Monday, November 10, 2025
48 ° Cloudy
48 ° Cloudy
The iconic standing desk where Oscar Hammerstein II composed lyrics to timeless Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals of stage and screen was recently unveiled to the public at The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center in Doylestown. A gift from the Estate of Alice Hammerstein Mathias, Oscar’s daughter who passed away in 2015, this is the first time the desk has ever been put on view for the public.
Hammerstein family members and local dignitaries including Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, Doylestown Township Supervisor Jennifer Herring and Doylestown Borough Mayor Noni West were in attendance. The Museum was honored with citations presented by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Pennsylvania Senator Steve Santarsiero to mark the occasion.
In a statement, Santarsiero said, “I am excited to welcome Oscar Hammerstein’s standing desk to its new home at The Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center, where it will be preserved as part of Oscar’s legacy here in Bucks County. We are so fortunate to have a significant piece of musical theater history right here in Doylestown with Highland Farm. The addition of Oscar Hammerstein’s iconic standing desk not only represents the rich, local history of musical theater, but it also symbolizes creativity and the endurance of the arts over time.”
Fitzpatrick’s citation was accompanied by a flag which was flown over the United States Capitol in recognition of “the unveiling of Oscar Hammerstein II’s iconic desk and for honoring his legacy by inspiring the next generation of artists, actors and performers in Bucks County and beyond.” Presented by Kyle Melander, the district director for Congressman Fitzpatrick, Melander stated, “In Bucks County we’re so proud to have such a rich history here. This is one of the most historic places in all of America. We have Washington Crossing where one of the most pivotal moments in American history happened and we have places like this – a place that was at the heart of Broadway’s golden era.”
Will Hammerstein, Oscar’s grandson and a founding board member of the Museum, noted the immensity of the gift, saying “This is a dream of mine, going back to the beginning. I’ve told people that if you could put the house back together, if you could find every artifact that still exists out there and get them all back, if you did not have this desk, it would be a tragedy. If you had this desk and the house was nothing but bare walls, that would be great. This desk makes the house…This is truly, truly a great day and one of the proudest days of my life having played a part in getting this desk here.”
Those in attendance at the unveiling also heard from Alice Hammerstein in a video in which she describes her father working at the desk, “He never wanted to sit down and write because it was too nerve wracking for him. He walked up and down, up and down, and when he had something to write, he stood at this desk, which was waist high for him, and wrote.” In a particularly poignant moment, the audience also heard Hammerstein’s voice from the recording of an early 1960 interview, just a few months before his death on August 23, 1960.
The standing desk is now on display as part of museum tours, which take place Fridays – Mondays. Tours include riveting stories about Hammerstein’s musical family, how his groundbreaking musicals forever changed the modern-day book-musical, and additional insight into his contributions to society through his many humanitarian acts. Advance tickets are required for all tours. Tickets and information are available at www.hammersteinmuseum.org/tourinfo.
