Charles J. Higgins from Indianapolis, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 112038 was issued on February 21, 1871.
"Charles J. Higgins, Indianapolis, Indiana" is painted on the backrest. The seat folds up and the desktop is stationary with storage underneath. There is a wooden base with metal hinges.
Charles J. Higgins founded Higgins Bent Wood School Furniture Co.
William Erwin and Thomas Dugdale from Richmond, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 100275 was issued by Dugdale and Erwin on March 1, 1870.
This desk is made of wood, with brass legs and metal hinges. It has a flat backrest and seat. The seat and backrest do not join. The desktop lifts up and has storage underneath. The seat folds up as well. The specifications state the desk should be made out of ash or walnut lumber and should be put together with wooden screws. The metal parts should be made of cast iron, except for the screws, which they stated should be made of wrought iron. There is a plate on the backrest, but the writing is not legible. Erwin's name is on the backrest. There is a wooden foundation, and the entire base is made of either brass or metal.
We are not aware of any additional information about William Erwin.
Thomas Dugdale holds patents for numerous inventions.
James Smith from Richmond, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 118161 was issued on August 15, 1871.
This wood and iron model is a double desk, with four individual seats. The two desk tops and the seats, despite having a bench-like backrest, are individualized and divided so that each seat can fold up. The backrest is composed of ten slats. There are two springs on the back of each desk for extra back support. The desk is attached to the back of the backrest with storage. It has an iron frame and metal hinges. A brass plate on the patent model states: "School Desks, James Smith, Richmond, Ind." Another silver colored plate has "School Desk James Smith, Richmond, Ind." engraved on it.
Ezra Smith, Asa Smith, and James Smith owned Ezra Smith & Co., where they manufactured various types of school furniture.
Orlando D. Case from Hartford, Connecticut, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 216307 was issued on June 10, 1879.
This model is made of medium-brown wood with ornate, bronze-colored metal supports. The seat and backrest are curved for back support, and the seat folds up for compatibility. A spring mechanism held the seats securely, preventing them from slamming. There is storage under the desk, and the model is screwed into a wooden base. This design hooked slats to the iron base and secured them with screws to compensate for shrinkage and expansion of the wood.
Case was born in 1826. For over 50 years he ran O.D.Case & Co., a publishing company that also manufactured school furniture.
David I. Stagg from New York City received a U.S. patent for an improved invention for a school desk attachment. Patent no. 69501 was issued on October 1, 1867.
The patent featured a metal frame that would be fitted into slots on the desktop. The frame served to hold maps, drawings, or documents while they were being copied. The model is made entirely of dark wood, and the desktop is tilted to illustrate the position of the frame.
David I. Stagg was born September 6, 1816 in Patterson, New Jersey. For fifty years he served as an apprentice and journeyman in the New York school system. In his last post he served the New York City Board of Education as Superintendent of School Buildings, overseeing school construction from 1872-1886. The museum owns four of his school desk patent models. He died May 11, 1886.
Wesley Chase from Buffalo, New York, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 100600 was issued on March 8, 1870.
This desk is made of wood and has a compartment for schoolbooks and other materials. The metal bolted legs are connected from the front and back left and the front and back right. The legs flare out. The second piece has a flat top that is curved and arched at one end, but flat on the other. There are two pieces of wood that connect and flare out like a stem for base support. It was meant to be durable, strong, and lightweight while costing less.
Wesley Chase was a partner in M.W. Chase, a manufacturer of church and school furniture.
David I. Stagg from New York City received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 177583 was issued on May 16, 1876.
This model is made completely of unpolished wood. Most of the wood is dark, but the wood that connects the chair to the hinges is lighter colored. The desk can fold in different ways, making it compact. The desk is set on a wooden foundation and can be pivoted vertically or folded at the front of the desk, leaving a chair or a bench with no backrest. The innovative arms, pins, and shoulders are used to pivot the desktop.
David I. Stagg was born September 6, 1816 in Patterson, New Jersey. For fifty years he served as an apprentice and journeyman in the New York school system. In his last post he served the New York City Board of Education as Superintendent of School Buildings, overseeing school construction from 1872-1886. The museum owns four of his school desk patent models. He died May 11, 1886.
William F. Spencer from Richmond, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved combined school desk. Patent no. 176701 was issued on April 25, 1876.
This model is made of wood with metal hinges and feet. The design featured a construction to make uniting the desks easier. A pivotal bolt having wedge-shaped wings or ribs made this construction viable. There is a bench-like seat which folds up, but there is no lower back support. There is a desk behind the backrest that has a shelf for storage.
William Fouke Spencer (1833-1920) was the son of Quakers Mary Custard and Jesse Spencer. He became a lawyer and a merchant, marrying Christina Bradley of Philadelphia. He moved west to Ohio and eventually to Indiana and the family claims he assisted with the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. He and his wife had 6 children. As an entrepreneur, he developed an interest in the expanding school supply industry and developed improvements in desk design. In 1875 he filed the first of his patents on improvements on combination school seat and desks. His patents were: 176,701, issued April 25, 1876; 179,877, issued July 18, 1876; and 316,495 on June 23, 1884 for an opera chair By 1880, he was listing his profession as a manufacturer of school furniture, having joined the firm originated by John P. Allen and George H. Grant. It became Haynes, Spencer & Company. When it was destroyed in a fire in 1892, he founded the Richmond School Furniture Company. He also founded the American Lawnmower Company in 1895. Both companies moved to Muncie, Indiana in 1902.
