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Bibliography of Books about Furniture, Cabinetmaking & Cabinetmakers

Welcome to our Furniture Bibliography web pages. These pages include books we have sold over the last decade, as well as other entries, and they are updated on a regular basis. If you see a book listed here you would like to locate, please let us know. We have a printed catalog of currently-available books available; if you would like a free copy, please email us.

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currently for sale from our stock, click here


Bookcase Five: M-P


MacDonald, William H. Central New Jersey Chairmaking of the Nineteenth Century. Published by the author: 1959. A scarce title, not located by Semowich, although 3 closely-related off-prints on which this is based are listed there. A short but detailed study which includes much information on individual makers and workshops. Quite uncommon. Softcover. 6.25x9, 59 pages, 12 b/w plates.

MacDonald-Taylor, Margaret. A Dictionary of Marks. Ceramics - Metalwork - Furniture. The Identification Handbook for Antique Collectors. New York; Hawthorne Books: 1968. 5th prtg. A standard guide, perhaps most useful for its section on English and French furniture makers' marks, and tapestry marks. The metals section includes English silver and gold marks, Sheffield plate marks, British and American pewter marks, and American silversmiths' marks. Hardcover. 6"x9", 318 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

MacLaren, George. Nova Scotia Furniture. Halifax; Petheric Press: 1969. A handy short survey of 18th and 19th century pieces, with some labels illustrated, and a list of identified cabinetmakers. Softcover. 9"x6", b/w and line illustrations.

Macquoid, Percy. A History of English Furniture -Age of Oak; Age of Walnut; Age of Mahogany; Age of Satinwood. London; published by the Medici Society in conjunction with Lawrence & Bullen, Ltd.: 1925. First Edition. A later edition was published in 1938, and the Antique Collector's Club published an inferior reprint in the 1980s. Why inferior? Because the brilliance and power of the full-page color plates simply cannot be captured by modern reprinting methods. The plates are based on watercolors by Shirley Slocombe, and reproduce the depth and richness of the woods and the brilliance of the upholstery better than any color photograph of the time could have done. This massive and influential work divides the evolution of English furniture into four periods, the earliest being the "Age of Oak" (1500-1660) that period when the Gothic gave way to the Renaissance; this is followed by the period of 1660-1720, when the influences of the Restoration and the Dutch Schools were melded into a distinctly English spirit in the "Age of Walnut"; the third period, running from 1720 to 1770 saw the introduction of French taste and is dubbed "The Age of Mahogany", followed by the years 1770-1820, when a classical mania swept the land and stylists adopted what Macquoid refers to as "a curiously unbalanced taste" -the Age of Satinwood. Macquoid's massive four-volume set is illustrated with hundreds of b/w illustrations as well as the previously noted color plates. An exhaustive and instructive study, which is still much admired today. Hardcover. 4 volumes, all 11.5"x15", with hundreds of b/w illustrations throughout; Volume 1- 243 pages plus 15 color plates; Volume 2- 247 pages, plus 15 color plates; Volume 3- 271 pages plus 15 color plates; Volume 4- 260 pages, plus 15 color plates.

Macquoid, Percy. A History of English Furniture. London; Bracken Books: 1988. Hardcover. 10"x14", 416 pages, 900 illustrations, 60 in color; dj.

Madigan, Mary J. (ed.). Early American Furniture from Settlement to City. Aspects of form, style and regional design from 1620 to 1830. New York; Art & Antiques: 1983. A selection of articles from Art & Antiques magazine. Includes "Early New England Joinery" by Trent; "The Upholsterer's Art" by Cooper; "Country Chippendale" by Schwartz; "Connecticut Blockfront Design" by Myers; "Georgia Piedmont Furniture" by Green; an Hardcover. 9"x12", 160 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Madigan, Mary J. (ed.). Nineteenth Century Furniture. Innovation, Revival and Reform. New York; Art & Antiques: 1982. A collection of articles which have appeared in Art & Antiques magazine on a variety of 19th century furniture styles, including the various Victorian revival styles such as Rococo, Egyptian, etc., and Arts & Crafts, Empire, Art Nouveau and more. Hardcover. 9"x12", 160 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Madigan, Mary Jean Smith. Eastlake-Influenced American Furniture, 1870-1890. Yonkers; Hudson River Museum: 1974. An important loan exhibition, featuring examples from many noted public institutions as well as private collectors, including Joseph Butler and David Hanks. The first exhibition of American-made, Eastlake-style furniture. Softcover. 8.5"x11", about 80 pages, b/w illustrations.

Makinson, Randell L. Greene & Greene. Furniture and Related Designs. Santa Barbara; Peregrine Smith: 1979. A well illustrated reference to the furniture of these California Arts & Crafts architects and designers; this is the companion to a volume on Greene & Greene's architecture, and is of more immediate interest to some of us as it is far easier to collect chairs than houses. Softcover. 9.5"x9.5", 161 pages, b/w and some color illustrations; bibliography.

