Lot Essay
This American secretary is more than just a testament to Americana. It embodies the motto found in the coat of arms: E Pluribus Unum – Out of one, many.
This eye-catching masterpiece is the magnum opus of barber-turned-carpenter Uriah H. Eberhart of Savannah, Ohio. As noted on the back of the secretary, Eberhart laid his first piece on November 17, 1896 and completed it in almost 3 years and 7 months, and 135,511 pieces later. Eberhart’s vision of the secretary was inspired by his visit to the Guatemalan exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Before dedicating his time to carpentering and creating this piece, Eberhart worked as a barber for fourteen years. He began his career when he moved to Savannah in 1886. In 1900, he quit barbering and focused on carpentering and then to farming.
To design a secretary such as this, one must have a creative and imaginative mind. Eberhart was clearly determined in his rejection of simplicity and repetition, as no two designs found on the secretary are the same. Eberhart set out by drawing the designs and meticulously planning the specific woods used in each element. The fruits, animals, flowers and emblems are constructed using 550 different types of wood from every state of the United States of America, and 31 kinds of wood from foreign lands. As a religious man, Eberhart wrote to missionaries around the world seeking their help in sourcing exotic woods native to faraway places. Pieces of wood, like the mahogany and mulberry, come from Jerusalem, and pieces from olive and lemon trees come from Syria. According to tradition, there is a piece from the imperial tombs of China, one from the shingle of the Ford Mansion, George Washington’s headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey during the Revolutionary War, and even a sliver from Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home.
Eberhart successfully created a piece of furniture that transcends its utility as a secretary by being a piece of art in its own right. The piece is exciting, dynamic and it completely immerses the viewer. The energetic borders of various patterns frame a multitude of pictures, including symbols of fraternal organizations, a self-portrait of Eberhart and a portrait his wife in each cornice. Below the tympanum, a quote from a sermon given by preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) serves as a reminder to contribute and participate in the fight for what is right and true. Either side of the secretary is decorated with an image of USS Battleship Kearsage and USS Battleship Maine, both of which had been destroyed at the time of the piece's construction. Within each battleship, Eberhart laid bits of wood from the original vessels. The front of the secretary is decorated with an image of the White House, a portrait of George Washington and the country’s coat of arms, surrounded by thirteen stars to represent the original colonies. In just the portrait of George Washington, one can find walnut, ebony, wood from apple and holly trees, and satinwood, while the star that radiates from the picture contains 67 pieces.
Eberhart was not shy in his accomplishment and sought to share the piece with the public. On a self-printed flyer, he advertised, 'This is one of the most beautiful pieces of Furniture in the country. There is not another like it in the world. I say this because I know it is true…'. He also placed notices in local newspapers seeking interest in exhibiting the desk-and-bookcase, while listing his terms and concluding that 'Under such terms it seems to me I should hear from every city in the State and others in a short time' (Eberhart, 'The Wonderful Eberhart Secretary', Western Christian Advocate (Cincinnati, February 14, 1917), pp. 158. His confidence in his work was palpable and he believed that the secretary'...will do more in ten minutes to inspire young people with the possibilities of life than ten years of haphazard and scattered endeavor.'
This eye-catching masterpiece is the magnum opus of barber-turned-carpenter Uriah H. Eberhart of Savannah, Ohio. As noted on the back of the secretary, Eberhart laid his first piece on November 17, 1896 and completed it in almost 3 years and 7 months, and 135,511 pieces later. Eberhart’s vision of the secretary was inspired by his visit to the Guatemalan exhibit at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Before dedicating his time to carpentering and creating this piece, Eberhart worked as a barber for fourteen years. He began his career when he moved to Savannah in 1886. In 1900, he quit barbering and focused on carpentering and then to farming.
To design a secretary such as this, one must have a creative and imaginative mind. Eberhart was clearly determined in his rejection of simplicity and repetition, as no two designs found on the secretary are the same. Eberhart set out by drawing the designs and meticulously planning the specific woods used in each element. The fruits, animals, flowers and emblems are constructed using 550 different types of wood from every state of the United States of America, and 31 kinds of wood from foreign lands. As a religious man, Eberhart wrote to missionaries around the world seeking their help in sourcing exotic woods native to faraway places. Pieces of wood, like the mahogany and mulberry, come from Jerusalem, and pieces from olive and lemon trees come from Syria. According to tradition, there is a piece from the imperial tombs of China, one from the shingle of the Ford Mansion, George Washington’s headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey during the Revolutionary War, and even a sliver from Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home.
Eberhart successfully created a piece of furniture that transcends its utility as a secretary by being a piece of art in its own right. The piece is exciting, dynamic and it completely immerses the viewer. The energetic borders of various patterns frame a multitude of pictures, including symbols of fraternal organizations, a self-portrait of Eberhart and a portrait his wife in each cornice. Below the tympanum, a quote from a sermon given by preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) serves as a reminder to contribute and participate in the fight for what is right and true. Either side of the secretary is decorated with an image of USS Battleship Kearsage and USS Battleship Maine, both of which had been destroyed at the time of the piece's construction. Within each battleship, Eberhart laid bits of wood from the original vessels. The front of the secretary is decorated with an image of the White House, a portrait of George Washington and the country’s coat of arms, surrounded by thirteen stars to represent the original colonies. In just the portrait of George Washington, one can find walnut, ebony, wood from apple and holly trees, and satinwood, while the star that radiates from the picture contains 67 pieces.
Eberhart was not shy in his accomplishment and sought to share the piece with the public. On a self-printed flyer, he advertised, 'This is one of the most beautiful pieces of Furniture in the country. There is not another like it in the world. I say this because I know it is true…'. He also placed notices in local newspapers seeking interest in exhibiting the desk-and-bookcase, while listing his terms and concluding that 'Under such terms it seems to me I should hear from every city in the State and others in a short time' (Eberhart, 'The Wonderful Eberhart Secretary', Western Christian Advocate (Cincinnati, February 14, 1917), pp. 158. His confidence in his work was palpable and he believed that the secretary'...will do more in ten minutes to inspire young people with the possibilities of life than ten years of haphazard and scattered endeavor.'