Scottish Cabinetmakers in Federal New York


Book Description

The first full-length study of the Scottish community of craftsman in Federal New York




The Furniture of John Shearer, 1790-1820


Book Description

A full-color catalog and in-depth examination of the distinctive furniture made by pro-British carpenter and joiner John Shearer, one of the most accomplished furniture makers of the post-Revolutionary period. This publication is co-sponsored by the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts at Old Salem, the Daughters of the American Revolution Museum, and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley.




Mahogany


Book Description

Colonial Americans were enamored with the rich colors and silky surface of mahogany. As this exotic wood became fashionable, demand for it set in motion a dark, hidden story of human and environmental exploitation. Anderson traces the path from source to sale, revealing how prosperity and desire shaped not just people’s lives but the natural world.




A Cultural History of Furniture in the Age of Empire and Industry


Book Description

The 19th century in Western culture was a time of both confidence and turbulence. Industrial developments resulted in a number of benefits from a growing middle class to efficiency, convenience and innovation across a range of fields from engineering to architecture. Alongside these improvements, the century began with the extended period of the Napoleonic Wars and was further disrupted by rebellions and revolutions both within Europe and in India, South America and other parts of the world. Slavery was abolished and urbanization increased dramatically. These myriad developments were reflected throughout the period in the proliferation of types of furniture, along with their categorization as 'industrial art' at the international exhibitions and world fairs and the increasingly adventurous range of materials that were sometimes used in their construction. Nonetheless, a strong antiquarian/historicist strand also prompted interest in the revival of past styles in areas of art and design, including furniture. Drawing upon a wealth of visual and textual sources, this volume presents essays that examine key characteristics of the furniture of the period on the themes of Design and Motifs; Makers, Making, and Materials; Types and Uses; The Domestic Setting; The Public Setting; Exhibition and Display; Furniture and Architecture; Visual Representations; and Verbal Representations.




Duncan Phyfe


Book Description

"Duncan Phyfe (1770-1854), known during his lifetime as the "United States Rage," to this day remains America's best-known cabinetmaker. Establishing his reputation as a purveyor of luxury by designing high-quality furniture for New York's moneyed elite, Phyfe would come to count among his clients some of the nation's wealthiest and most storied families. This richly illustrated volume covers the full chronological sweep of the craftsman's distinguished career, from his earliest furniture-- which bears the influence of his 18th-century British predecessors Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Hope--to his late simplified designs in the Grecian Plain. More than sixty works by Phyfe and his workshop are highlighted, including rarely seen pieces from private collections and several newly discovered documented works. Additionally, essays by leading scholars bring to light new information on Phyfe's life, his workshop production, and his roster of illustrious patrons. What unfolds is the story of Phyfe's remarkable transformation from a young immigrant craftsman to an accomplished master cabinetmaker and an American icon."--Publisher's website.




American Federal Furniture and Decorative Arts from the Watson Collection


Book Description

While demonstrating the high level of artistry attained by furniture-makers of the period, this selection in many ways reflects the evolving character of domestic life in America during a seminal period in the country's history.




Honoré Lannuier, Cabinet Maker from Paris


Book Description

Although his brief but productive career as a cabinetmaker in New York lasted a mere sixteen years, the French-born maitre ebeniste Charles-Honore Lannuier (1779-1819) was a leading figure in the development of a distinctive and highly refined style of furniture in the Late Federal period. A contemporary of the renowned master Duncan Phyfe, Lannuier, like him, made fashionable gilded card tables, marble-topped pier tables, bedsteads, and seating furniture for wealthy clients numbering among the mercantile and social elite of New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, and Savannah. This volume, which complements the exhibition "Honore Lannuier, Parisian Cabinetmaker in Federal New York" held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in spring 1998, represents the most complete study of Lannuier's life and work published to date.




The Encyclopedia of New York State


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of New York State is one of the most complete works on the Empire State to be published in a half-century. In nearly 2,000 pages and 4,000 signed entries, this single volume captures the impressive complexity of New York State as a historic crossroads of people and ideas, as a cradle of abolitionism and feminism, and as an apex of modern urban, suburban, and rural life. The Encyclopedia is packed with fascinating details from fields ranging from sociology and geography to history. Did you know that Manhattan's Lower East Side was once the most populated neighborhood in the world, but Hamilton County in the Adirondacks is the least densely populated county east of the Mississippi; New York is the only state to border both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean; the Erie Canal opened New York City to rich farmland upstate . . . and to the west. Entries by experts chronicle New York's varied areas, politics, and persuasions with a cornucopia of subjects from environmentalism to higher education to railroads, weaving the state's diverse regions and peoples into one idea of New York State. Lavishly illustrated with 500 photographs and figures, 120 maps, and 140 tables, the Encyclopedia is key to understanding the state's past, present, and future. It is a crucial reference for students, teachers, historians, and business people, for New Yorkers of all persuasions, and for anyone interested in finding out more about New York State.




A Walk Through the American Wing


Book Description

The Metropolitan’s renowned American Wing is where the Museum’s unsurpassed collection of American fine and decorative art is on permanent public display, from masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and drawing to exquisite examples of the finest American furniture, silver, glass, ceramics, and textiles. This handsome volume presents an overview of the collection and provides an informative walk through the American Wing’s richly furnished period rooms and stunning architectural displays. These include the magnificent marble façade of the Branch Bank of the United States—the entrance to the original American Wing when it opened in 1924—and the restored living room of a Frank Lloyd Wright prairie-style house. The comprehensive survey of paintings and sculpture begins with early colonial portraiture and from there follows the emergence and development of a national fine-arts tradition, including significant movements and genres such as the Hudson River School, neoclassical sculpture, and American Impressionism. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.




A History of Interior Design


Book Description

A History of Interior Design tells the story of 6,000 years of domestic and public space. It’s an essential resource for students, professionals, and anyone interested in interior design, the decorative arts, architecture, and art history. It explores a broad range of styles and movements, weaving together a fascinating narrative from cave dwellings and temple architecture, through Gothic cathedrals and Islamic palaces, to modern skyscrapers and the retail spaces of the 21st-century. This fully updated fifth edition includes: More on the contributions of women designers and architects Additional coverage of furniture, product design, and decoration Numerous new examples of diverse modern styles from around the world Over 700 images, more than 300 of which are new or color replacements for black and white photos An extra final chapter focusing on the influence of the latest technology and current thinking on the importance of conservation and ethical sourcing