Malahide Castle, Malahide Co., Dublin. The Property of the Late The Lord Talbot de Malahide, C.M.G. Dublin; Keane Mahony Smith/London; Christie, Manson & Woods: May 10-12, 1976. The auction sale of the fantastic accumulated contents of this ancient castle; this was Part One of the sale, Part Two consisted of the library. This portion included fine Irish, English and Continental furniture and, most notably, the famous 'Boswell Cabinet', a Flemish 17th Century chest in which Boswell stored his papers. In the 1920s, sight unseen, the great bookseller Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach cabled a bid of 50,000 pounds for the contents of the cabinet, an offer which was indignantly refused. Softcover. 7.5"x9.5", 223 pages, 1,258 lots, plus 1 color and 81 b/w plates.

Manwaring, Robert. The Cabinet and Chair-Maker's Real Friend and Companion, or the Whole System of Chair-Making Made Plain and Easy. London; Alec Tiranti Ltd.: 1970. A facsimile of the 1765 edition of this important illustrated guide for the cabinetmaker of fancy chairs. Some of the designs represent the ultimate in Baroque and Rococo excess. Hardcover. 6"x9", 3 pages of text plus 40 b/w plates, dj.

Margon, Lester. Masterpieces of American Furniture 1620-1840. New York; Architectural Book Publishing Co.: 1965. An interesting study which describes and discusses the aesthetics of 100 masterworks of American furniture, and provides 50 scale drawings as a means of better appreciating their details and proportions. A good eye-training exercise book, along with Sack. Hardcover. 8.5"x11",150 b/w and line illustrations, dj.

Marsh, Moreton. The Easy Expert in Collecting and Restoring American Antiques. Philadelphia; J.B. Lippincott: 1959. One of the most popular guides to construction and finishing techniques for furniture, along with detailed information on the tools and techniques needed to restore it without making a hash of the job or doing something you'll regret later... Read first, sand later. Hardcover. 7"x10", 176 pages, 155 b/w and line illustrations, dj.

Massobrio, Giovanna & Paolo Portoghesi. Casa Thonet. Storia dei mobili legno curvato. Editori Laterza:1980. A very well illustrated, interesting study of Thonet and his furniture, including hundreds of reproductions of original catalog pages, photographs of period interiors, and modern illustrations. 8.5"x10", 415 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Mayer, Lance & Gay Myers. The Devotion Family. The Lives and Possessions of Three Generations in Eighteenth-Century Connecticut. New London; Lyman Allyn Art Museum: 1991. An interesting exhibition featuring 8 period portraits as well as a number of pieces of furniture and some silver, linens, books, etc. Softcover. 8"x10", 64 pages, 25 b/w illustrations.

Mayes, L.J. The History of Chairmaking in High Wycombe. London; Routledge & Kegan Paul:1960. "The prosperity of High Wycomb through the rigors of the industrial revolution was preserved by a small industry that had established itself almost unnoticed -chairmaking. Chairmaking...absorbed all the local labour force. L.J. Mayes has traced the history of this industry in absorbing detail. By means of recorded interviews with craftsmen and employers he has given his book an unusual vividness". 6.5"x10", 174 pages, 32 b&w plates, dj.

Maynard, Ross H. An Early American Queen Anne Escritoire, 1715-1730. Privately printed for the author by D.B. Updike at the Merrymount Press: 1929. Edition limited to 200 copies. Maynard owned this distinctive piece; he asked Carl G. Beede to write the poetical, if slightly overawed essay describing it. The piece was subsequently purchased by John H. Gunther of York, Maine, and sold at the dispersal of his important collection in 1960. An uncommon early American furniture monograph. Semowich 898. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 10 pages of text plus 5 gravure plates.

McBrien, Johanna. The Furniture Craft Community of Portsmouth, New Hampshire 1798-1837. Johanna McBrien: 1996 / Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints: 2004. A dissertation submitted to the University of Delaware Winterthur Program. The author worked with Brock Jobe on the landmark book "Portsmouth Furniture", and amassed a large amount of material on Portsmouth cabinetmakers and allied craftsmen of the Federal and early Empire eras that was condensed and appeared as an essay in that book. This thesis represents a fuller examination of the subject. Hardcover. 6.5"x8.5", 302 pages; very poor b/w reproductions of photographs; a reprint from the original microfilm.

McClelland, Nancy. Duncan Phyfe and the English Regency 1795-1830. New York; William R. Scott: 1939. Trade edition, limited to 1350 copies. This remains the standard work on Phyfe although, in common with many early works, some attributions have been changed over the years. McClelland is especially valuable for tracing "the English background of Phyfe's work and in placing his shops' production in the context of his competitors, both in New York City and elsewhere" -Ames & Ward. Semowich 488. Hardcover. 9"x12.5", 364 pages, 295 b/w illustrations.

