George Munger from East River, Connecticut, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk and seat. Patent no. 57824 was issued on September 4, 1866.
This desk is constructed with dovetails or tongue and grooves to facilitate shipping. The design could be broken down, packed in a small area, and easily built without skilled labor. There are four cross pieces that form the back of the seat and only one screw and two nail heads that show. The desktop does not move and the seat does not fold. There are four slats across the backrest. It is mounted on a platform.
George Munger was born on November 27, 1827. He partnered in many successful manufacturing businesses. In 1877 he built a factory in East River, Connecticut for manufacturing a line of school supplies, including desks and furniture. He originated the dovetail method of putting iron and wood together. Munger died on April 7, 1903.
George Grant from Richmond, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 88563 was issued on April 6, 1869.
This desk features an innovation in folding. The leaf of the school desk can be pulled out slightly raised and withdrawn from the desk and then brought down to fold. A place for the ink well, pens, pencils, and books is included in the design. It is made out of oak-colored wood. The wooden bench and legs flare out.
George H. Grant and John Allen formed a partnership to manufacture school desks. After Allen’s death, the firm became George H. Grant & Company. In 1876 Grant formed a partnership with A. W. Hempleman to manufacture school and church furniture.
Frank T. June from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 198922 was issued on January 1, 1878.
This model has four thick, large wooden slats held together by a vertical cast iron rod. The patent established a way to join the slats that form seat backs and seat. The vertical standards would feature a groove and dovetailed slats would slide into place. This system offered ease of construction with few tools.
Frank T. June joined Aaron J. Hull in running the Novelty Iron Works which produced the supports and metal work for many school desk manufacturers. It later became Sterling School Furniture Company. At one time, Hull also served as President of the Sherwood School Furniture Company. A prolific inventor, Hull moved from desks to pumps in the late 1870s.
Charles J. Higgins from Marion, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 180233 was issued on July 25, 1876.
This model features an improved arrangement of the brackets and an improved method for securing the brackets to the desk. These brackets require fewer screws while using less desk space to attach the seats together. The desk has a shelf inside for storing materials. The oak seat is attached behind it, and both are curved. The backrest slats are compressed to create horizontal grooves in the chair, and each slat alternates between a light and dark wood. Its wooden legs are attached to a base.
Charles J. Higgins founded Higgins Bent Wood School Furniture Co.
Bickford N. Hemenway from Rockland, Maine, received a U.S. patent for an improvement on adjustability of school desks. Patent no. 129559 was issued on July 16, 1872.
This model contains a mechanism that allows the desktop to be adjusted in height. The desktop has a crevice to hold pencils and an inkwell. It is made of dark wood. Only the desktop has survived, and there is a crack down it's middle. It should be noted that while the application for the patent emphasizes an improvement for school desks, the text of the patent specifications also mentions the use could be applied to writing desks in offices and counting houses.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Charles J. Higgins from Marion, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 143760 was issued on October 21, 1873.
This was designed as a partial model consisting of the side support or end of a desk. Painted onto the desk are the words "Charles J. Higgins. Improvement in Desk Ends.” There are two pieces of bent or curved wood, which flares out as two legs for one side of a desk.
Charles J. Higgins founded Higgins Bent Wood School Furniture Co. and produced crafted school desks with beautiful wood "ends" or supports as advertised in the Indiana School Journal and sold in 1874 and 1875. By September 12, 1876, The Indianapolis News was reporting that the company was in financial trouble and liquidating their stock.
Frank G. Johnson from Brooklyn, New York, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 248043 was issued on October 11, 1881.
This model features a foldable desk and seat. The desk can be placed in five different positions, including an easel or book rest. The chair is curved for body support and possible comfort. The backrest and seat do not meet, showing a small gap. The seat folds up to create more space. Metal legs are set on a wooden foundation. It has metal hinges and detailed iron Gothic sculpting.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
M.L. Holt and L.C. Abbott from Eaton, Ohio, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk and seat. Patent no. 99895 was issued on February 15, 1870.
The model featured a seat and desk that were both adjustable.
M.L. Holt and L.C. Abbott were schoolteachers. Holt served as a school principal and Abbott served on the Board of Education. Besides partnering together to patent the school desk, patent no. 998895, the two men would partner with Sterling D. Tuttle (Eaton, Ohio) and patent another school desk seat, patent no. 80106.
Rutledge T. Hoffman from Eaton, Ohio, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 215620 was issued on May 20, 1879.
This heavy, wooden model features metal connecting to the seat of the chair, which also folds up so it is more compact. The seat is curved, but the backrest is flat. The desk is attached to the back of the backrest and folds inward for space. When the desk is unfolded, there are two small pieces of wood under the desktop that slide and move to prop the desk up.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
William P. Goodman from Kansas City, Missouri, received a U.S. patent for an improved desk. Patent no. 152224 was issued on June 23, 1874.
The remaining parts of this desk model are four slats of dark wood that are indented on each side. The slats are connected by a museum foam board. According to the drawing and specifications both the seat and desk can be folded. The desktop was designed to be supported at different angles and included an ink well strip and bookrack. When the desk was folded, items sitting on the desk would not roll off.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Herbert L. Andrews from Chicago, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 82061 was issued on September 15, 1868.
This desk improvement is deliberately missing its wood desk box and wood seat to highlight the juncture that made the desk height adjustable. The brass arm is where the wood seat would have rested and would have been an extented hinge. The three brass legs arevconnected to a square wooden base which stabilizes the model but would not have been present in the desk produced for the classroom. The diamond-shaped patterned metal work supporting the missing desktop was advertised as Gothic. The monobloc and hinges are brass colored with two knobs so the height of the desk can be raised or lowered. The seat is adjustable in height, which allows the two parts to be held together more securely. This desk was produced by A.H. Andrews & Co. in 1870 in Chicago. It was made in six sizes and called the "Triumph School Desk." The desk got a good deal of acclaim and was exhibited at the International State Industrial Exposition in Chicago in 1873. It was displayed again at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, where it won an award for "strength, durability, and good form." According to Andrews, they sold over 50,000 of these school desks yearly.
