Dear Helaine and Joe: I purchased a house in upstate New York, and this captain's desk was in the back bedroom. What are you able to tell me about this piece? What is its value? Thank you. -- S. P.

In America, you sit on a davenport, but in England you write on one. That’s because the word has different meanings in the two countries. The davenport desk is a small writing desk with a slanted lift ...