McClelland, Nancy. Duncan Phyfe and the English Regency 1795-1830. New York; William R. Scott: 1939. Limited edition of 350 signed, numbered copies in Regency cloth. There was also a trade edition, limited to 1350 copies. This remains the standard work on Phyfe although, in common with many early works, some attributions have been changed over the years. McClelland is especially valuable for tracing "the English background of Phyfe's work and in placing his shop's production in the context of his competitors, both in New York City and elsewhere" (Ames & Ward). Hardcover. 9"x12.5", 364 pages, 295 b/w illustrations; bound in Regency-design cloth.

McClelland, Nancy. Duncan Phyfe and the English Regency 1795-1830. New York; Dover Publications: 1980. A reprint of the original 1939 edition. This remains the standard work on Phyfe although, in common with many early works, some attributions have been changed over the years. McClelland is especially valuable for tracing "the English background of Phyfe's work and in placing his shops' production in the context of his competitors, both in New York City and elsewhere" (Ames & Ward). Softcover. 6.5"x9", 364 pages, 295 b/w illustrations.

McClinton, Katherine Morrison. Art Deco. A Guide for Collectors. New York; Clarkson N. Potter: 1973. 2nd ptg. One of the first modern guides to Art Deco collectibles, and still one of the best, with chapters on furniture, rugs & textiles, clocks lighting, ceramics, glass, silver, metals, graphics, jewelry and kitsch. You are not only buying a reference work here, but sharing in Katherine Morrison McClinton's deep knowledge and appreciation of the subject. McClinton, under her maiden name Kahle, had written one of the first American books on French Art Deco, "Modern French Decoration", in 1930. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 278 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

McGiffin, Robert F., Jr. Furniture Care and Conservation. Nashville; The American Association for State and Local History: 1983. A scholarly study of the subject, written for museum professionals, but with much good information for the collector or dealer. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 233 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

McIntosh, John Geddes [& Ach. Livache]. The Manufacture of Varnishes, Oil Crushing, Refining and Boiling and Kindred Industries. London; Scott, Greenwood & Co.: 1899. "Describing the manufacture and chemical and physical properties of spirit varnishes and oil varnishes; raw materials; resins; solvents and colouring principles; drying oils, their extraction, properties and applications; oil refining and boiling; the manufacture, employment and testing of various varnishes. Translated from the French of Ach. Livache [and] greatly expanded and adapted to English practice with numerous original recipes". Hardcover. 6"x9", vii + 403 + 16 pages of publisher's advertisements.

Meister, Peter W Das Schone Mobel im Lauf der Jahrhunderte Heidelburg: Keyersche Verlagbuchandlung, 1958. b&w ills.

Menzhausen, Joachim, et al. Barock und Klassik, Kunstzentren des 18. jahrhunderts in der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. Schallaburg 1984. Wien; No. Landesmuseums:1984. A massive exhibition of Baroque and Neoclassical arts in Germany. This includes architecture, paintings, prints, sculpture, glass, ceramics, furniture, as well as some gold & silverwork, coins, medals, maps, books, bindings, manuscripts, and more. 8.5"x9", 429 pages, hundreds of b&w and some color illustrations, softcover.

Mercer, Eric. Furniture 700-1700. New York; Meredith Press: 1969. A well illustrated and written study of early furniture and its development to the end of the 17th century. One of the better modern books to include a strong section on Medieval furniture. Hardcover. 7.5"x9.5", 183 pages, 16 color plates and 187 b/w illustrations, dj; annotated; bibliography.

Mercer, Henry C. Ancient Carpenter's Tools. Together with Lumberman's, Joiner's and Cabinet Maker's Tools in use in the Eighteenth Century. Doylestown; Bucks County Historical Society / Horizon Press: 1975. 5th edition. A very important study of woodworking tools, illustrating early tools and describing how they were used. Do not misunderstand the word "ancient". As Mercer pointed out, most of these tools were used from ancient times right through the 18th century. What can one say about Henry C. Mercer, except that he was exactly the right man to write this study? Architect, founder of the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, historian, collector, archeologist, student of craftsmanship and its tools... he began collecting old tools in 1897 while rummaging through an old barn, and would eventually write this book, the Bible on joinery tools, as well as an important book on cast-iron stoves. He would also design and build his own castle ("Fonthill") and tool museum; today the Mercer Museum houses 50,000 tools and artifacts. This is an indispensable work. Hardcover. 7"x10", 339 pages, b/w illustrations.

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Baltimore Federal Furniture in the American Wing. New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1972. A short exhibition catalog with short essays on the Baltimore style and Federal Baltimore, and illustrations of 4 pieces, plus detail shots. Semowich 892. Softcover. 7"x9", 20 pages, b/w illustrations.

