Author Topic: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?  (Read 20742 times)

Rudi

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Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« on: July 11, 2010, 08:31:43 pm »
Hi everyone, yes I am a newbie. I have done as much research as I can today finding a nice person in CA who has a desk similar to mine --- her desk has the Hekman label in tact.... my desk has the label partially peeled off but enough of it to see the distinctive H with the red and gold.

Story of the desk is that I bought it in Decatur GA around 1977 from an older woman who was moving from her home to a retirement home --- my guess is she was in her 70's or older at the time. I believe she was the original owner - I also have a spindle looking wooden chair that I bought with it -- no pics of that though.

So I believe this is a Hekman Spinet Desk ---- since his sons started the furniture business in 1920's I am assuming from her age etc that the desk was from that era --- not sure if this label was used on the pieces Hekman did around 1900?

Anyway, I am uploading a couple of pictures of the desk and one of the half peeled label ---- Thank you for any information you can pass my way.

Regards,


sapphire

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2010, 09:13:28 pm »
Welcome Rudi!  On doing a quick search, other than coming up with likely the same hits as you of those on ebay or worthpoint I did come across this bit on another site......

http://staugustine.com/stories/102305/off_3405156.shtml  (this is dated Oct., 2005)

"Q. Please tell us about a desk that was recently given to us. It opens like a piano to expose the writing surface and cubby holes. The drawers are dovetailed. It's marked: "Hekman Furniture Co., Grand Rapids, Mich."
Because the old finish is in rough condition, my husband would like to refinish it, but I would like to know its value first. I know that antiques can be ruined by refinishing. -- M.E., Riverview

A. Your spinet desk was manufactured during the late 1920s or early 30s. They were popular during the Depression era because they were small, functional and inexpensive. Many factories produced them.

Designed after early spinet pianos, the desks were meant to compliment Early American interiors. Quality varies greatly and it's not unusual to find spindly versions with major problems.

Hekman Furniture was established in 1922. It expanded over the years and eventually was bought by Beatrice Foods. In 1983, it was purchased by Howard Miller and continued to grow. It's still in business.

These desks are very common so it's ok by me to refinish them. However, I would first consider repairing the old finish rather than go through the messy and time consuming process of removing the old finish.

In its current condition, your desk would retail for around $60. Even the best examples of these inexpensive desks sell for no more than $125. Hats off to you for caring about originality."

Other members here are more knowledgeable and up to date on current values according to market and location and I'm sure they'll chime in.  Hope this helps a bit.



regularjoe2

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2010, 09:34:06 pm »
Welcome to the forum , Rudi .

If you use the 'Search' feature in/on the forums' header & use the search term "Hekman" , you'll find another desk in the same design posted in 2008 , slightly dif , but has an image of a Hekman decal .

Rudi

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2010, 09:52:19 pm »
Thanks for the responses.... the desk posted in 2008 was the person I found in CA who is selling her desk for 1200.00 ---- she did contact Hekman and also got an estimate for an auction price of 1,200.

That desk is similar but differences are the wood type, wood trim on the front and the legs seems to be less heavy than the ones on mine. It looks very similar.. the middle small drawer has the exact trim work design.

Sara Finn

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2010, 10:00:23 pm »
Welcome to the Antique-Shop forum, Rudi.

Your label appears to be pre-1930's (paper label), where the other one discussed has a transfer-decal which indicates 1930's or later.
Feel free to straighten me out on this, though, since I am only looking at your images.

KC

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2010, 01:06:20 am »
Agree with Sara F. that your label appears to be paper!

I have always really liked these desks.  Unique and functional.  Will only continue to increase in value!
I'm from the South - but please don't mistake my Southern Manners/Accent/Charm as a weakness!

sapphire

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #6 on: July 12, 2010, 07:07:49 am »
We have a start date  ;)

http://www.hekman.com/Info/About/Hekman.aspx

"They would fulfill their father’s dream and open the doors of the Hekman Furniture Company in 1922."



KC

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #7 on: July 12, 2010, 08:40:01 am »
This is the Hekman site....you might contact them.....they would know when paper labels were used (at least I would hope they would).  These were revised in popularity 1920's to 1930's - betting your is mid 20's.

They were originally made from pianos that were converted into desks....thus the spinet desk!

http://www.hekman.com/Info/About/Hekman.aspx

A Hekman to watch  http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-ORIGINAL-HEKMAN-SPINET-SECRETARY-DESK-1920S-/380094384671?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item587f640a1f

This one is interesting...http://cgi.ebay.com/Fine-mahogany-spinet-desk-/400130185579?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item5d299e196b
« Last Edit: July 12, 2010, 08:45:36 am by KC »
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talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #8 on: July 12, 2010, 11:03:35 am »
Hey KC, we might want to double check that information about these desks being made from spinet pianos. According to what I'm finding, the spinet piano wasn't really introduced until 1930. It makes no sense to me that anyone would dismantle what was then a brand new piano to make a desk from it. I think spinet refers to the boxed-in, smaller style that looks similar to the smaller spinet pianos. Here's a Wikipedia article on the term spinet, which also dates the common "spinet piano" or console piano to the 1930's.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinet
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waywardangler

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #9 on: July 12, 2010, 12:04:33 pm »
Tales, this site http://www.uk-piano.org/history/history_1.html is dating the term spinet as applied to pianos to the 1400s.  "The spinet followed the clavichord and then came the more elaborate harpsichord."  "The spinet could have received its name from a possible Italian inventor, Giovanni Spinette, or from the connection with spine thorns, which were used for plucking the strings."

Also on this site http://www.classicol.com/classical.cfm?music=instrumentInfo&section=KeyboardHistory&title=Keyboard%20Family%20History they say "The spinet was in use from the late seventeenth century until the end of the eighteenth century so it was, for a while, contemporary with the virginals and the harpsichord proper."

With the above in mind, KC may be correct.



Rudi

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #10 on: July 12, 2010, 12:48:23 pm »
I contacted Hekman and sent them the pictures..... I will let you know what I hear from them.... thanks for all of the responses :)

talesofthesevenseas

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Re: Hekman Spinet Secretary Desk ---- 1930's?
« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2010, 01:25:21 pm »
Right, it looks like spinet was used to describe early harpsicords, clavicords and such, but I think the Wiki entry is correct at least in very general terms, that the small console pianos weren't around until the 30's and that the uprights were the common piano found in homes prior to that. The uprights didn't fall out of favor until about that time, I know that uprights were still being widely produced in the 1920's. (Mine is from that era)

I suppose it is possible that the desk could have been made from old harpsicord parts, but the box-like style really does not look like it comes from the parts of an upright. It DOES however, look like the old horizontal square grands. That is possible. I'm just curious to know if they really used old pianos or if it is more of a descriptive term to describe the style.

Just for fun, check this out: Here's a guy still making desks out of old pianos!
http://www.pianodesk.com/
« Last Edit: July 12, 2010, 01:27:15 pm by talesofthesevenseas »
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