Civil War Officer’s or NCO Lap Desk with eyeglasses and pencil, as in museums

This is another nice item being offered, it is a Civil War Officer’s Lap Desk. It is typical of what officers and sergeants would have used in the field or in camp. It is made of wood (probably maple). When closed it measures 11 ¼” x 7 ¾” x 3 ½” and when opened, there are two compartments for documents and letters, two for inkwells, and another area with a wooden top for pencils and pens, etc.

The interior has a green felt writing surface. There is a pair of period eyeglasses and a Civil War patriotic pencil. There is an example of a lap desk in the Gettysburg National Battlefield Museum and the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg (see pictures). Also, in the personal artifacts of Colonel Isaac Dyer of the 15th Maine, there is a very similar example of this desk (see pictures).

Overall, this is a nice solid piece, but typical of early wood, there are a couple of surface age cracks – not affecting anything. In my book "The Civil War Soldier - His Personal Items", I go into detail on how important letter writing was for the soldiers (see pictures). It would go great with an officer’s or soldier’s personal effects. I have one in my collection which I display with period letters, a pen, and documents.