George W. Hildreth from Niagara, New York, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 74688 was issued on February 18, 1868.
This desk is made of wood with metal hinges and the legs and feet are cast iron. There is pen or pencil writing on the desktop, but it is not legible. The desktop can be folded to reveal storage. The cast iron has a Gothic architectural design.
George W. Hildreth was born in 1805. He trained as a machinist and builder. In 1833 he established Hildreth & Co. in Lockport, New York, to manufacture school and opera furniture.
James S. Rankin from Madison, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 34448 was issued on February 18, 1862.
This model features a row of desks and benches held together with a central beam. This design resulted in sufficient support using the least amount of material and simplified the cost and construction of the desk.
James S. Rankin was born in 1818. He served as a county and city superintendent of schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was known for the Rankin School Desk, which was popular because it was inexpensive and convenient. These desks were used in Louisville, Kentucky; Chicago, Illinois, and many other city schools. His desk was exhibited in the Mechanic’s Hall at the Indiana State Fair where it was recommended for first premium, a cash award. He died in 1897.
Thomas Hart Benton Turner and Horace Archy Logan from Clinton, Missouri, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 231509 was issued on August 24, 1880.
The dark wooden model is currently broken in four pieces and in poor condition.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
James Blair from New Haven, Connecticut, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 63839 was issued on April 16, 1867.
This desk is made of polished wood and metal hinges. The desk tilts towards the chair, and its sides are made with slabs of wood instead of constructed legs. The patent features a reversible desktop that would switch easily between a traditional wood desktop and a slate blackboard. "James Blair, New Haven CT" is painted on the bottom of the desk.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Hamilton S. McRae from Muncie, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 72662 was issued on December 24, 1867.
This desk has a convenient and easily operated book holder. The innovative book holder sits within the desktop with a lid on top. The lid could be lifted up to allow access to the book. There is a curved seat for support and comfort. The backrest is a flat front face with three vertical slats of wood. The back legs on the desk flare out.
Hamilton S. McRae was born on January 2, 1833 in Indiana. He served as a teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools. An advocate of educational reform, McRae espoused free kindergarten and free public libraries.
John M. Mott from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 245087 was issued on August 2, 1881.
This model is made of tubular wrought iron or angle iron. It has a folding seat and folding desktop. The wood slats are pushed together to create horizontal grooves in the chair. The chair alternates between light and dark wood that is polished. It has metal legs that flare out with feet. The desk connects to the back of the backrest of the chair. There are a silver plated logo, keyhole, and an inkwell impression on the desk. There is a small gap in between the seat and backrest.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Frederick Everhart McKinley from Wellington, Kansas, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 246177 was issued on August 23, 1881.
This desk is supported by a stationary bar that allows the desk to pivot. Both desk and seat can fold up to save space when room is needed. The desk has a shelf, which is supported by two wooden brackets. The seat folds with the use of metal hinges. The desk is made up of unpolished slats of light colored wood.
Frederick Everhart McKinley was a carpenter born in 1850.
Addison S. Vorse from Des Moines, Iowa, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk seat. Patent no. 104906 was issued on June 28, 1870.
This school desk seat is designed to hold firmly in place and be folded up completely when not in use. It is made out of wood with cast iron legs and feet. The desk behind the backrest slides up, then out. The ironwork on the desk has a Gothic design. There is a small shelf attached underneath the bottom of the desktop. When it is compact, the shelf is vertical and can still be used for storage.
Addison S. Vorse was born in 1821. Along with his brother, Norman, he manufactured and sold agricultural implements in Iowa.
John Peard from New York City received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk and settee. Patent no. 66384 was issued on May 7, 1867.
This model is made of wood featuring a Gothic design. "John Peard" is lightly written on the top of the desk. Only a fragment of the patent model has survived. The support piece has two grooved pencil areas and a circular cutout in the center. There are several tags attached to the piece.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
G.A. Stewart from Des Moines, Iowa, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk and seat model. Patent no. 82765 was issued on October 6, 1868.
This model features a wooden seat and desk that can be folded, affording more space. When opened the desk top is larger than a traditional desk while occupying a similar area. When the desk is folded in half, there is more room for cleaning and exercise. There are no curves in the design, and the backrest and seat do not join to create lower back support.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Rowland K. Curtis from Wabash, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 202934 was issued on April 30, 1878.
This patent was designed to simplify the construction of school desks and increase their strength. The front legs of the desk follow the direction of the grain of the wood. Brackets support the seat and brace the legs at their junction. The legs are made of a single piece of wood, creating the necessary support. The desk is made out of glossed oak with cast iron hinges. The seat is slatted and folds to the backrest. There are iron supporters under the seat, and the feet are made of iron. There is a lid that lifts up to reveal a storage area. The writing surface has a circular cut out to represent an area for an inkwell.
Rowland K. Curtis was born in 1829. He worked at various building trades. In 1874 he was appointed superintendent of the Wabash School Furniture Company.
B. W. Arnold in Des Moines, Iowa, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 97338 was issued on November 30, 1869.
This desk has a flat front face and a seat that folds up towards the desk. The desk on the back folds down. The desks are made of wood with metal hinges. The design offers flexibility, but no allowances are made for storage. The legs are painted black to imitate cast iron and flare out.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.