Anna Breadin - Mother of Invention

Different types of antique school desks from the 19th and early 20th centuries appeal to a wide range of collectors. On the antique desks, they generally weren't hinged. There was a storage space underneath the flat desk top where students could put their books. This storage space was made of metal and part of the design of the table. It had an open space, with room to fit more than one book. On old Mission Oak pieces, there were large pull out drawers underneath the seat attached to the desk.

Time Frame

Anna Breadin patented the first school desk on April 2, 1889. The patent number, 400,738, was often stamped on the desktop, making Breadin's desks easy to identify. In that time, school desks were designed for function. Made from cast iron and wood, Breadin's desk went beyond the basic functional purpose of school furniture. Breadin incorporated design into her work as well. The desk had ornately designed metal legs, a supportive wooden seat and a roomy storage shelf underneath the top of the desk. This attention to design served a purpose. Breadin put an additional metal section to the center underneath, and this kept the table from wobbling.

Children often had to sit in single rows on hard benches before the invention of the school desk. The benches had no back support and no writing surface. Breadin's invention of an ornate yet functional school desk enabled students to concentrate on their schooling, not on their discomfort. There are distinct characteristics of antique school desks to keep in mind when looking. Patent numbers are stamped into the wood on older pieces. The patent number can help to date the piece. Robinson Antiques' website has a U.S. patent dating chart for looking up the age. On the older antique pieces, they are in one piece, without hinged tops. The hinged tops came later in the 20th century. Places to buy antique school desks include live auctions and online auction sites. There are also antique malls and shops that sell antique school desks.

Sometimes, one can find antique school desks made by Breadin in the least likely of places. For instance, some old schools that are under renovation may have vintage Breadin pieces, sometimes cast out on the sidewalk. The furniture can also be purchased from defunct play houses or closing plays that feature antique Breadin school furniture as part of the props within a scene. Often there is a set decorator who will dispose of the pieces, or resell them, and if they are authentic, like in the case of Breadin furniture, collectors can inquire with the set director personally.