Bestoys Bureaux, Desks and Stools
As with all of his Bestoys products, Jim Bonaretti combined style with simplicity, utilising the latest cabinet-making techniques and fashions in his range of toys and nursery furniture.
The nursery furniture selection, and in particular the desks and bureaux, were made as straightforwardly as possible ensuring they were easy to assemble, keeping manufacturing costs low without sacrificing quality. The range of students’ desks differed considerably from the simple styles shown below to the “SPACE LINE” and “DE LUXE” Bureaux and their labour-intensive roll tops, shown on a separate page.
The nursery furniture selection, and in particular the desks and bureaux, were made as straightforwardly as possible ensuring they were easy to assemble, keeping manufacturing costs low without sacrificing quality. The range of students’ desks differed considerably from the simple styles shown below to the “SPACE LINE” and “DE LUXE” Bureaux and their labour-intensive roll tops, shown on a separate page.
c1959
In the first available catalogue, published around 1959 by S. Hoffnung, a range of 7 desks or bureaux with or without stools were listed
- “SPACE LINE” Bureau
- “IMPERIAL” Desk – with or without a map of Australia
- “SCHOOL MATE” Desk and Stool – offered plain; with a blackboard; with a map of Australia or with a blackboard and a map of Australia
- “VICTORY” Desk and Stool – offered plain or
- “AUSTRALIA VICTORY” Desk and Stool – offered with a map of Australia
- DESK and STOOL No 3
- DESK and BLACKBOARD
"IMPERIAL" Desk - c1959-1965
The “IMPERIAL” Desk was available with or without a map of Australia and had a step over the two capacious drawers that functioned as a bookshelf. It was made with a solid timber frame, painted in a tinted gloss lead-free clear lacquer. The hardboard or Masonite panels were finished in a selection of pastel shades: pink, blue, yellow or green and was supplied partially assembled to save on shipping costs. Another option was a full-colour PVC-coated map of Australia on the top with plastic beading around it to protect the edges.
The image on the left below shows the Bestoys logo on the side as a wet-application transfer. The image on the right shows the Bestoys brand as a permanent-adhesive 2-colour printed on white PVC label.
1965 was the last year the "Imperial" desk was produced.
The image on the left below shows the Bestoys logo on the side as a wet-application transfer. The image on the right shows the Bestoys brand as a permanent-adhesive 2-colour printed on white PVC label.
1965 was the last year the "Imperial" desk was produced.
"Imperial" Desk from Bestoys c1959 catalogue
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"Imperial" Desk from Bestoys 1965 catalogue, the last year this item was produced
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The first Bestoys label - wet-application transfer printed in three colours
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Early Bestoys label made of permanent self-adhesive PVC printed in two colours on white
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DESK and STOOL No 3 - to c1962
Desk and Stool No 3 from Bestoys c1959 catalogue
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Another desk was the joined DESK and STOOL No 3. It was made entirely of timber and plywood and had a sloping hinged lid covering an ample storage space. As with all of the desks offered by any manufacturer at the time, this desk also came with a plastic ink well. The finish was maple-tinted lead-free clear lacquer, sprayed, hand-sanded and sprayed again. It was supplied partially assembled and 2 per carton. It would be up to the wholesaler to break the pack if the retailer required only one desk. This item was most likely one of the first Bestoys produced from c1957 but, by 1963, it had been superseded by the more popular "School Mate" series. The cross was made by Jim Bonaretti in preparing the next Bestoys catalogue |
INKWELLS
Practically unknown to schoolchildren today, up until the 1970s children were taught to use pen and messy, unforgiving ink. Almost all of Bestoys' desks and bureaux provided a plastic inkwell for the student but, by the mid-1970s, this was discontinued. (Read more about these childhood memories on this excellent website: https://kidsofthe50sand60s.com/tag/ink/) |
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DESK and BLACKBOARD - c1959-1965
This was a simple DESK and BLACKBOARD that offered no storage space or drawers but a flat horizontal surface for doing school projects that swivelled up to a vertical blackboard.
A best seller, the folding stand was made of solid dressed radiata pine timber, undercoated, hand-sanded and finished in a semi-gloss lead-free lacquer tinted to a pastel pink or blue. Jim Bonaretti supervised the tint process making sure the shades were not harsh. The worktop was made of hardboard or Masonite applied to the top and bottom of the wooden frame. The top had a stencilled heart sprayed on it into which a large wet-application transfer was added. On the other side, the blackboard paint, too, was guaranteed to be lead-free. This item was supplied in a carton and partially assembled.
