Vintage Steelmaster Streamliner Steel Desk Letter Tray, c. 1975–1995
Viridian Eclection
The Piece
A single tier desk letter tray in pressed steel, finished in the warm putty enamel that American office equipment wore for forty years. The pan is drawn in one piece with a rolled lip, the back wall rises straight, and the front sweeps down in a long shallow curve so a hand can reach a sheet without lifting the stack. The sides carry the same curve, which is the detail that gives the model its name.
The underside is formed steel with folded and spot welded corners, pierced at each end for the posts that let trays of the same pattern stack into a column. The maker name is embossed into the metal at the back, and a silver foil label is applied beneath.
History & Provenance
The embossing reads Streamliner Desk Trays from Steelmaster. The foil label beneath names Atapco Office Products Group of 12312 Olive Boulevard, Suite 400, St. Louis, Missouri, lists the rest of the range, and is marked made in the United States of America.
Steelmaster is one of the long running names in American office steel, the brand under which index card boxes, cash and bond boxes, vertical and horizontal organisers and desk trays were sold to offices from the middle of the twentieth century. The Streamliner pattern, with its swept front and stackable posts, is a direct descendant of the streamlined industrial design that American manufacturers adopted in the 1930s and then kept selling long after the style itself had passed, because the shape genuinely worked.
The label is the dating evidence and it is worth reading carefully. It carries a toll free number in the 1-800 format and a suite address for a named corporate group rather than a factory address. Toll free consumer numbers of that kind came into general use on American consumer packaging from the late 1970s, became standard through the 1980s, and a vanity number spelling the company name is later still. The label therefore places this particular tray well after the pattern was introduced, in the later decades of its production run rather than at the beginning.
Product Details
| Era | c. 1975–1995. The Streamliner pattern itself is considerably older, but this example is dated by its label rather than by its shape. The applied foil label carries a 1-800 vanity telephone number and a corporate suite address for Atapco Office Products Group, conventions that entered American consumer packaging from the late 1970s and became standard through the 1980s, so this tray belongs to the later part of the pattern's long production |
| Maker | Steelmaster, Atapco Office Products Group, St. Louis, Missouri. Made in the United States of America |
| Pattern | Streamliner, with swept front and sides and stacking posts |
| Material | Pressed steel with baked enamel finish |
| Form | Single tier letter tray, stackable with others of the same pattern |
| Marks | Streamliner Desk Trays from Steelmaster embossed into the steel, applied silver foil Atapco label beneath |
| Dimensions | Approximately 13 in. wide by 9 in. deep by 2.5 in. high |
| Condition | Good working condition. Enamel sound overall with light scratching and scuffing on the base and minor marks consistent with desk use. No rust, dents or distortion noted. Label present and legible |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
Office steel has become one of the most reliable ways to give a room some backbone. Against wood, brass and paper the putty enamel reads as quiet and industrial rather than decorative, and it makes everything you put in it look intentional. Use it as it was meant to be used for mail and papers, or press it into service on a kitchen counter for post, in a studio for sheet material, or on a shelf for whatever wants corralling. It is also the rare vintage object that costs nothing to live with, since it cleans with a damp cloth and will outlast anything plastic you might buy instead.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
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