Old-time school desks were similar to the modern desk.
Antique school desks were not so different from modern school desks. While the modern desk is often made of plastic and metal, antique desks were more commonly made from wood and metal. Desks from the 1800s were often larger and more ornate than desks from the 1900s, which were streamlined and purely functional. The size of the desks was about the same as a modern desk built for a small child. In the 1800s, the desk tops themselves were typically rectangular, but the 1900s saw the introduction of or the armed design of the modern desk.
Shape
Old fashioned desks had a similar shape to the modern school desk. There was one or two seats placed behind a small wood shelf that students used to draw and write on. During the Victorian period and before, the desks typically had straight desk edges with no side rests for the arms. After the 1910s and 20s, the desks were manufactured like many modern desks, with an armrest along the right side of the desk where it attaches to the seat.
Hardware
Old or antique school desks typically had iron hardware to hold the desk pieces together. If the desks were not made entirely out of wood, they often had feet and arms made of cast iron or some other dark metal. This made the desks heavy; sometimes the desks were screwed into the floor to prevent the children from moving the desks out of place. Later desks used steel hardware and occasionally stainless steel.
Materials
Most antique school desks were made entirely out of wood, or with a combination of steel and wood or iron and wood. The seat and desk portion of the school desks were almost always made from wood. The legs and other support systems were sometimes made of wood or metal. The use of metal legs was more popular before 1920 than after. During the early 1900s, the desks were made almost entirely from wood using a simple construction style.
Size
Most school desks were quite small. The height of the desk was usually between 30 and 35 inches high for the back of the desk, with 20 to 25 inches in height for the desk portion of the chair. The depth of the seats was between 10 and 18 inches. Desks designed for two children were a little longer and were about 40 inches long to accommodate both children.
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