Mid-century Lane Acclaim Desk with Chair

A mid-century office desk from the Acclaim line of Lane Furniture, offered by Snowdrift Antiques.
 
The Lane Furniture Company was founded in Altavista, VA in 1912. For decades they were known for their cedar chests. By 1950 they saw Danish modern furniture imports begin to take hold in households. The Acclaim line of Lane furniture was one of their first and probably their most recognizable foray into this market. The Acclaim line is often called “the dovetail collection” for its striking use of oak, walnut, elm and fruit woods to create a non-functional but highly decorative and contrasting dovetail look. This line was designed by Andre Bus and introduced in 1958 and produced through the very early 1970s.
 
Lane went to extreme lengths to make sure the wood chosen for Acclaim furniture was of the highest quality.
 
~ Original Lane Acclaim advertisement~
“The inlaid dovetailed border. The warm, rich, seasoned walnut. The satiny finish only hand-rubbing can achieve! One after another, custom details you’ll see in every beautiful Acclaim table by Lane! And underneath it all – craftsmanship where it counts! In the sturdy top that won’t warp, won’t split. In joinings, locked to a grown-together fit. In legs so exact, so firmly planted, there’s no rock, no wobble, no place for it to start! Indeed the proudest cabinetmaker might have made this table. But never at anything near the modest Lane price you pay!”
 
This Lane Acclaim desk is Model 900-45 and was called “Kneehole Desk”, to differentiate it from the smaller version with drawers only on one side. Its serial number underneath the pencil drawer tells us it was built on September 19, 1963. It features 3 regular depth drawers on the left side.  On the right is a regular depth drawer on top and a double depth drawer below that. In the middle is a shallow pencil drawer.
 
Since this specific desk was made in 1963, it has the beautifully sculpted metal drawer handles. After 1963 these were replaced with recessed handles, probably for economic reasons. Lane Acclaim desks in general are hard to find. This model, 900-45 desk with the metal handles, is very difficult to find.  It was only made for 6 years.
 
It measures 50 ½” wide by 23 deep by 29 ¼ high. It is finished on the back which allows it face out into a room and still look beautiful. 
 
This desk is in excellent vintage condition. To relieve it from decades of Colorado dryness, it has been oiled.  On the bottom right, inside by the knee-hole, there is a ¾ inch nick to the drawer edge veneer.  See image 10. 
 
This is a beautifully done, very hard to find piece that would be perfect in a mid-century office.