A Gustavian Style Crème-Painted Secretary

20th Century

The upper case with step-molded crown over two paneled doors opening to shallow shelving, the lower case with fall-front opening to fitted interior atop two short drawers and two long drawers.

Height 91 3/8 x width 59 1/8 x depth 15 5/8 inches.

From the Collection of Nelson R. DeMille

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Size
Height 91 3/8 x width 59 1/8 x depth 15 5/8 inches.

Condition
Overall with some scattered age and construction cracks as expected; scattered nicks, chips and losses commensurate with age and use. The paint decoration with distressed finish including areas of rubbing and flaking revealing bare wood beneath. The drawers a little sticky. With one key. Overall good, sturdy condition, ready to place.Dimensions of the upper case:Height 50 1/8 x width 59 1/8 x depth 11 5/8 inches; depth of the interior shelves 6 inches.Dimensions of the lower case:Height 42 1/4 x width 53 1/4 x depth 15 5/8 inches (closed).

Provenance
Freeman’s is honored to present the private collection of the celebrated novelist Nelson R. DeMille. A proud Long Island resident and U.S. Army veteran, DeMille’s first major novel, By the Rivers of Babylon, was published in 1978 and over the following decades, he authored more than thirty novels and short stories. His celebrated John Corey series, launched with Plum Island in 1997, became a mainstay of modern thriller fiction, while The General’s Daughter achieved additional acclaim through its major film adaptation starring John Travolta.Warm, incisive, and unfailingly generous with his time, DeMille was an active and beloved presence within the Authors Guild community for more than forty years and served as president of the Mystery Writers of America. An advocate to all, his passing marked the loss of not only a master storyteller, but a tireless mentor and champion of writers’ and their rights.The collection presented here reflects the discernment, curiosity, and richly lived life of a man whose stories defined a genre. We are pleased to offer collectors this unique opportunity to acquire works from the personal world of Nelson R. DeMille—objects that accompanied one of America’s great literary voices throughout a remarkable career.We invite you to explore these pieces—not merely as objects of provenance, but as elements of a distinctive story: the life and legacy of Nelson R. DeMille.