A best seller, the folding stand was made of solid dressed radiata pine timber, undercoated, hand-sanded and finished in a semi-gloss lead-free lacquer tinted to a pastel pink or blue. Jim Bonaretti supervised the tint process making sure the shades were not harsh. The worktop was made of hardboard or Masonite applied to the top and bottom of the wooden frame. The top had a stencilled heart sprayed on it into which a large wet-application transfer was added. On the other side, the blackboard paint, too, was guaranteed to be lead-free. This item was supplied in a carton and partially assembled.
Desk and Blackboard from Bestoys c1959 catalogue
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Desk and Blackboard from Bestoys 1963 catalogue. This item was produced until 1966
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"SCHOOL MATE" & "VICTORY" Desks & Stools - c1958-1985
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“SCHOOL MATE” and “VICTORY” Desks and Stools
The “SCHOOL MATE”, “VICTORY” and “AUSTRALIA VICTORY” Desks and Stools go hand-in-hand. They were introduced together, one offering a correct writing slope (remember writing slopes?) and the other a flat surface. They were compact, taking up a corner of a room yet giving the young scholar ample storage space and working surface. These desks stayed in the range, in one form or another from Bestoys' beginning in 1958 to at least 1985. |
Antique writing slope from 1860s
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1963
Three new lines were introduced between 1959 and 1963 and listed in Bestoys 1963 catalogue:
- “SENIOR GOLDEN” Desk
- “WORLD SENIOR GOLDEN” Desk - similar to the "SENIOR GOLDEN" Desk with a map of the world
- “DE LUXE” Bureau
"SENIOR GOLDEN" & "WORLD SENIOR GOLDEN" Desks - 1963-1964
This was truly a product of the sixties: sleek, minimalist and functional. It was also one of the first in which Jim Bonaretti employed the new wonder-product, Corinite, a high-pressure plastic laminated hardboard with simulated woodgrain. The desk was available with a woodgrain top or with a hard-plastic laminated map of the world and, as the names implied, the edges were finished in gold paint. Of course, they came easy to assemble in a cartoned flat pack.
By the 1965 catalogue, the "SENIOR GOLDEN" and the "WORLD SENIOR GOLDEN" Desks has been dropped and replaced by the "SENIOR" and the "WORLD SENIOR" Desks of a similar size but different construction.
By the 1965 catalogue, the "SENIOR GOLDEN" and the "WORLD SENIOR GOLDEN" Desks has been dropped and replaced by the "SENIOR" and the "WORLD SENIOR" Desks of a similar size but different construction.
"Senior Golden" and "World Senior Golden" Desks from Bestoys 1963 catalogue
1965
By 1965, the "SENIOR GOLDEN" and the "WORLD SENIOR GOLDEN" Desks had been discontinued, together with the "DE LUXE" and "SPACE LINE" Bureaux. They were replaced by these:
- “SENIOR” Desk
- “WORLD SENIOR” Desk – same as above with a map of the world.
"SENIOR" and 'WORLD SENIOR" Desks - 1965-1966
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Pretty much the same as the now discontinued "SENIOR GOLDEN" Desk range, the "SENIOR" range simplified the manufacturing process, stabilised the desk and offered more storage space beside the large, single drawer.
As with the "WORLD SENIOR GOLDEN" Desk, the "WORLD SENIOR" featured a full-colour map of the world on the top. |
"Senior" Desk from Bestoys 1965 catalogue
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"World Senior" Desk from Bestoys 1965 catalogue
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PVC EDGING was being used more and more to finish the rough and porous edges of Corinite particle board, giving a smooth and clean finish. The raw panel ends were grooved with a router and the plastic strip applied using a rubber mallet, then carefully snipped to made a neat join.
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By the following year, these, too had been discontinued. Even in a flat pack, partially assembled and cartoned, they were bulky and heavy and were easily damaged if handled roughly - these were the days before the common use of pallets and fork trucks or shipping containers - each carton would have been handled many times before reaching its final destination.
1967
With the discontinuation of the "SENIOR" and "WORLD SENIOR" Desks, a new, more economical student's desk was introduced:
- “SCHOLAR” Desk and Stool. This line proved very popular and continued to be made, with subtle changes, until 1981.
"SCHOLAR" Desk and Stool - 1967-1981
The new "SCHOLAR” Desk and Stool was introduced to offer an economical alternative to the very popular "SCHOOL MATE" and "VICTORY" ranges of desks and stools.
A basic model, trimmed of almost all embellishments, the body was made of particle board, undercoated, hand-sanded, then spray-painted in semi-gloss white lead-free lacquer. The lid and pencil rack were constructed of ¼” Corinite hardboard with a stool to match. The legs were made of ¾” tubular steel and coated in black polymer paint and fitted with swivel ferrules. As with the other desks in the range, the “Scholar” was supplied in a carton with 16 nickel-plated self-tapping screws to attach the legs to the desk and stool. The base of both the desk and the stool were punched to indicate the position of the legs.
