The 1937 Office takes shape.

[Fletch]

The office in the 1937 House that is - located upstairs, inside the four-paned windows in the linked pic.

Click to enlarge
This is something I'd been planning for some time, ever since I saw this nifty oak desk at our local antique mall. I went back this weekend and not only was the desk still there, but a closely matching oak office chair was up on the second floor - and a highly appropriate gooseneck lamp and phone, both in working order.

Click to enlarge
Cost for everything: $275. I think I made out, considering very little search time or shoe leather were involved - the stuff practically fell into my lap.

Ma Bell's workhorse - the iconic Henry Dreyfuss-designed Western Electric 302. It's a 1937 design, but this particular example is circa 1950, with the plastic housing, F1 handset, and No. 6 dial - the one that makes a satisfying whirrr, not the much-prized ratchet sound. (I've been studying up - the phone hobby is strictly for obsessives that way.)

The dial card is a Photoshop from several hi-res .jpegs located at the Telephone Archive site. CEdar 2 is our actual exchange, listed as such from the beginning of direct dial in 1955 till 1960, when it was relisted as 232.

The ultimate goal of the 1937 Office is to reclaim space once belonging to a small bedroom, whose wall was demolished to create a single large master bedroom. My dresser, clothes tree and other articles will be pushed back into the sleeping area.

Added to the office will be:
- my school materials, in the built-in shelving (original to the house; the added doors are in the style of our other original cabinets)
- my 21" flat panel monitor and black MacBook
- vintage ephemera, some Iowa-related, for the walls
- a low bookcase to the other side of the built-ins
- a suitable period clock, table radio, and waste paper basket (I'm considering a large Hiland Potato Chip canister)

 

[Matt Deckard]

Wow... That office looks like it sucks. There is nothing to do.

I could do that, though the desk top would be a giant flat screen that has a wood grain wallpaper

No we have to get you a good inkwell.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

What a lovely House, and we have the same taste in desks, although mine was covered in white gloss paint in the 60's, I was given it , and took a lot of work to strip it back, I stained the handle to resemble ebony the telephone is a 300 series from the 1940's in Jade Green the cord is not original and could be replaced by braided silk, but you know how it is, there are more important things around the house that need doing!!!...such as dusting!

 

[Fletch]

Your desk, like mine, is purely functional - the only Moderne touches are the drawer pulls.

That green phone's a find. The 302 was made in colors, but few survived for long. The coloring weakened the plastic and made it crack.

1949

 

[The Wolf]

Nice job Fletch and at a great price.
I might leave a nice 1937 magazine on top of the desk fo an added dash of the golden era.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Wil Tam]

Nice job Fletch and at a great price.
I might leave a nice 1937 magazine on top of the desk fo an added dash of the golden era.

Sincerely,
The Wolf

a 1937 calendar also

 

[Fletch]

That's sharp.

 

[ScionPI2005]

Looks good, Fletch! And for $275! Can't beat that with a stick! I'm sure you'll be adding these as you go along.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Bravo! I would also look for one of the old Swingline No.4 staplers. Very art deco style and it would slide right into place on the desk (and use normal staples). I just picked up a No.3 (shorty model) for my office.

In case you have missed this, I am working in this theme as much as I can. Sadly, I do have to work from my home office to boot, so I have a laptop dock as well as my home computer on the desk. I have a switch to use the flat screen as a dual screen when I have the work lap top in use as well as share the wireless keyboard & mouse.

Here is my office, much the same size it appears.

I had just finished the walls over and the floor has not been re-done. Right now I have an area carpet, but this summer will see a new sub floor and hardwood floors. One day, the left wall will be bumped out about six feet.

PS, there is quite a secret hiding behind the map too... check here:
www.yankeetoys.org/lee/320093.jpg

 

[Decodence]

PS, there is quite a secret hiding behind the map too... check here:
www.yankeetoys.org/lee/320093.jpg

That is AWESOME. What is on the other side of the wall, closet/garage/shed?

Also, what manf/type of slides did you use that stay in an up position?

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Thanks, I don't want to hijack the thread, but I used 24" full extension ball bearing slides, just one on each side. The frame has a sheet of 1/2" MDF that fits just inside where the frame backing would be. I then have oak cleats that screw to the frame to clamp it to the backing. Right now I have a cable & pulleys with a counter balance weight, but I plan to motorize with a low rpm motor. The counterweight works nice for now, it's like the windows in an old house, the balance is almost neutral up or down.