[Metropolitan Museum of Art Collections] Furniture, Works of Art and Decorative Objects [and] Paintings of the XVI-XIX Century [and] Objets de Vertu in Gold and Enamel, Chess Sets, Paintings, Arms & Armor, Metalwork [and] Arms and Armor, Renaissance Sculptures, Bronzes, Majolica... from the Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: March 22-24th, 27-28th, October 24-26th, and November 15-16th, 1956. Sales 1661, 1662, 1701, 1708. Like many museums, the Met accumulates many items that duplicate material they already have or of which they have better examples, and every so often some are reviewed by the curatorial staff and then sent to auction. These four sales encompassed a wide variety of antiques. The silver and furniture included many American examples, including furniture which had been in the Girl Scout Exhibition, pieces which had been illustrated in noted reference books such as Lockwood, and items that came from noted collections including that of Judge Bolles, and yet it was all still dulplicative... a nice problem to have, indeed. Softcover. 4 vols. 6.25"x9.5", 137 + 49 + 116 + 87 pages; 666 + 161 + 613 + 458 lots; b/w illustrations.

Michael, George. George Michael's Treasury of Federal Antiques. New York; Hawthorne Books: 1972. You know, I almost didn't buy this book, as it is a "survey" type I usually avoid, but the Federal era is such a great period in American decorative arts I could not resist. Hopefully someone will agree with me. Hardcover. 7"x10", 235 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

Miller, Edgar G., Jr. American Antique Furniture. A Book for Amateurs. Baltimore; Lord Baltimore Press: 1937. The desirable original Lord Baltimore Press edition of this classic text. Perhaps classic collection of pictures is a better description, as what Miller set out to do was create an encyclopedic survey of American furniture forms and styles down to "about 1840". In this he succeeded, drawing heavily on many private collections in the Baltimore area as well as other archives. Ames & Ward notes that the Dover softcover reprint of this set has given it a long shelf-life, "longer than it perhaps deserves", but even they admit that it retains its usefulness as a pictorial resource. Semowich notes that "it is still considered a standard reference book", whose "usefulness lies in its photographs", and Homer Eaton Keyes, editor of the Magazine Antiques, praised the book in its Foreword as a good tool to acquiring "the fundamental knowledge essential to a correct stylistic analysis of any reasonably pure example of old-time American furniture". Keyes went on to tackle one problem with all the pictorial surveys of the era in one of his better flights of literary fancy, noting that "Not without some guile, I believe, Mr. Miller parades a thoroughly democratic furniture group in which high aristocrats of cabinetmaking consort amicably with honest bourgeois types, and even an occasional upstart of uncertain lineage and doubtful integrity is tolerated if his outward demeanor conforms to a certain accepted minimum of propriety". Nutting has been criticized for the same failing, but not in such velvet-trimmed words. Semowich 1409. Hardcover. 2 volumes. 8.5"x11", 1,114 pages, 2,115 b/w illustrations.

Miller, V. Isabelle. Furniture by New York Cabinetmakers, 1650-1860. New York; Museum of the City of New York: 1956. An interesting catalog of a major loan exhibition, with 41 of the 144 exhibited pieces illustrated. Semowich 1038. Softcover. 6"x9", 84 pages, b/w illustrations.

Milley, John C. (ed.). Treasures of Independence. Independence National Historical Park and Its Collections. New York; Main Street Press / Mayflower: 1980. The art, furnishings and decorations, with essays by Jane Bentley Kolter, Charles G. Dorman, and others. Hardcover. 9"x11.5", 223 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Mills, John F. & John M. Mansfield. The Genuine Article. The making and unmasking of fakes and forgeries. London; British Broadcasting Corporation: 1979. A good general guide to fake antiquities, ceramics, coins, documents, furniture, jewelry, paintings, scientific instruments, sculpture and stamps which often, quite helpfully, illustrates genuine and spurious articles side by side. It was based on a BBC television series. Hardcover. 6"x9", 240 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

Miner, Jennie Bell. The Chinese Influence on Chippendale Furniture. Chicago: 1924/Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints. An analysis of the sources of Chippendale's designs. A dissertation submitted to the University of Chicago in 1924. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 65 pages, muddy b/w and line illustrations; a reprint from microfilm, with consequent degradation of b/w photos.

Minhinnick, Jeanne. Early Furniture in Upper Canada Village, 1800-1837. Toronto; The Ryerson Press:1964. "The furniture and accessories of Upper Canada Village, collected under the supervision of Jeanne Minhinnick, recreate an impression of everyday life in a small village of eastern Ontario in the period from 1800 to 1837." 6"x9", 43 pages, b&w illustrations, softcover.

[Mirrors] Some Heirloom Mirrors. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. July, 1926. A short article surveying the evolution of mirror forms.

Mitchell, Paul & Lynn Roberts. A History of European Picture Frames. London; Paul Mitchell / Merrell Holberton: 1996. A wide ranging, well illustrated, and very informative study, the result of 20 years work by these frame specialists. Chapters are included covering Italy, France, Britain, the Netherlands & Belgium, Germany & Central Europe, Scandinavia, and Spain. Hardcover. 9"x11", 136 pages, b/w and line illustrations, dj.

Monaco, Domenico. Specimens from the Naples Museum. Naples; 1889. This survey of ancient Roman arts in the Naples Museum, almost all of them from Pompeii or Herculaneum, includes silver and glass, domestic metalware of all types and descriptions, fancy and household, lighting devices, cameos and jewelry, dress and hair ornaments, as well as ceramics, furniture, statuary, wall paintings and sculpture. Monaco was the Curator of the Museum, and notes- "this edition has been carefully revised for me by Mr. Neville Rolfe, who so kindly prepared the last English Edition of my Handbook to the Museum, and at his suggestion I have inserted from the best authorities a summary of the various legends and historical facts connected with the plates, which cannot but make the work instructive as well as entertaining". Indeed. Hardcover. 9"x12", 31 pages of letterpress text by E. Neville Rolfe, plus 168 engraved plates.

Monkhouse, Christopher P. & Thomas S. Michie. American Furniture in Pendleton House. Providence; Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design: 1986. First edition. Charles Pendleton was one of a group of pioneering collectors of Americana which included Marsden Perry, George Palmer, Thomas B. Clarke, and of course, Luke Vincent Lockwood. He was depicted in Eben Howard Gay's "A Chippendale Romance" in the person of Mr. Remington, a premiere collector of American Chippendale furniture, a "man of middle age and serious aspect, (with) the ferret-like nose of the antiquarian, and a sonorous voice whose tones deepened into thrilling vibrations when discoursing upon his pet hobby.". His pet hobby soon became a business, and he became one of the first of the major Americana collector/dealers. His premier collection was one of the first to be presented to an institution, and a specially designed house was built to hold it. A leader of the "scrape and refinish" school, his star became somewhat eclipsed in the decades after his death, but this cannot obscure the beauty and importance of the magnificent collection he built. A full account of his life and collecting is presented in this catalog, which presents the American furniture from the collection, and includes pieces bought since Pendleton's death. Softcover. 9"x12", 228 pages, many b/w and several color illustrations.

Monrocq Fr. Le Peintre en Decors - Marbres. Paris; no date (ca.1900). A fine set of 8 brilliant color plates of marbleized surfaces, illustrating breche de medoux; breche violette; griotte de sost; rose; campan vert; paonazzo; breche portor; and campan melange. This was the third of 3 marble sample books issued as part of the "Bibliotheque du Peintre en Batimens" series, as advertised on the final page of this booklet. Uncommon. Softcover. 11.5"x7", 8 chromolithographed plates and 1 page of publisher's title listings.

Montgomery, Charles (tribute). Charles F. Montgomery and Florence M. Montgomery. A Tribute. New Haven; Yale University Art Gallery: June, 1978. Charles Montgomery was Curator of the Garvan Collections at Yale as well as the author of respected books on pewter and American federal furniture. This tribute volume was intended for Montgomery's retirement party, but turned into a memorial book instead after his sudden death. It includes his important essay "Some Remarks on the Practice and Science of Connoisseurship", as well as contributions from Alan Shestack, Wendell Garrett and Constance Clement, photographs, and bibliographies of both Charles and Florence Montgomery's writings. Edited by Barbara M. and Gerald W.R. Ward. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 71 pages, b/w illustrations.

Montgomery, Charles F. Henry Francis Dupont, 1880-1969. The Walpole Society: Anthoensen Press, 1970. 200 copies. Offprint from Notebook. 6"x9", 11 pages, portrait frontispice, sftcvr.

Montgomery, Charles F. American Furniture. The Federal Period, in the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum. New York; The Viking Press: 1966. The standard work, based on the collections at Winterthur. "This catalog of federal-period furniture at Winterthur is more than that: it remains the best history of American furniture between 1790 and 1820" (Ames & Ward). "The catalog is important and well done, and the background section contains much fresh and interesting information. A fine monument to Du Pont's vision and tenacity as a collector" (Karpel). Hardcover. 9"x12", 497 pages, color and b/w illustrations; dj.

Montgomery, Charles F. American Furniture -The Federal Period. New York; The Viking Press: 1966. Special first edition. One of 200 copies specially bound in full leather. The standard work, based on the collections at Winterthur. The first edition (leatherbound or trade edition) is superior in print and photo quality to the Bonanza reprint and far superior to the currently available reprint. "This catalog of federal-period furniture at Winterthur is more than that: it remains the best history of American furniture between 1790 and 1820" (Ames & Ward). "The catalog is important and well done, and the background section contains much fresh and interesting information. A fine monument to Du Pont's vision and tenacity as a collector" (Karpel). Hardcover. 9"x12", 497 pages, color and b/w illustrations; bound in full Niger leather.

Montgomery, Charles F. American Furniture -The Federal Period. New York; Bonanza Books: 1970s. Hardcover. 9"x12", 497 pages, color and b/w illustrations.

Montgomery, Charles F. Accessions 1960 by the Winterthur Corporation for The Corbit House, The Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum, The Waldron Phoenix Belknap Jr. Research Library of American Painting. Winterthur:1960. An exhibition of furniture, metalwork, textiles, ceramics, etc. 8.5"x11", 59 pages, b&w illustrations, card covers.

Montgomery, Charles F. & Patricia Kane, et al. American Art: 1750-1800, Towards Independence. Boston; New York Graphic Society for the Yale University Art Gallery and the Victoria & Albert Museum:1976. The catalog accompanying this extremely interesting exhibition of Colonial and Federal decorative and fine arts, the first major exhibition of American decorative arts in England. A series of essays explores various aspects of American arts such as regionalization, specialization, decoration and design. This was Charles Montgomery's last major project. 8.5"x11", 319 pages, profusely illustrated in color and b&w, dj.

Montgomery, Charles F. The Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum -A Guide to the Collections. Winterthur; Winterthur Museum:1966. Revised edition. An extensive guide, prepared by Montgomery for the use of the Winterthur staff (and labeled "For Staff Use Only"). Interesting as a detailed discussion and list of what was in the collections at this time, and also as a "behind-the-scenes" publication, never issued for general distribution. 8.5"x11", about 250 pages, a few b&w illustrations, softcover.

Montgomery, Charles F. Some Remarks on the Science and Principles of Connoisseurship. Reprinted from the 1961 Walpole Society Note Book. The Dean of American furniture studies explains his criteria of connoisseurship. He begins by reprinting Jonathan Richardson's 1719 essay on the subject, "Two Discourses", and then brings the subject to the Twentieth century and applies it to furniture and related decorative arts. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 20 pages, plus 10 b/w illustrations; marbled boards with a cloth spine.

Montgomery, Charles F. A Word About the Arts & Crafts of Old Salem. Reprinted from the 1964 Walpole Society Note Book. Charles Montgomery visits Winston-Salem North Carolina and revels in the heritage of the area as seen in its antiques. 6"x9", 6 pages of text plus 15 b&w illustrations.

Mooz, R. Peter, et al. The Art of American Furniture. A Portfolio of Furniture in the Collections of The Bowdoin College Museum of Art. Brunswick; Bowdoin College Museum of Art: 1974. Photographs of 17th, 18th and early 19th century furniture from the collection, with an exploration of English influences on American furniture. Semowich 1418. Softcover. 8.5"x9", 8 pages plus 43 b/w plates.

Morazzoni. Il Mobile Veneziano del '700. Milano: Casa Editrice d'Arte Bestetti & Tvmminelli, 1927. 10"x13", 64 pages + 320 b&w plates.

Moreni, Domenico. Descrizione della gran capella Delle Pietre Dure e della Sagrestia Vecchia eretta da Filippo di ser Brunellesco situate ambedue nell' Imp. Basilica di S. Lorenzo di Firenze. Firenze; Presso Carli e Comp.: 1813. A description of the history and pietre dure decoration of the Chapel of the Princes and the interior of the Sagresta Vecchia in Florence. The fabulous 'Chapel', whose interior is decorated with the most beautiful and intricate stone mosaic work, was begun by Grand Duke Ferdinando I, who had also founded the famous Galleria delle Lavori at the Uffizi. The Galleria quickly became the most important workshop in the world for the production of the highest quality pietre dure, mosaic and intarsia work in semi-precious stone. The Chapel itself was a massive undertaking which took several generations to complete. As Giusti writes in "Pietre Dure, Hardstone in Furniture and Decorations" (1992)- "(A) great project left unrealized by Ferdinando's two predecessors, the dynastic mausoleum at S. Lorenzo, was begun. This was to take the grandiose and majestic form of a temple entirely sheathed in pietre dure. The enormous scale of the work planned for this 'Chapel of the Princes', and the intense activity of the manufactory, called for great reserves of the most rare and varied stones. Indeed, Ferdinando amassed such great quantities that they fed the Galleria for centuries -and are not exhausted today". The other subject of this survey, the Sagresta Vecchi, or Old Sacristy, is the oldest part of the present Basilica of San Lorenzo (the "Duomo"), and contains the tombs of several members of the Medici family. A scarce book- OCLC locates no copies. Softcover. 6"x8.5", viii + 152 pages; 1 b/w plate.

