Harvey Ellis

Private Family, St Louis, MO
Thence by descent
Acquired from the above by the present owner

Frederick R. Brandt, Late 19th and Early 20th Century Decorative Arts:  The Sydney and Frances Lewis Collection in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, 1985, pp. 120-121
Lisa Phillips, High Styles:  Twentieth-Century American Design, New York, 1985, p. 17
Stephen Gray, The Early Work of Gustav Stickley, New York, 1987, p. 116
Tod M. Volpe and Beth Cathers, Treasures of the American Arts and Crafts Movement 1890-1920, New York, 1988, p. 32
Janet Kardon, ed., The Ideal Home:  The History of Twentieth-Century American Craft 1900-1920, New York, 1993, p. 222
David Cathers and Alexander Vertikoff, Stickley Style:  Arts and Crafts Homes in the Craftsman Tradition, New York, 1999, pp. 67 and 92-93
Karen Livingstone and Linda Parry, eds., International Arts and Crafts, London, 2005, p. 159
Judith A. Barter, Apostles of Beauty:  Arts and Crafts from Britain to Chicago, Chicago, 2009, p. 102
Kevin W. Tucker et al., Gustav Stickley and the American Arts and Crafts Movement, Dallas, 2010, p. 147 (for the model in the collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond)

Overall in very good condition. The oak surfaces throughout appear to retain their original finish, displaying an exceptional wood selection with deep rich color and strong figuring. All of the inlay decoration is intact and appears original and undisturbed, with some minor discolorations and tarnishing. The desk retains its original drawer pulls which are very rare and distinct in design; the drawer pulls with expected surface wear and discolorations. The exterior of the case with some occasional surface scratches and abarasions, edge wear with some occasional losses (most notably to the two top front corners, the top vertical rails flanking the drop front, and the various escutcheon holes), and with some small and minor isolated areas of discolorations and staining. The top with some light water staining to the facing right side, and with some small and minor partial dark ring marks on the facing left side. The interior of the desk is in very good condition. The lower left section of the pigeon holes with minor ink staining. The back boards to the interior with some shrinkage cracks to the panels and with some separation to the boards, consistent with the natural contraction and expansion of the wood over time. With a period Stickley key. A superb example of this important and quintessential Ellis design.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In the spring of 1903, Gustav Stickley hired a talented architect by the name of Harvey Ellis to execute designs for his Craftsman Workshops.  Ellis designed a unique line of furniture distinguished by lighter, sophisticated lines and inlaid decoration articulated in copper, pewter and contrasting woods.  In January 1904, Ellis’ inlaid furniture was the subject of an article entitled ''Structure and Ornament in the Craftsman Worskhops'' in Stickley’s magazine, The Craftsman.  Although Ellis died in January 1904, only seven months after joining Stickley, his new designs left an enduring legacy on the firm's repertoire, which evolved to incorporate lighter structural forms.  The elegant desk offered here is exemplary of Ellis’ work.  The bold architectonic  design of the case is balanced by the overhanging cornice of the top, the graceful sweeping line of the arched apron and sides, and the delicate articulated inlay decoration on the fall front. The exquisite inlays for which he was known were produced by George Henry Jones’ marqueterie workshop in New York, and epitomize the design aesthetic synonymous with Ellis’ brief yet defining tenure at the Stickley firm.

Other examples of the model are in the collections of the Virginia Museum of Art and Art Institute of Chicago.