A basic model, trimmed of almost all embellishments, the body was made of particle board, undercoated, hand-sanded, then spray-painted in semi-gloss white lead-free lacquer. The lid and pencil rack were constructed of ¼” Corinite hardboard with a stool to match. The legs were made of ¾” tubular steel and coated in black polymer paint and fitted with swivel ferrules. As with the other desks in the range, the “Scholar” was supplied in a carton with 16 nickel-plated self-tapping screws to attach the legs to the desk and stool. The base of both the desk and the stool were punched to indicate the position of the legs.
"Scholar" Desk and Stool from Bestoys 1967 catalogue
The basic "SCHOLAR" Desk and Stool featuring the new "Corinite" lid and matching stool proved an instant success offering quality at an economical price. |
"Scholar" and "De Luxe Scholar" Desk and Stool from Bestoys 1968 catalogue
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"Scholar" and "De Luxe Scholar" Desk and Stool from Bestoys 1969 catalogue
In 1968, with the success of the plain "SCHOLAR" Desk and Stool, Jim Bonaretti offered the option of chrome-plated legs, giving the basic model a touch of luxury. |
"Scholar" and "De Luxe Scholar" Desk and Stool from Bestoys 1973 catalogue
The "DE LUXE SCHOLAR" Desk and Stool remained in the range until 1977, when the chrome-plated legs were dropped. |
"Scholar" Desk and Stool from Bestoys 1978 catalogue
The "SCHOLAR" Desk and Stool was discontinued by 1982.
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1968
Wanting to cater to the preschoolers, Jim Bonaretti introduced a little desk and chair:
- “TODDLER” Deskette.
"TODDLER" Deskette - 1968-1969
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1978
With the appointment of George Wills & Co Ltd NSW as exclusive distributors, Jim Bonaretti trimmed the range of Bestoys and N.E.S.Toy products for the 1978 catalogue and offered these in the Bestoys established range:
Very little detail is available for the "STUDIO" Desk and "ELYTE" Bureau other than they were both made of Corinite and trimmed with brown PVC edging. Both were delivered unassembled. The "Studio" Desk needed to be completely assembled while the "Elyte" Bureau only needed to have the 4 Swedish-style tapered legs attached to the base.
- “SCHOOL MATE” Desk and Stool No 3 – with a PVC-coated full-colour map of Australia on the top
- “VICTORY” Desk and Stool
- “AUSTRALIA VICTORY” Desk and Stool – with a PVC-coated full-colour map of Australia on the top
- “SCHOLAR” Desk and Stool.
- "STUDIO" Desk
- "ELYTE" Bureau
Very little detail is available for the "STUDIO" Desk and "ELYTE" Bureau other than they were both made of Corinite and trimmed with brown PVC edging. Both were delivered unassembled. The "Studio" Desk needed to be completely assembled while the "Elyte" Bureau only needed to have the 4 Swedish-style tapered legs attached to the base.
"STUDIO" Desk - 1978-1982
"Studio" Desk from Bestoys 1978 catalogue
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"ELYTE" Bureau - 1978-1982
"Elyte" Bureau from Bestoys 1978 catalogue
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This is a simplified table of the years Bestoys Desks and Bureaux were introduced and discontinued.
Vintage finds
PREFACE
When Nazzareno Bonaretti arrived in Australia at the end of 1951, the few commercial manufacturers of wooden toys and nursery furniture in Australia, and in Sydney in particular, all made similar products. This pertained to desks and stools as well. The ‘standard’ style was a sloping hinged lid with a pencil rack and inkwell mounted onto a wooden box which in turn was fixed to two broad planks of pine for legs, terminating in crossbar feet with a spacer to brace the legs.
Working for Roy Waddell, Nazzareno made the same style of desk as their competitors until c1958 when he cut ties with Roy and started manufacturing as Bestoys. In his earliest catalogue – produced for S. Hoffnung & Co – the separate desk and stool was not offered but a similar version was: the ‘conjoined’ desk and stool (as can be seen above).
Despite the intervening decades, some early mid-century examples of other manufacturers’ desks have survived. Those illustrated below may or may not have been made by Nazzareno but his would have been similar…
When Nazzareno Bonaretti arrived in Australia at the end of 1951, the few commercial manufacturers of wooden toys and nursery furniture in Australia, and in Sydney in particular, all made similar products. This pertained to desks and stools as well. The ‘standard’ style was a sloping hinged lid with a pencil rack and inkwell mounted onto a wooden box which in turn was fixed to two broad planks of pine for legs, terminating in crossbar feet with a spacer to brace the legs.
