A secretaire is a piece of writing furniture in which the front of a deep upper drawer, or of a vertical cabinet section, falls forward to form a flat writing surface, revealing a fitted interior of small drawers and pigeonholes. Unlike a bureau, which has a sloping fall front, a secretaire presents a flat, vertical front when closed, so it looks much like an ordinary chest or cabinet.
Secretaires became popular in England in the second half of the eighteenth century and were widely made through the Regency and Victorian periods. Common forms include the secretaire chest, the secretaire bookcase with glazed doors above, and the secretaire tallboy or chest on chest. In France the tall secrétaire à abattant, with a vertical fall front above a cupboard or drawers, was fashionable from the mid eighteenth century. Brass quadrant stays or hinged supports hold the writing surface level, and the interior is often finely made in satinwood, mahogany or cedar. Collectors look for an original interior, sound hinges and stays, good colour, and matching upper and lower sections on two-part pieces. A secretaire bookcase offers a practical home office solution while keeping papers neatly concealed.
