What is the difference between a secretaire and a bureau?

A bureau typically has a sloping fall front that rests at an angle when closed. You look at it and instantly know it functions as a desk. A secretaire disguises its purpose. The writing section sits behind a vertical panel that looks just like a top drawer until you drop it down.

The brass hinges holding the writing surface on mine seem a bit stiff when I try to open the front compartment, should I oil them?

Go easy with modern oils. They often attract dust and grit, which eventually forms a grinding paste inside the moving parts of the brassware. A tiny drop of light machine oil on a cotton swab is usually enough. Work the hinge back and forth gently. If the quadrant hinges are bent, oil will not solve the problem.

Can the interior pigeonholes be removed?

Most fitted interiors are built as a single structural unit. They slide into the carcase from the front during construction. Taking them out means dismantling the backboards. It is rarely worth the disruption.

I have noticed that the leather insert on the drop down writing section is splitting along the fold line, is there a way to stop it getting worse?

Leather naturally dries out and turns brittle over the decades. The fold takes the brunt of the stretching every time the desk is opened and closed. You can apply a conservation-grade leather dressing to the flat surfaces to restore some moisture. Once the fibres on the crease begin to split, the damage is structural. Most dealers leave it alone until a full replacement is strictly necessary.

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Antique Secretaires

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An antique secretaire is essentially a chest of drawers or bookcase that conceals a disguised, drop-down front opening to reveal a fitted writing surface and an arrangement of small pigeonholes.