Morley, John. Regency Design. Gardens. Buildings. Interiors. Furniture. New York; Harry N. Abrams: 1993. First edition. A jam-packed, whiz-bang careening carouse through the world of Regency design. "At the heart of "Regency Design" lies the idea that the arts of any period have an essential nity both with each other and with the time in which they find themselves". So the author not only surveys Regency-era furniture, interiors, buildings, and gardens -he shows how they interrelate. Cool. Besides, it's a big, heavy book. I love big, heavy books. Hardcover. 10.5"x11.5", 473 pages, packed with color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Morris, Barbara. Inspiration for Design. The influence of the Victoria & Albert Museum. London; Victoria & Albert Museum: 1986. "The Victoria & Albert Museum has, since its inception, been concerned with promoting good design, and was conceived to provide inspiration to designers and manufacturers and to influence the taste of the general public. So widespread was the influence of the Museum and its collections, both at home and abroad, that in the second half of the nineteenth century the improvement in the design of British products was to lead to the establishment of similar museums of applied art throughout Europe and the United States." This interesting history travels from the Museum's 19th century beginnings, through the Arts & Crafts Movement and the 1930s and into the Post-War periods. Hardcover. 8"x10", 224 pages, profusely illustrated in color and b/w, dj.

Morrison, Mollie N. The Silversmiths and Goldsmiths of the Cape of Good Hope 1625-1850. Johannesburg; published by the author: 1936. The first major monograph on the subject, the result of much original research by the author in South African archives. The text begins with the early history of the colony and then moves through colonial working conditions, church and secular plate, guilds and regulations, and a listing of identified silversmiths, with some makers marks. One chapter deals with silver furniture fittings by Cape Town silversmiths. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", xv + 84 pages, plus 16 b/w plates; marks.

Morse, Frances Clary. Furniture of the Olden Time. New York; The Macmilan Company: 1937. Hardcover. 7 1/2"x9 1/4", 470 pages.

Morse, John D. (ed.). Country Cabinetwork and Simple City Furniture. Charlottesville; published for the Winterthur Museum by the University Press of Virginia: 1970. 2nd prtg. An important selection of essays by such experts as Benno Forman, Charles F. Hummel, Charles S. Parsons, Wendell D. Garrett, Charles Montgomery, Jonathan Fairbanks, and others. Ames & Ward. Softcover. 6"x9", 311 pages, b/w illustrations.

Morton, Robert. Southern Antiques & Folk Art. Birmingham; Oxmoor House: 1976. A very pleasing and colorful survey of southern antique furniture, folk art, silver, glass, textiles and other decorative arts. A wonderful pictorial study. Hardcover. 12"x12", 251 pages, packed with color and some b/w illustrations, dj.

Moses, Michael. Master Craftsmen of Newport. The Townsends and the Goddards. Tenafly; MMI Americana Press: 1981. A very important study of Townsend and Goddard and similar furniture. A joint project with Israel Sack, Inc., Moses wrote the text and members of the Sack family wrote the picture captions. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 361 pages, profusely illustrated in color and b/w, dj.

Moussinac, Leon. Le Meuble Francais Moderne. Paris; Librairie Hachette: [1925]. A popular period survey of French Art Nouveau and Deco furniture, including work by Ruhlmann, Galle, Eugene Gaillard, Majorelle, Tony Selmersheim, Maurice Dufrene, Paul Follot, Leon Jallot, Francis Jourdain, Pierre Chareau, Andre Groult, Fernand Nathan, Pierre Legrain, and others. Hardcover. 5.5"x7.75", 102 pages, plus a frontispiece and 80 b/w plates.

Mowl, Timothy. Elizabethan & Jacobean Style. London; Phaidon Press: 1993. A sumptuously illustrated survey of the architecture and interiors of Elizabethan and Jacobean England, with additional material on textiles, silver ceramics and furniture. A lovely book. Hardcover. 10"x11.5", 240 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj; bibliography.

Moxon, Joseph. Mechanick Exercises or the Doctrine of Handy-Works. Morristown; Astragal Press: 1989. A facsimile of the 1703, 3rd edition of this important treatise on joinery, turning, carpentry, blacksmithing, and bricklaying. With a new introduction by John Kebabian. Hardcover. 6"x8.5", 352+ pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

Muller, Charles R. & Timothy D. Rieman. The Shaker Chair. Winchester; The Canal Press: 1984. This copiously illustrated book has rapidly become one of the classic works on Shaker furniture. Hardcover. 9"x12", 242 + 10 + 5 pages, b/w illustrations, chair chart in front pocket; dj.