Herbert Lee Andrews was born in New Britain, Connecticut on June 6, 1844. He was educated in public schools and taught for a short period in Meriden and Plantsville, Connecticut. In 1868 he moved to Chicago and entered into manufacturing with his brother Alfred H. Andrews. They were partners in the A. H. Andrews & Co. The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (1917) states that Herbert Lee Andrews was the inventor of the first folding seat school desk. He made other desks as well as opera chairs, a dustless blackboard eraser, and an ink well. He also created steel rod framed chairs, tables, and stools, which became a staple of school furniture. In 1895 he invented a steel woven fabric to be used in place of leather or plush for car seats or railroad cars.
George Elsey from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 203252 was issued on May 7, 1878.
This model of a manufacturing improvement for school desks is made out of wood and iron. The wood is joined to the iron by using oblique tendons and transverse angular slots that fit into each other. The design holds the wooden slats firmly so they will not separate, but brace each other. There is a small silver plaque that reads: "George Elsey Inventor Dec. 1 1877" but the remainder of the patent model is missing.
George Elsey founded the Elsey School Furniture Company and produced settees, lawn and school benches, folding event chairs, and a desk called "The Model," based on this patent..
David I. Stagg from New York City received a U.S. patent for an improved folding school desk. Patent no. 167033 was issued on August 24, 1875.
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 a lighter color. The desk can fold in different ways, making it compact. It 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.
Benjamin Allen from Trenton, New Jersey, received a U.S. patent for a hinge for school seat. Patent no. 163622 was issued on May 25, 1875.
This model features a side view of a wooden seat with an improved hinge and lever that lift the seat. The model is painted a dull green color. By adding a spring for constant friction, the seats could be raised and lowered without dropping, creating less noise. In addition to school desks, the invention was applicable to folding seats in other venues.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Isaac Newton Peirce from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 53474 was issued on March 27, 1866.
This desk has a simple metal support system for both the chair and desk. The legs flare out. The chair is wooden with a metal curved back, but most of the back is exposed so there is only upper back support. The chair is attached to a metal pole that connects from under the seat and extends to the side. The desk sits on a wooden base foundation.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
A. J. Hull from Sterling, Illinois, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 99440 was issued on February 1, 1870.
This model is made of wood and cast iron. It improves the school desk in its use and combination of washers and projections. "A.J. Hull- Sterling, Ill" is painted on the backrest. The seat is closely slatted and folds straight down. The backrest is flat and therefore offers no lower back support. The desk is attached and the lid does not lift up; however, there is storage underneath the desktop. There are metal hinges on the seat. The legs flare out, and it sits on a metal base.
Aaron J. Hull was born in 1833. With F.T. June, he ran Novelty Iron Works, which later became Sterling School Furniture Company. A prolific inventor, Hull moved from desks to pumps in the late 1870s.
Elijah Wilson from New Brighton, Pennsylvania, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 110101 was issued on December 13, 1870.
This model is made out of wood and cast iron, which is now very rusty. The desk is meant to be compact and adjustable to take up the least amount of space. The seat can fold up and is supported by a chain on the side of the desk. The desk on the back folds in, but the lid does not lift up. Storage is available underneath the desk on a shelf. The iron legs are screwed to a wooden platform. It is also adjustable to fit the needs of children of any height.
We are not aware of any additional information about the inventor/patentee.
Milan C. Stebbins and Edwin J. Piper from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 137732 was issued on April 8, 1873.
This model features a wooden slatted seat that is secured onto a pedestal. The combination of slats, hinges, flanges, and processions is new. The backrest is curved and connects to the seat, which gives lower back support. The ends of the slats are connected to a metal frame that outlines the entire seat. The stem is screwed into a wooden base. The seat is not adjustable and does not fold.
Milan Cyrus Stebbins was born in Granby, Massachusetts, in 1828. He was a teacher, school principal and pastor. He died in 1889 in Cornwall, Vermont.
Edwin J. Piper was born in 1849. In addition to being a co--inventor of this desk, Piper was an inventor and the manufacturer of the Springfield ruling machine. He died in 1933 at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Samuel Crumrine from Indianapolis, Indiana, received a U.S. patent for an improved school desk. Patent no. 173272 was issued on February 8, 1876.
This model is wooden with alternating dark and light slats for the bench. The desk does not use any screws or nails in its construction, nor does it have any metal parts. This makes the desk cheap, strong, and durable. However, the desk is meant to be fastened to the floor with the use of L-shaped pieces of iron. The desk is attached to the backrest and has wooden stilts underneath the desktop to prop it up or fold down.
Samuel Crumrine was registered as a carpenter in 1880.
Edwin J. Piper from Springfield, Massachusetts, received a U.S. patent for an improved school chair. Patent no. 138190 was issued on April 22, 1873.
The wooden slatted seat is secured onto a pedestal. His combination of slats, hinges, and flanges is new. The backrest is curved and connects to the seat, which gives lower back support. The ends of the slats are connected to a metal frame that outlines the entire seat. The stem is screwed into a wooden base. The seat is not adjustable and does not fold. The patent was recognized for its monobloc stem and brass colored metal frame.
Edwin J. Piper was born in 1849. He was an inventor and Known for being the manufacturer of the Springfield ruling machine. He died in 1933 at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts.