Design for desk and/or portfolio cabinet 1825 - 1900

This design for a desk or portfolio cabinet was made by John Gregory Crace, most likely in the mid-19th century, using pencil and watercolor on paper. What we see here is not the desk itself, but a plan for its construction. Crace was a prolific designer, closely associated with the transformation of British decorative arts in the Victorian era. The drawing shows us the proposed desk from multiple angles, with interior compartments. While the perspective view at the top gives an impression of wood and possibly glass, the other views break the object down into its essential structure, almost like an exploded diagram. While Crace may have not physically labored in constructing furniture himself, his role as designer determined the labor of many other hands - joiners, glaziers, and finishers. This drawing gives us insight into the hierarchies of labor involved in producing even a single piece of furniture, reminding us that design is itself a form of making.