9 Famous Faces Who Have Used Standing Desks: Here's Why You Should, Too
Fiona Li
Leonardo da Vinci painted the world-famous Mona Lisa in 1503. Virginia Woolf was a pioneer of feminist texts in the early 1900s. Winston Churchill led the British to victory in World War 2. What do an artist, an author, and a prime minister all have in common? (Hint: Our title may have given it away.)
These influential figures were all known to work from sit-stand desks! Many of their greatest accomplishments were achieved while working from an adjustable desk. Have you switched over to a height adjustable, electric standing desk yet?
These gifted individuals understood the benefits of having an adjustable home office desk, with the ability to alternate from a sitting to standing position. They recognized the advantages of standing desks, and how they increase productivity and can benefit your health.
From unique desktop setups, home office space design to personal tips on how to work efficiently, ergonomically, and productively— EFFYDESK has gathered what some of the most famous faces throughout history have suggested through their use of a sit stand desk below.
A Tall Desk? A Telescope Desk?
The standing desk is by no means a new invention. The earliest model of the standing desk was popularized by Thomas Jefferson, the POTUS from 1801-1809, over 210 years ago! This was a six-legged “tall desk,” which he used to work on architectural designs. Politicians, inventors, scientists, and artists alike have been reaping the benefits of standing desks for over two centuries!
Many world leaders followed along and worked standing up, like UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Prussian Prime Minister Otto von Bismark. (Churchill lived to be 90 years old--clearly he was doing something right!)
In 1883, Popular Science Monthly described a “telescope desk” as the solution for desk workers’ ailments: “Book-keepers, entry clerks, authors, and editors should at once get a standing desk”. Why? combating desk job workers’ overly-sedentary lifestyles and indigestion. To this day, desk workers from around the globe are still trading in their seated desks, for adjustable desks.
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Here’s what a satisfied EFFYDESK customer had to say about the switch to adjustable desks in the office:
“I strongly recommend EFFYDESK as an office solution.
After receiving our very first standing desk for our receptionist, the EFFYDESK became the rage. All our employees wanted to covert their sitting desks to a sit-stand desk.
We have over 13 desks now and our office has definitely increased in morale.
We will continue purchasing from EFFYDESK”
- Yuri Laus, HR Manager, Fintech Ventures Group
EFFYDESK is Canada’s leading retailer of ergonomic desks and accessories. We can help you transform your home or corporate office workspace, too!
Presidents and Artists and Scientists--oh my!
World leaders, authors, and scientists get their blood and creative juices flowing by working from adjustable desks.
Virginia Woolf (Mrs. Dalloway) and Lewis Carroll (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) were known to write (and type) standing up. Modern-day screenwriters have traded in their typewriters for computers, and adjustable desks have evolved to accommodate these changes, with new features like attachable monitor mounts to support dual-screen desktops. Charles Dickens was known to use a standing desk. As a visitor to his office wrote, his office had “books all round, up to the ceiling and down to the ground; a standing desk at which he writes; and all manner of comfortable easy chairs.”
Ernest Hemingway was another famous figure who used a standing desk in his office. A 1958 interview with Hemingway revealed that his work habits involved standing while he wrote. In fact, he even created his own version of an anti-fatigue mat for his feet! The combination of soft loafers for his feet and with an antelope skin rug on the floor ensured that he could work and stand in comfort. Today there is no need for an expensive, animal hide rug, instead get yourself an anti-fatigue mat, for maximum comfort.
Another famous standing-desk user was Benjamin Franklin, founding father and inventor. Ever seen a lightning rod on a building or used a pair of bifocal glasses? Those were invented by Franklin--probably while he was at his standing desk!
Ready to Stand with these Famous Faces? EFFYDESK is Here to Help!
At EFFYDESK — we design, mould, and deliver the best Electric Standing Desk for professional or personal use. Our award-winning ergonomic office chairs ensure that office workers are protected against desk job damage, and are well-equipped to maximize efficiency and morale in the workplace — wherever that may be for you.
Browse our signature Standing Desks, Office Chairs and Monitor Mounts designed to boost workplace productivity, so you can get more done, more comfortably. For local Vancouver customers: EFFYDESK offers fast and reliable installations, too! Claim your 30-day free trial today.
To learn more about EFFYDESK’s products and services, be sure to check out our FAQ page or browse the blog archive for other helpful articles on ergonomics in the workplace.