Comments on: Lap desks and writing boxes

By: Bill

Bill — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:59:08 +0000

I have just bought a mid to late 1800s writing box in great shape.thinking about selling it,if anyone is intereasted please contact me for more info.

Bill

By: Karen

Karen — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 12:49:38 +0000

I love just holding my great-grandmother’s lap desk. It is a wonderful connection not only to a person, but to a time when writing conveyed thoughts and feelings that were meant to be held in your hands or even carried with you. Notes and letters on a specially-selected paper, written with a favorite pen, convey so much more of a person than an email – no matter how well meaning or heartfelt.

By: Kate Marshall

Kate Marshall — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 13:17:02 +0000

My aunt gave me a lapdesk/writing desk when I was about 11, as a Christmas present. It was from the Bombay furniture company (are they still around?). It’s a wood storage box; the lid is on a slope so you can use it as a writing surface while the desk is on your lap. Inside is a large compartment and a smaller one designed for holding pencils and pens. I used to store my journals and a pen in it when I was younger. Now, I use it to store a few extra-special pens, mementos, important documents, etc. It’s held up very well over the years, save for a minor run-in with a leaky ink bottle back in 1996.

By: David Harrison

David Harrison — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 10:19:37 +0000

I’ve read his FPN posts with interest. What I’d love is a writing box that can either act as an extension to a high-up shelf, or clip securely to a stand, so it can double as a small stand-up desk. It’s nice to write letters and journal entries upright after a long day at the computer!

By: Palimpsest

Palimpsest — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 09:51:29 +0000

I’d definitely like to own one of those.

By: The pen warrior

The pen warrior — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:06:49 +0000

A really intersting post I had not thought of using a lap desk before but I am now really interested in finding out more about the antique ones.

By: B Irwin

B Irwin — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:32:37 +0000

I never could afford the ones I saw while stationed in the UK, so I’m interested in a modern version. They’re alarmingly useful!

By: Tom Hall

Tom Hall — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 17:06:36 +0000

Thomas Jefferson used a rather sophisticated “lap desk” to draft the Declaration of Independence.

More details here: http://dave-beach.tripod.com/thomas_jefferson_lap_desk.htm

By: Brian Goulet

Brian Goulet — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:15:06 +0000

“Brian is thinking about……some contemporary lap desks”, that is a bit of an understatement…I’ve been obsessed with them!! I’m inspired by the craftsmanship and ornamentation of the antiques, but I want to update the designs to fit today’s writing enthusiasts. I write daily with fountain pens myself, so I understand from a ‘users’ perspective what would be ideal in a writing box. Different writers have different needs though, so I’m wide open to suggestions about the style and design of the boxes. I am encouraged to see how many people are interested in them though, perhaps craftsmanship is not a thing of the past?