam power|steam-driven]] machinery made cheap [[wood-pulp paper]] possible towards the end of the first phase of the [[Industrial Revolution]]. This allowed an increase in the number of the [[white-collar worker]]s. As these office workers grew in number, desks were [[mass production|mass-produced]] for them in large quantities, using newer, steam-driven woodworking machinery. This was the first sharp division in desk manufacturing. From then on, limited quantities of finely crafted desks have been continued to be constructed by master cabinetmakers for the homes and offices of the rich, while the vast majority of desks were assembled rapidly by unskilled labor from components turned out in batches by [[machine tools]]. Thus, age alone does not guarantee that an antique desk is a masterpiece, since this split in quality took place more than a hundred years ago. More paper and correspondence drove the need for more complex desks and more specialized desks, such as the [[rolltop desk]] which was a mass-produced, slatted variant of the classical [[cylinder desk]].<ref name=potted>{{cite web|url=http://www.desk.uk.com/history.asp/|title=A Potted History of Writing Furniture|publisher=Dorking Desks|access-date=2012-05-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421211013/http://www.desk.uk.com/history.asp|archive-date=2012-04-21}}</ref> It provided a relatively fast and cheap way to lock up the ever increasing flow of paperwork without having to file everything by the end of the day. Paper documents became voluminous enough to be stored separately in [[filing cabinet]]s. Correspondence and other documents were now too numerous to get enough attention to be rolled up or folded again, then summarized and tagged before being [[Pigeon-hole messagebox|pigeonholed]] in a small compartment over or under the work surface of the desk. The famous [[Wooton desk]] and others were the last manifestations of the "pigeonhole" style. The surfaces of some newer desks could be transformed into many different shapes and angles, and were ideal for artists, draftsmen, and engineers. ==Steel versions== A small boom in office work and desk production occurred at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th with the introduction of smaller and less expensive electrical presses{{elucidate|date=April 2015}} and efficient [[carbon paper]] coupled with the general acceptance of the [[typewriter]]. Steel desks were introduced to take heavier loads of paper and withstand the pounding meted out on the typewriters. This also gave rise to the "[[typewriter desk]]", a platform, sometimes on wheels and with expandable surface via flaps, that was built to a specific height to make typing easier and more comfortable than when using a standard or traditional desk. The L-shaped desk also became popular, with the "leg" being used as an annex for the typewriter. Another big expansion occurred after the [[Second World War]] with the spread of [[photocopying]]. Paperwork further increased the number of desk workers, whose work surfaces diminished in size as office rents rose, and the paper itself was moved more and more directly to filing cabinets or sent to specialized [[records management center]]s, or transformed into [[microfilm]], or both. Modular desks seating several co-workers close by became common. Even executive or management desks became mass-produced, built of cheap [[plywood]] or [[fiberboard]] covered with wood finish, as the number of people managing the white collar workers became even greater. ==Student models== [[File:SchoolDeskBenchWebsterNewYork.jpg|thumb|left|School desk manufactured by the American S.F. Company of [[Buffalo, New York]] in about 1900]] [[File:Jeffersontown Historical Museum Desks.jpg|thumb|School desks at the Jeffersontown Historical Museum|left]] A student desk can be any desk form meant for use by an enrollee in elementary, secondary or postsecondary education. Anna Breadin designed and patented a one-piece school desk in the late 1880s that was built with a table section attached in front of a wooden seat and back rest. Before this, most students in America sat either on chairs or long benches at long tables.