"Bill's Desk"

It originally belonged to Hank P., the AA who was as eager to have a book written as was Bill. Hank offered Bill space in his office in New Jersey where Bill wrote much of the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, sitting at this desk. Bill later bought the desk from Hank (who  later insisted that Bill never paid him for it; Bill refused saying he paid once but not twice). It is assumed that the desk was first placed in the main house and brought to the studio after its completion.

Cigarette burns can be seen on the top rim of the desk where Bill would put them and forget about them.

The east wall and shows a U.S. map atop Bill's filing cabinets dotted with pins charting AA's growth in through the 1960's. According to Nell Wing, the map was originally in the AA office in NYC.  She and other staff members would make a big show of placing the pins on the map when they were informed that a new group had been formed.

A photograph on the left wall is of Bill's lifelong Vermont friends, Charley Ritchie and Mark Whalon. Above it is the original "Man On The Bed" painting.

The map has recently been preserved, thanks to the Firends of Stepping Stones.  If you would like to help aid in the preservation of items such as this, click here.

The south wall in the studio contains items placed there during Bill's lifetime and some by Lois after his death. One of the items is a $25.00 Works Publishing, Inc. stock certificate which is how Bill and others hoped to finance the publication of Alcoholics Anonymous. The stock plan was unsuccessful, and the certificates later purchased back.