As part of the collection of H. Eugene Bolles (1838-1910) purchased as a core of the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this desk exemplifies the importance of early collectors, the acceptance of American furniture as a study source, and the exquisite workmanship of New England cabinet-makers, namely John and Thomas Seymour of Boston, Massachusetts.
H. Eugene Bolles began collecting Americana in the 1880's, and soon had a collection more than 600 objects strong. In 1909, Bolles lent twenty-five of his over 400 pieces with New England origin, to the Hudson-Fulton exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This exhibition, which was one of the first of its kind to celebrate the decorative arts of America, was an instant success and spurred Henry Watson Kent to create the first permanent American collection.