Older than I thought

Turns out I had the history of the desk wrong.  I was speaking with my mother last night, and it was my other grandfather who worked for the post office, my father's father was a book keeper (in my defence both passed when I was pretty young :)), and the desk was purchased used for my father.

 I know now that it was definitely purchased used as my father was born in 1939, and on the bottom side of the middle drawer I found the manufacturer's information.  It was made by the Office Specialty Manufacturing company, and is a Office Specialty System desk.  I started searching on-line and the first bit of information I found was an advertisement in the Montreal Gazette from 1913.  The second article I found was a history of the Office Specialty Manufacturing company.  Usually when I find these they're historical stubs, in this case it was a historical background by the company itself.

Amazingly the company still exists.  They're now known as Inscape and are still in the business of selling office furniture.  So if you want some office furniture you know will last they may be your guys.

I contacted their information mailbox with a few questions, and received a very nice and quick response:

Good Morning Kevin:

Thank you for your wonderful email regarding your Office Specialty desk.  Office Specialty has been in business since 1888. Imagine, 124 years now.  We manufactured wood products up to 1954.  We then started manufacturing all steel products.  All of our wood desks were made of quarter-cut oak, walnut or mahogany.  110 was built approx 1920.  Do be so careful in restoring and keeping these numbers for value and antique reasons.  So your unit is around 100 years old.  I receive emails from all over the world and it is so exciting to know where they all end up.  I would appreciate knowing where you are from Kevin.  Would also very much appreciate a picture of your desk for my files.

110 is the serial number of my desk.  Turns out the desk is about thirty years older than I'd thought!