Benjamin Tallmadge Traveling Desk
notes: label: Description
content: In 1968, the Smithsonian was given a traveling desk through the bequest of Emily Howell Wilkins, great-granddaughter of Benjamin Tallmadge. Tallmadge is best remembered as George Washington’s spymaster and the head of the infamous Culper Spy Ring during the Revolutionary War. According to family tradition, the traveling desk had been used by Tallmadge during the war, though the style of desk is more typical of the time period of Benjamin Tallmadge’s career as a Congressman in the House of Representatives, which lasted from 1800 to 1817.
label: Description
content: The triple-opening desk has space for both writing and reading, as well as a calendar with organizational pockets. Removing the locking pin and depressing a small hole in the storage area pops off a false front on the desk, revealing three “secret” drawers.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Political History: Political History, General History Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Emily Howell Wilkins
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PL.285560.01
label: catalog number
content: 285560.01
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Desk