The Popularity of the Roll Top Desk

The roll top desk was first created in the 1800’s. It was a very popular design for desks and has been used ever since. Many offices and homes could be found with a roll top desk as the centerpiece of these rooms. Many period movies that are made today feature a roll top desk as an icon for that time period.

The reason for the popularity of this desk is that it was very affordable for many families. They could be mass produced because the boards for the roll top were uniform and could be made quickly. It did not take a good deal of time to make hundreds of these slats in just a matter of hours.

Many of the other desks that were similar in this time period could not be made as easily. They are not as common or well known as the roll top desk. One of these was the very popular cylinder desk that was used in the 1700’s in France. There was a major problem with the cylinder desk because of the way it was made. It did not last long because when the wood would warp, the top would not open.

The roll top desk took the same principle but made an “S” curve for the top instead of the “C” curve that was used for the cylinder desk. This allowed the roll top desk to be opened even if there was a bit of warping to the wood. There are also other variations that came about before the roll top desk but they did not have the popularity of the cylinder desk.

The roll top desk was made of wood and consisted of many drawers in the base. The top of the desk held the roll top which was made of slats of wood that were held together by leather strips to keep it flexible for opening and closing. Inside the top were pigeon holes that would be used to hold the accounts and other office items of the home or office.

As more modern materials were being used for the construction of desks, the roll top desk began to lose its efficiency in the office. Many documents were being typed and they did not fit in the small pigeon holes that were common in the roll top. Newer desks allowed for better file storage and the roll top desk became a conversation piece instead of a viable piece of office equipment.

The roll top desk was so widely produced in the past that they can be found in nearly every antique store in every city. They have resurfaced as a popular desk for the home. These desks are also being reproduced and can be purchased brand new.

The new roll top desk has been updated to include the installation of the modern technologies used in the office today. This includes being able to house a computer monitor that can be locked under the top to keep it safe from theft.