Photo Essays: Classroom Furniture--Old Styles
Figure 1.-- The furniture at some schools was a little time capsule from schools in the early 20th century. Some must have had real histories behind them.
There was some limitations to the old style furniture. The old style furniture was difficult to move, both because of its weight and construction. And some were designed to fit together, rather locking them in place. This old furniture can be deceiving. We noticed it still be used at very successful prep schools which achieved excellent academic results.
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We noticed quite a few schools, often the smaller boarding schools, that had the old fashioned wooden desks and benches. There were several different types of these old desks, including single and double seating arrangements and well as benches and stools. One advantage of some of these these old desks in that some had cavenous storage areas for books and boyhood possessions. The furniture was a little time capsule from schools in the early 20th century. Some must have had real histories behind them. Mant showed evidence of considerable wear, including boys carving their initils in them. The girls were less likely to do this.
There was some limitations to the old style furniture. The old style furniture was difficult to move, both because of its weight and construction. And this reflected older teaching approaches that had very fixed ideas of how the children should be arranged. Some were designed to fit together, rather locking them in place. These old desks were still quite common at prep schools in the 1980s, even financially healthy schools. And old classroom furniture can be deceiving. We noticed it still be used at very successful prep schools which achieved excellent academic results.
We noticed quite a few schools, often the smaller boarding schools, that had the old fashioned wooden desks and benches. There were several different types of these old desks, including single and double seating arrangements and well as benches and stools. The individual or double desks seem the most common, but several chools had benches and desks. Here the type of class was afactir. Benches were especilly common in science classes and labs. At some schools the individuals desks were more important because the children were less likely to whisper and be distracted. Generally speaking the prep school children re well behaved and disciplined and with small classes this was less of a problem. While they may look beaten up, there ws a certain character to these old wooden desks compared to the sterility of modern school furniture.
Storage Areas
One advantage of some of these these old desks in that some had cavenous storage areas for books and boyhood possessions. The furniture was a little time capsule from schools in the early 20th century. The contents and neatness of these storage areas tell a great deal about th individual.
Histories
Some must have had real histories behind them. Mant showed evidence of considerable wear, including boys carving their initils in them. The girls were less likely to do this. And it seems less likely for modern children to do this, in part because they were not allowed to have jnives.
Limitations
There was some limitations to the old style furniture. The old style furniture was difficult to move, both because of its weight and construction. And this reflected older teaching approaches that had very fixed ideas of how the children should be arranged. Some were designed to fit together, rather locking them in place.
Impressions
These old desks were still quite common at prep schools in the 1980s, even financially healthy schools. And old classroom furniture can be deceiving. We noticed it still be used at very successful prep schools which achieved excellent academic results.
