School desks have developed over the last century and a half from the wood and metal antique ones that you some times see in museums to ones made of sleek steel tubing and laminated plastic. I experienced both types in my own schooling from a one room rural schoolhouse to a modern high school.

My earliest memory of school desks is of those with ornately designed cast iron frames and a wooden top. The slightly slanted hardwood top, often decorated with names and doodles of past occupants, had a long groove to hold pencils and pens and a circular hole that was just the right size to hold a special bottle of ink.

A storage shelf for books, and possessions was located beneath the desktop. Each unit was comprised of the table part, with a wooden bench and seat back attached in the front. They were designed so that one student sat on the bench seat, and worked at the desktop of the unit in front of it. Rows of these filled the classroom.

Designed in the late 1800’s by Anna Breadin, these elaborate looking desks were actually quite an innovation for their time. Before this invention, schools used rustic wood ones, or the students sat at long tables with either attached bench seating or chairs to sit on. No provision was made to store or hold student supplies

Early in the last century, new designs incorporated more light weight metal tubing as a framework. The attached wooden slanted desktops usually had storage space beneath. Many of these were single units with the seat attached, so could be arranged in more versatile ways. Another innovation was the swivel seat, making it easier to get into and out of the desk.

Storage of belongings, always a necessity in the classroom, ranged from under the desktop to under the seat. Some under-the seat storage entailed a wooden drawer, heavy and difficult to open from a sitting position. Others had a much easier to access wire basket, open on the side.

The writing surfaces were made in different sizes. Breadin designs had hardwood tops of sufficient size to hold both notebooks and texts. As more modern ones came into use, desktop size often decreased. Some had side mounted tablet tops with considerably less space for the student to write.

Present day school desks are available in a variety of sizes and styles. Some are specifically made for kindergarten children with lots of table space and integrated benches, while others are for adults. Specialty school supply stores, both online and offline, carry a huge selection and variety for either individual or quantity purchase.

Lightweight class room furniture that integrates separate laminate top tables with open front storage compartments and chairs is the most common classroom type today. Chair-desk combinations with more comfortable molded plastic seats above a wire book rack and laminate tops are also popular in schools. Some of these have a full-sized top while others sport a smaller side mounted tablet top for writing.

For those with an urge for nostalgia, antique school desks can often be found in museums or antique shops. Most of these antique classroom pieces can be bought for under $100, and highly sought after by collectors. Even online auction sites have a variety for sale. Old fashioned school furniture can be an interesting display piece in your home.

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