added by
Susan Stieglitz to
Tambour (2 weeks ago)
Before tambours were invented, desks often had a panel that lowered to become the writing surface. Moving private paperwork and clutter to close up the desk was inconvenient, so a cylindrical desk was created. It had a curved lid that slid into the top of the desk. Cylindrical desks were expensive and hard to make, and the wood would warp and not close.