Working for Roy Waddell, Nazzareno made the same style of desk as their competitors until c1958 when he cut ties with Roy and started manufacturing as Bestoys. In his earliest catalogue – produced for S. Hoffnung & Co – the separate desk and stool was not offered but a similar version was: the ‘conjoined’ desk and stool (as can be seen above).
Despite the intervening decades, some early mid-century examples of other manufacturers’ desks have survived. Those illustrated below may or may not have been made by Nazzareno but his would have been similar…
This Desk was listed on eBay in September, 2024 and is in very good condition. It has all the features of a standard Desk: applied pencil rack, inkwell hole (no inkwell) plywood lid on a wooden frame held in place with a pair of Victorian-style nickel-plated hinges. The only unusual aspect is the fitting of a keyed lock to the lid.
With thanks to the Seller and eBay. No infringement of copyright intended. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/405201141959?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=8x_tlfyhrbm&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL
With thanks to the Seller and eBay. No infringement of copyright intended. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/405201141959?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=8x_tlfyhrbm&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=EMAIL
Wooden vintage Desk listed on eBay in September, 2024
Item details of wooden vintage Desk listed on eBay in September, 2024
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Item specs for wooden vintage Desk listed on eBay in September, 2024
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Found on Facebook Marketplace in June 2024 was this Desk and Stool. Noted on this model are that hinges appear to be different from the usual Victorian-style nickel-plated ones. The lid is made with plywood fixed to the radiata pine frame, which would also have been used for the top of the stool, however this stool-top appears to be made of Laminex. These desks and stools were hardy, and many have survived their 60-plus years!
With thanks to the Seller and Facebook Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1560400612321859/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Af285841b-87aa-415d-95a6-4201b5b7d0c5
With thanks to the Seller and Facebook Marketplace: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1560400612321859/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3Af285841b-87aa-415d-95a6-4201b5b7d0c5
Vintage Wooden Desk and Stool listed on Facebook Marketplace in June 2024
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Offered on Facebook Marketplace, this wooden desk is most likely more than forty years old.
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September 2023
Very similar in style and manufacture as the Desk illustrated below left, this desk above has the applied pencil rack (rather than grooved into the board), and same Victorian style "butterfly" hinges. To bring it back to its original varnished pine timber would be a job-and-half but worth the effort - a bargain at $25.
Very similar in style and manufacture as the Desk illustrated below left, this desk above has the applied pencil rack (rather than grooved into the board), and same Victorian style "butterfly" hinges. To bring it back to its original varnished pine timber would be a job-and-half but worth the effort - a bargain at $25.
December 2022
This Desk is described as 'yellow' although it originally would have been spray painted in clear lacquer to show the pine timber's natural woodgrain. The top has an applied grooved timber pencil rack and a hole drilled to accommodate a plastic (possibly ceramic) inkwell, which would have been supplied. A timber batten is fixed to the bottom of the lid as well as the back of the top to prevent items from sliding off. The hinges are flush-mounted nickel-plated metal Victorian-style 'butterfly' design. While not very clear in the photos, the lid is most likely a sheet of plywood applied to a timber frame. The base could be either plywood or Masonite. Each end of the crossbar feet has a block of timber applied beneath it to add style and stability. The top of each end is sanded round.
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December 2022
Of the two Desks offered here, it is the single desk that is similar to that made by Nazzareno. This desk differs from the one on the left in that the pencil groove is routered into the top and retains its original inkwell. The edge of the top has an applied moulding and the lid is Masonite over a timber frame. The feet, too, differ in the blocks under the crossbar are offset, rather than flush.
The above desks may still be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/853376522347280/?hoisted=false&ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A844e3403-e84c-46e0-a467-f1fa23fe882d
The desk to the left may still be viewed here https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1336926363544489/?hoisted=false&ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A844e3403-e84c-46e0-a467-f1fa23fe882d |
Listed in February, 2023 on both eBay and Gumtree as Vintage Child's White Wooden SCHOOL DESK w Hinged Lift Up Lid & Storage Timber, this desk may or may not have been made by Bestoys around 1958 as several manufacturers made similar desks up until c1970. They shared many characteristics: drilled hole for inkwell, Victorian-style hinges, timber-framed lid with Masonite skin, wriggle nails holding the storage compartment and all made using solid radiata pine timber.
This wooden Stool was spotted in Dirty Jane's Antiques in Bowral, NSW, 12th April, 2021. It is a wooden stool very similar to those produced in the very early years of Bestoys - possibly even for R. Waddell. If it is, it was most likely manufactured before 1959. The construction of the crossbar feet is clearly seen. The beige-coloured top is a later addition. Asking price of $75.00.
Wooden Stool from Dirty Jane's Bowral - April, 2021
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