Edward J. Stearns's 1868 School Desk Model, Built to End Lid Slamming

A school desk with a lid that does not slam: that was the idea behind the improved desk Edward J. Stearns of Cambridge, Maryland, patented in 1868. His patent model, now in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, shows how it worked.

Edward J. Stearns's 1868 school desk and seat patent model, view 1 (Smithsonian National Museum of American History).

The design

Stearns's desk was made to eliminate lid slamming. Its lid opens toward the student and is properly supported when in use. The desk stands on a pair of simple turned legs attached to a wooden platform. The platform has a hole for another leg that may have held a seat. Black ink across the platform reads "E.J. Stearns' School Desk." The stool is round with no backrest and has a single monobloc base, while the desk has two.

The museum has no further information about the inventor.

Object details

Sources

• Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Edward J. Stearns's 1868 School Desk and Seat Patent Model, released under CC0 through Smithsonian Open Access; rewritten in hubnx's own words.