Now available in our store is Ed Zappen’s book “Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration Desk.” Inside, you’ll find construction drawings, details and techniques, as well as plenty of color photos, to guide you as you build your own faithful replica of the Declaration Desk. Plus, an overview of events that led to the American Revolution and some of the people involved, as well as a bibliography for those who wish to further study the period and the Declaration of Independence.
The original Declaration Desk (shown above) was made by Philadelphia cabinetmaker Benjamin Randolph (1721-1791). It’s a typical 18th-century desk for a man of letters, with a baize-covered bi-fold writing surface that is adjustable via a hinged support that rests in stops atop the desk box. The delicate drawer features tiny half-blind dovetails at the front, along with a thin inlay of satinwood that is mirrored on the back of the mitered box. The drawer interior is cleverly divided with two inkwell compartments and a longer cubby in between for quills, with room behind for paper. It’s a lovely little build – and a lovely little compact book – for those interested in 18th-century furniture and furnishings.
Below is the foreword from “Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration Desk,” written by Harry R. Rubenstein, Curator Emeritus and
former Chair of the Division of Political History National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Within the vast collections of the Smithsonian Institution, one small item stands out for its association with the nation’s founding. It is the small wooden writing box on which Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence. Like many of Jefferson’s designs and writings, this seemingly plain desk reveals a greater complexity with further examination, even as it reflects his desire for simplicity and order.
As a delegate to the first meeting of the Second Continental Congress in 1775, Jefferson lodged with Benjamin Randolph, a prominent Philadelphia cabinetmaker; Jefferson commissioned Randolph to make a writing box of Jefferson’s design to keep his papers and writing instruments.
In June 1776, the Continental Congress appointed Jefferson to the five-member committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Scribbling on scraps of paper on the slanted boards of his writing box, Jefferson outlined founding principles for a new nation and listed grievances against the British crown that led the Colonies to their decision for independence. The finished text inspired many colonists to a revolutionary cause and continues to stir democratic aspirations worldwide.
With an open mind and a bit of imagination, objects like this desk make the seemingly mythic past more real and offer insights into the lives of those who still influence us today. For those who follow Ed Zappen’s carefully drawn plans and instructions, you will have not only the opportunity to produce an excellent and faithful replica of Jefferson’s writing box, but also the chance to enter a world of talented cabinetmakers from another era. It was a time when writing required its own set of tools, when handwritten notes were a principal form of communication, and when revolutionary ideals of democracy and freedom were taking shape to create a new nation.
