A locking wooden lap desk (key is missing), made of highly-figured wood (tropical?) with inlay banding and mother-of-pearl diamonds in center of desk top and around keyhole, the interior having a two-part, liftable writing surface covered in figured purple velvet and surrounded by a strip of gilt-decorated leather; three small compartments (one with a slanted bottom); and one long compartment with a removable curved wooden pen tray. Found in the desk were a small ink bottle (1809.426.2) and a carte-de-visite photograph of a man with large sideburns, printed "L. W. Cook, Manager of the Warren Photographic Studio, 145 Tremont Street, Boston, Mass." (in archives collection).
