18th-century French Mechanical Table | Jane Austen's World

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

« The Rockets Red Glare: Fireworks in Georgian London

River Bathing in the Georgian Era »

18th-century French Mechanical Table

July 5, 2012 by Vic

This beautiful marquetry table transforms into a desk with a turn of a key. This short animated film shows you how it operates and how an elegant French lady in the 18th century would have used it. Enjoy.

Exquisite marquetry of this French mechanical table.

Read about metamorphic furniture (which is different from mechanical furniture) at this link.

Posted in 18th Century France, Georgian Life, Jane Austen's World | Tagged animated video, Historic furniture, J. Paul Getty Museum, marguetry, mechanical furniture | 20 Comments

20 Responses

on July 5, 2012 at 23:46 Nancy

I wish Jane Austen could have owned one of those, though she did pretty well on her portable writing desk.
I love that table.
- on July 5, 2012 at 23:50 Vic
  
  I agree, Nancy. She deserved something that pretty, practical and portable!
on July 6, 2012 at 00:04 Kathleen Baldwin

This is so cool. What a neat little desk. I’d like one. Thanks for sharing the video with us.
on July 6, 2012 at 00:39 Joan Bryan's

I want one! So beautiful and so useful!
on July 6, 2012 at 00:41 Joan Bryan's

My surname is Bryans -sorry my computer corrected it!
on July 6, 2012 at 01:17 Adriana Zardini

Such an interesting post Vic! Thanks for sharing!
Adriana
on July 6, 2012 at 01:26 Amy Peveto (@AmyPeveto)

How nifty! Do you know if they still make desks like this? I’d love to have one.
on July 6, 2012 at 03:05 gio

What a beautiful and cool desk! Thanks for sharing!
on July 6, 2012 at 04:25 suzan

That was an absolutely gorgeous desk. I’d love the privacy and secret compartments. The colors are amazing. The designs so detailed. I can add to the above – I wish I had one.
on July 6, 2012 at 08:46 Patty

This is the table where you can safely store your love letters.
on July 6, 2012 at 08:56 lucienne machado

Muito linda!Eu quero uma… :)
Adorei o post Vic!
on July 6, 2012 at 08:58 Theo Shatagin

Thank you for introducing me to the Getty’s education site and the videos.
- on July 6, 2012 at 09:46 Vic
  
  You’re welcome. I enjoyed the sound effects that accompanied the narration as I learned how this fascinating table was put together.
on July 6, 2012 at 11:05 authorsanon

Reblogged this on Bustling along bookshelves . . . and commented:
A wondrous mechanism…just what I want on my Wishlist….
on July 6, 2012 at 11:52 Diane D - Florida

How clever was the designer of this!!! It’s gorgeous, and I want one too. :-)
on July 6, 2012 at 13:25 Sophy

How charming! What an exquisite little piece of work. Jane would not have been able to afford it, but her cousin Eliza would, and perhaps saw one like this when she lived in France.
on July 9, 2012 at 04:39 Karen Field

I love the idea of what this writing desk concealed for the writer. I suppose the writer kept the key on her chattelaine (sp? so as to not lose it.
on July 19, 2012 at 16:36 bluffkinghal

So many uses for one single article. They did make use of space!
on August 9, 2012 at 08:29 ippokampos

Reblogged this on Ippokampos Afroulis Recounting… and commented:
awesome!!!!
on September 4, 2012 at 13:20 Regency Work Tables: A Regency Lady at “Work” « Jane Austen's World

[…] showed how the hidden mechanisms worked and how easily the table could be moved from place to place. Click on this link to view it. Share with others:Like this:LikeBe the first to like […]

Comments are closed.

Email Subscription

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Email Address:

Join 7,070 other followers
Search
Items of Interest
Our review of Katherine Cowley's new novel The Lady's Guide to Death and Deception. Click here to read the post.
Follow Jane Austen's World on WordPress.com
Blog Stats
- 16,318,088 hits
Highly Recommended a New Book! Bath -An Adumbration in Rhyme
Edited by Ben Wiebracht. Read the review of the book at this link. Click to order the book on Amazon US or Amazon UK
Search for:
In Sri Lanka lies the grave of Rear Admiral Charles Austen CB, Jane Austen’s Brother

The neglected tombstone found in an overgrown burial ground.

Rear Admiral Charles Austen CB

Died off Prome, the 7th October 1852, while in command of the Naval Expedition on the river Irrawady against the Burmese Forces, aged 73 years.”

The grave after restoration

Read the full article in The Sunday Times. June 27, 2021.
The Obituary of Charlotte Collins by Andrew Capes

Click on image to read the story.
Comments

“My idea of good company…is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation.” – Jane Austen, Persuasion

Gentle readers: Please feel free to post your comments and continue the conversation! Due to SPAM, we will no longer accept comments on posts after 30 days of publication. In some instances, links will be removed from comments as well.
Administrators and Contributors
Vic Sanborn, founder of this blog, is supported by a team of talented and knowledgeable writers about Jane Austen and the Regency era. They are:
- Brenda Cox
- Rachel Dodge and
- Tony Grant, who now contributes his photos from London and England
Click on their names to enter their own blogs.

In addition, we thank the many experts and authors who frequently contribute their posts and opinions, and who continue to do so freely or at our request.
Pin It!
Top Posts
- The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
- Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
- Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
- Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
- Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
- Dancing at the Netherfield Ball: Pride and Prejudice
- The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
- Social Customs During the Regency
- Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
- Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency Fashion
Recent Posts
- The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
- In Honor of HM Queen Elizabeth II
- Review of The Lady’s Guide to Death and Deception by Katherine Cowley
- Sydney Gardens Restoration in Bath: 2022 Galas
- A Young Lady’s Prayer for a Husband
Links to Jane Austen Blogs

Click here to enter the page. Topics include Regency fashion, historic foods, Jane Austen societies, British sites, related topics. Click on image.
Find Jane Austen on Google
May we suggest?

Regent’s Canal Walk (Little Venice to Kings Cross): Tony Grant

Take a walk along a portion of Regent’s Canal with Tony Grant and friend. His superb photos and commentary make you feel as if you’ve tagged along.

Click on this link to stroll along with Tony & Guy. (Images: Barges along Regent’s Canal; John Masefield’s House. Copyright: Tony Grant)
Hello, my name is Vic and I live in Maryland, USA. I have adored Jane Austen almost all of my life. I am a proud lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America. This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me and my team. We do not accept any form of cash advertising, sponsorship, or paid topic insertions. However, we do accept and keep books and CDs to review.

If you would like to share a new site, or point out an error, please email us. (Yes, we are fallible. We'll own up to our mistakes and will make the corrections with a polite smile on our faces.) Write us at

Thank you for visiting this blog. Your comments and suggestions are most welcome.
Project Gutenberg: eBook of Stage-coach and Mail in Days of Yore, Volume 2 (of 2), by Charles G. Harper

STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE: A PICTURESQUE HISTORY
OF THE COACHING AGE, VOL. II, By CHARLES G. HARPER. 1903. Click on this link.
Top Posts & Pages
- The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray
- Regency Fashion: Men's Breeches, Pantaloons, and Trousers
- Highclere Castle Floor Plan: The Real Downton Abbey
- Pride and Prejudice Economics: Or Why a Single Man with a Fortune of £4,000 Per Year is a Desirable Husband
- Men's hair styles at the turn of the 19th century
- Dancing at the Netherfield Ball: Pride and Prejudice
- The Servant's Quarters in 19th Century Country Houses Like Downton Abbey
- Social Customs During the Regency
- Regency Hygiene: The Bourdaloue
- Dressing for the Netherfield Ball in Pride and Prejudice: Regency Fashion
Search for:
Disclaimer: Our team makes no profit from this blog. We may receive books (physical or digitized) and DVDs for review purposes.
Copyright Statement: © Jane Austen's World blog, 2009-2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owners is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jane Austen's World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

%d bloggers like this: