
As a luxury item, bookend designs have run the gamut from incorporating ultra-luxurious materials (think marble and Murano glass) to being whimsical desk accompaniments (animal figurines were highly popular choices). Paper knives, which gave way to the modern letter opener, were helpful for cutting paper down to an appropriate size.īooks - those bound volumes of paper, you may recall - used to be common occurrences on desks of yore and where there were books there needed to be bookends.
Antique ink blotter full#
Louis and Clichy.Īs paper was exceedingly expensive in the early to mid-19th-century, every effort was made to utilize a full sheet of it. Decorative glass paperweight designs were all the rage, and during the mid-19th-century some of the most popular makers included the French companies of Baccarat, St.

The Industrial Revolution offered the novel concept of leisure-time to Europeans, giving them more time to take part in the then crucial activity of letter writing. Thank the Victorians for the initial popularity of the paperweight. However, the contents that lay upon the desk? Well, the evolution has been drastic to say the least.

Their basic premise has remained the same for quite literally centuries: a flat surface, oftentimes a drawer, and potentially a shelf or two. Whether you’ve carved out a space for a nifty home office or you prefer the morning commute, why not dress up your desk with antique and vintage desk accessories? To best tiptoe the line between desk efficiency and desk enjoyment, we suggest adding a touch of the past to your modern-day space.ĭesks are a funny thing.
