Desk and bookcase 1765-90 American According to late-nineteenth-century tradition, this desk was in George Washingtons headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, during the Siege of Boston (April 1775-March 1776). Consequently, it was exhibited at the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition in Chicago as “Washingtons desk.” It is the only known piece of American furniture to combine the bombé and blockfront forms. A later collector replaced the original mirror-glass doors in the upper section with wood panels.. Desk and bookcase. American. 1765-90. Mahogany, white pine. Made in Boston, Massachusetts, United States