<ref name=interior>{{cite web|url=http://www.linuxhow.in/articles/home-family/interior-design/a-short-history-of-school-desks/|title=A Short History of Desks|publisher=Interior Design|access-date=2012-05-17|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804114909/http://www.linuxhow.in/articles/home-family/interior-design/a-short-history-of-school-desks/|archive-date=2012-08-04}}</ref> [[File:Student Desk.jpg|thumb|upright=.6|Student desk and chair commonly used in high schools and universities.]] In homes, the term "student desk" designates a small [[pedestal desk]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedestal%20desk|title=Pedestal desk|publisher=Merriam-Webster|access-date=2012-05-17|archive-date=2018-06-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620153313/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedestal%20desk|url-status=live}}</ref> or [[writing table]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/writing+table|title=Writing table|publisher=The Free Dictionary By Farlex|access-date=2012-05-17|archive-date=2005-12-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051206020338/http://www.thefreedictionary.com/writing%20table|url-status=live}}</ref> constructed for use by a teenager or a pre-teen in their room. It often is a pedestal desk, with only one of the two pedestals and about two-thirds of the desk surface. Such desks are sometimes called "left-pedestal desks" and "right-pedestal desks", depending on the position of the single pedestal. These desks are not as tall as normal adult desks. In some cases, the desk is connected from the seat to the table. The desks are usually mass-produced in steel or wood and sold on the consumer market.<ref name=interior/> There is a wide variety of plans available for woodworking enthusiasts to build their own versions. Modern mass-produced student desks are often made with laminate table tops and molded plastic seats in a combined single unit, with storage found under the desktop or on a wire shelf beneath the seat.<ref name=interior/> There are many novel forms of student desks made to maximize the relatively restricted area available in a child's room. One of the most common is the bunk-bed desk, also called the "[[loft bed]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/how-to-build-a-loft-bed-with-a-desk-underneath/index.html|title=How to Build a Loft Bed With a Desk Underneath|publisher=HGTV|access-date=2012-05-17|archive-date=2014-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006153807/http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/how-to-build-a-loft-bed-with-a-desk-underneath/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> ==Influence of computers== [[File:Schreibtisch.2.JPG|thumb|A desk in an office]] [[File:Desk333.JPG|thumb|An office desk in a cubicle, which shows the sharing of space between computer components and paper documents]] Until the late 1980s, desks remained a place for paperwork and "business machines", but the personal computer was taking hold in large and medium-sized businesses. New office suites included a "knee hole" credenza which was a place for a terminal or personal computer and keyboard tray. Soon, new office designs also included "U-shape" suites which added a bridge worksurface between the back credenza and front desk. During the North American recession of the early 1990s, many managers and executive workers were required to do [[word processing]] and other functions previously completed by [[typing pool]]s and secretaries. This necessitated a more central placement of the computer on these "U-shape" suite desk systems. With computers more prevalent, "computer paper" became an office supply. The beginning of this paper boom gave birth to the dream of the "[[paperless office]]", in which all information would only appear on [[computer monitor]]s. However, the ease of printing personal documents and the lack of comfort with reading text on computer monitors led to a great deal of document printing. The need for paperwork space vied with the increased desk space taken up by computer monitors, computers, printers, scanners, and other peripherals. The need for more space led some desk companies to attach some accessory items to the [[modesty panel]] at the back of the desk, such as [[outlet strip]]s and [[cable management]], in an attempt to clear the desktop of electrical clutter. Through the "tech boom" of the 1990s, office worker numbers increased along with the cost of office space rent. The [[cubicle desk]] became widely accepted in North America as an economical way of squeezing more desk workers into the same space, without further shrinking the size of their cramped working surfaces. The cubicle walls have become a new place for workers to affix papers and other items once left on the horizontal desktop surface. Even computer monitor bezels themselves were used to attach [[Post-it note|reminder notes]] and [[business card]]s. Early in the 2000s, private office workers found that their side and back computer-placing furniture made it hard to show the contents of a computer screen to guests or co-workers. Manufacturers have responded to this issue by creating "forward facing" desks where computer monitors are placed on the front of the "U-shape" workstation. This forward computer monitor placement promotes a clearer sight-line to greet colleagues and allows for common viewing of information displayed on a screen. Replacement of bulky [[CRT monitor]]s with flat panel [[LCD]]s freed up significant room on desktops. However, the size of displays often increased to accommodate multiple on-screen windows, to display more and more information simultaneously. The lighter weight and slimmer profile of the new displays allowed them to be mounted on flexible arms, so they could be swung into view or out of the way, and adjusted frequently as needed. ==Notable examples== * The [[Resolute desk|''Resolute'' desk]] in the [[Oval Office]] has been used by many [[United States]] presidents, including [[John F. Kennedy]], [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Barack Obama]]. It is made from the timbers of {{HMS|Resolute|1850|6}}, an abandoned British ship discovered by an American vessel and returned to [[Queen Victoria|Queen Victoria of Great Britain]] as a token of friendship and goodwill. Queen Victoria commissioned the desk from William Evenden, Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham, England, and presented it to President [[Rutherford B. Hayes]] in 1880.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/furnishings/resolute-desk.htm | title= Resolute desk | publisher= The White House Museum | access-date= 2012-05-17 | archive-date= 2019-10-29 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191029184524/http://whitehousemuseum.org/furnishings/resolute-desk.htm | url-status= live }}</ref> * The [[Bureau du Roi]] ({{IPA|fr|byʁo dy ʁwa}}, ''the King's desk''), also known as Louis XV's roll-top secretary ({{langx|fr|Secrétaire à cylindre de Louis XV}}), is the richly ornamented royal [[cylinder desk]] which was constructed at the end of [[Louis XV of France|Louis XV]]'s reign, and is now again in the [[Palace of Versailles]]. * [[Henry VIII's writing desk]] is a portable [[writing desk]], made in about 1525–26 for [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. It is currently in the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]]. The desk is a product of the royal workshops and is lavishly embellished with ornamental motifs introduced to the [[Kingdom of England]] by continental artists. ==See also== * [[List of desk forms and types]] == References == {{reflist|30em}} == Further reading == * Aronson, Joseph. ''The Encyclopedia of Furniture''. 3rd edition. New York: Crown Publishers Inc., 1965. * Bedel, Jean. ''Le grand guide des styles''. Paris: [[Hachette (publishing)|Hachette]], 1996. * Boyce, Charles. ''Dictionary of Furniture''. New York: Roundtable Press, 1985. * Comstock, Helen. ''American Furniture: 17th, 18th and 19th century styles''. Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 1997 * Duncan, Alastair. ''Mobilier art déco''. Paris: Thames and Hudson, 2000 * Forrest, Tim. ''The Bulfinch Anatomy of Antique Furniture''. London: Marshall editions, 1996. * Hinckley, F. Lewis. ''A Directory of Antique Furniture: The Authentic Classification of European and American Designs''. New York: Bonanza Books, 1988. * Moser, Thomas. ''Measured Shop Drawings for American Furniture.'' New York: Sterling Publishing Inc., 1985. * Nutting, Wallace. ''Furniture Treasury''. New York: [[Macmillan Publishers]], 1963. * Oglesby, Catherine. ''French provincial decorative art''. New York: [[Charles Scribner's Sons]], 1951. * Payne, Christopher, Ed. ''[[Sotheby's]] Concise Encyclopedia of Furniture''. London: Conran Octopus, 1989. * Pélegrin-Genel, Elisabeth. ''L'art de vivre au bureau''. Paris: Flammarion, 1995. * Reyniès, Nicole de. ''Le mobilier domestique: Vocabulaire Typologique''. Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1987. ==External links== <!-- Links to sites with little educational content will be DELETED --> {{wiktionary|Desk|position=left}} {{commons|position=left}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Desks| ]] [[Category:Furniture]] [[Category:Office equipment]] [[ro:Birou (mobilier)]]
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Pages transcluded onto the current version of this page
(
help
)
:
Template:Authority control
(
edit
)
Template:Circa
(
edit
)
Template:Cite web
(
edit
)
Template:Commons
(
edit
)
Template:Elucidate
(
edit
)
Template:HMS
(
edit
)
Template:IPA
(
edit
)
Template:Langx
(
edit
)
Template:Other uses
(
edit
)
Template:Pp-semi-indef
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:Short description
(
edit
)
Template:Sister project
(
edit
)
Template:Wiktionary
(
edit
)