The office is a 6.5 foot hall behind my shop and attached to the house (ranch style). I walled the hall in half for a 6.5 x 14 office space. Once I add on, it will be 12 x 14 and I will be in heaven! Behind that wall is a storage shed with access from outdoors. On that side it looks like side to side shelves with a box sitting on a shelf. I have since moved the computer to that storage area on one of the shelves for better cooling and almost 100% quiet noise in my office.


PS, Fletch... nice Sheaffer's!! Is that a real Duofold ?? I seem to be on a kick of using Parker 51's of late. I think I have been rotating my 51's for over a month now. Very rare! If you want to sell that chair, I could sure use it! I missed one on Craigslist for $10 local last month~ :rage:

BTW, I love the WE-302... I have been looking for one to replace my WE-500 for a while now. How nice does the print out look on the dial card? I tried to print a few and they did not look good at all. Did you use card stock? Did you edit the prefix & number or use one off the site? Interested in making one for a fellow "dialer"? Oh, and I use that phone hard too, I make about 25 calls a day on it from my office.

 

[kampkatz]

Fletch, what kind of manual typewriter will you display?

 

[J.J. Gittes]

Put some period magazines on there. I use this site for covers.
http://www.magazineart.org/main.php

 

[Darhling]

Fletch & Firefyter, your offices look spectacular!! :eusa_clap

 

[Fletch]

Thanks Darhling. Coming from someone who obviously knows a thing or two about looking spectacular, that means a lot to me.

In answer to the phone, pen & typewriter questions:
1. I printed out the number card on my printer on some manila folder stock. It is the actual phone number here at the house, except it has the letter exchange instead of all numbers. I would be happy to make you a. a finished card or b. a .jpg for you to print out, your choice.
2. The Sheaffer was my grandfather's and dates to 1933. The Duofold is a repro from the 80s and is a rollerball.
3. I would like a portable. Perhaps something like this Remington Noiseless.

 

[Darhling]

I always dreamed of having the desks referred to as 'secretaries' with a roll top. But that would only fit into my dream becoming a PI (I do have a trench and a dark fedora, but thats all!).

Fletch, please post more pics, e.g. with you cracking a case at the desk!

 

[Fletch]

The only cases I'll be cracking at this desk are Coca-Cola...

 

[dhermann1]

How do you guys keep those desks so TIDY??? Underneath the huge pile of rubble that populates its surface, I have a nice 1950 vintage desk, with a vintage lamp and everything. But you'd never know it from all the "camouflage." lol

 

[J. M. Stovall]

The office in the 1937 House that is - located upstairs, inside the four-paned windows in the linked pic.

Click to enlarge
This is something I'd been planning for some time, ever since I saw this nifty oak desk at our local antique mall. I went back this weekend and not only was the desk still there, but a closely matching oak office chair was up on the second floor - and a highly appropriate gooseneck lamp and phone, both in working order.

Click to enlarge
Cost for everything: $275. I think I made out, considering very little search time or shoe leather were involved - the stuff practically fell into my lap.

Ma Bell's workhorse - the iconic Henry Dreyfuss-designed Western Electric 302. It's a 1937 design, but this particular example is circa 1950, with the plastic housing, F1 handset, and No. 6 dial - the one that makes a satisfying whirrr, not the much-prized ratchet sound. (I've been studying up - the phone hobby is strictly for obsessives that way.)

The dial card is a Photoshop from several hi-res .jpegs located at the Telephone Archive site. CEdar 2 is our actual exchange, listed as such from the beginning of direct dial in 1955 till 1960, when it was relisted as 232.

The ultimate goal of the 1937 Office is to reclaim space once belonging to a small bedroom, whose wall was demolished to create a single large master bedroom. My dresser, clothes tree and other articles will be pushed back into the sleeping area.

Added to the office will be:
- my school materials, in the built-in shelving (original to the house; the added doors are in the style of our other original cabinets)
- my 21" flat panel monitor and black MacBook
- vintage ephemera, some Iowa-related, for the walls
- a low bookcase to the other side of the built-ins
- a suitable period clock, table radio, and waste paper basket (I'm considering a large Hiland Potato Chip canister)

Very nice! The chair and desk look like a really good match!

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Thanks Fletch...

I will drop you a PM about that dial card, thanks! (from WOodland-3)

That Sheaffer's, being your Grandpa's, makes it all the more special! That color, if I see it corectly, is marine green. That is a very nice color on them. I need to find another 1930's patterned fountain pen, I have sold or traded all of mine like that. More excuses to buy pens!

PS.. you keep it clean by not letting it get messy! I do admitt to having a feather duster in a desk drawer though. The phone and screen gets dusty fast! Under my desk looks even better with the carpet down, but I can't wait for the wood floor. That will be night and day such a pleasure to have in here!