Mumey, Nolie (ed.). Edward Dunsha Steele, 1829-1865. Pioneer, Schoolteacher, Cabinetmaker, and Musician. A Diary of His Journey from Lodi, Wisconsin, Across the Plains to Boulder, Colorado, in the Year 1859. Boulder; Johnson Publishing Co.: 1960. Edition limited to 500 copies. A rather interesting item. Edward Dunsha Steele was born in New York state in 1829, and by 1854 was married, living in Lodi, Wisconsin, and working as a schoolteacher who could play the violin and compose credible poetry. In 1859 he was bitten by the gold rush bug and helped fit out a wagon train with which he journeyed across Iowa, along the Oregon Trail, and up the South Platte to the gold fields of Colorado. He kept a journal during the trip and during his time in Colorado and he found much toil, adventure, grand scenery and interesting things to write about -the only thing he didn't find was any gold. In addition to his other talents, Steele was also skillful at carpentry and cabinetmaking, and the editor notes that to make money he constructed waterwheels and furniture while in Colorado. Disappointed, he returned to Lodi, but would make a second trip to Colorado with his family in 1865, where, upon arrival, he immediately contracted typhoid fever and died. This volume contains an introduction and a transcript of the journal he kept on his 1859 journey. It also contains a map and 6 folding facsimiles of frontier newspapers of the period. As an overland narrative it holds much of interest, and as an overland narrative by an American cabinetmaker (by avocation, at least, or perhaps pure necessity) it is probably unique. Not in Semowich's bibliography of books on American Furniture Makers. Hardcover. 7"x10", 90 pages, tipped-in portrait frontispiece and six folding newspaper facsimiles.

Munk & Roberts Furniture Co. 1892 Catalog. Connersville, Indiana:1892. A nice selection of heavily carved oak bedsteads, dressers, sideboards, chiffoniers, and washstands. Most of the furniture is decorated with a selection of heavy scroll and leafwork and has a vaguely Eastlake look. 11"x7.5", 30 pages, line cuts, softcover.

Murphy Collection. The Katharine Prentis Murphy Collection from the New Hampshire Historical Society. Bolton; Robert W. Skinner Inc.: September 24th, 1983. An important auction of small 17th and early 18th century American furniture and accessories such as lighting, pewter, metalware, and so on. Hardcover. 8.5"x9.5", about 100 pages, 342 lots, many b/w illustrations.

Musgrave, Clifford. Adam and Hepplewhite and other Neo-classical Furniture. NY: 1966. dj.

Musgrave, Clifford. Regency Furniture, 1800 to 1830. London; Faber & Faber: 1970. 2nd edition. A stylistic analysis of English Regency styles and their development, examining the historical, social and psychological influences which created and fueled them, and also the question of French influence. The text also examines designers and design details, and dissects different types of furniture. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 157 pages, plus 4 color and 96 b/w plates, dj.

Mussey, Robert D., Jr. (ed.) The First American Furniture Finisher's Manual. A Reprint of "The Cabinet-Maker's Guide" of 1827. New York; Dover Publications: 1987. A facsimile of the first American guide to wood staining, varnishing, polishing, japanning, lacquering and other techniques, with an invaluable and scholarly introduction by Robert Mussey, Jr. which touches not only on the history of the author & book, but on related texts of the 17th and 18th centuries. Softcover. 4.5"x6", xxxiv + 120 pages.

Musterblatter fur Schreiner, Tapezier, Sattler, und Wagner Bildhauer, Silber, Kupfer, Bronze, Flaschner und Topfer, Arbeiten aus dem Journale des Luxus und der Moden sum Gebrauche fur Handwerker besonders abgedruckt. Weimar; im Verlag des Landes - Industrie - Comptoirs: 1807. An exceptional collection of Regency/Empire design plates, bound in 20 small softcover booklets, including designs for furniture, silver, glass, drapery, candlesticks, carriages, and other decorations. There is a large amount of furniture, much of it decorated with Egyptian, Greco-Roman and eagle motifs, as well as several birdcages, mirrors, silver tableware with glass inserts, English patent parasols, a long, curving Turkish-style divan with swan armrests, a clock featuring a statue of Father Time (with scythe) being rowed in a boat by a cherub, plant stands of various types, a variety of mechanical desks and chairs for drawing and writing, fancy crystal chandeliers, and fancy crystal and silver salt cellars. Not all the designs are German; several French designers make appearances, and some items are noted as English. A witty and diverse treasury of Empire design. 5.25"x8.25", Parts 2-13 and 15-22, consisting of plates 11-37; 41-99; 101-124; 127-130; 132-150; 150-170; 176; 178; 180-182. A total of 159 plates, 23 of them folding. Original paper wraps.

[Myers Collection] The Collection of Louis Guerineau Myers. American Furniture of the XVIII-XIX Century, with a Large Group of the Finest Work of Duncan Phyfe and Notable Examples of Hepplewhite, Sheraton and Chippendale. New York; American Art Association: April 7-9th, 1932. Sale 3963. The sale of the collection of one of the foremost scholars and collectors of American furniture of the early 20th century. This was the Federal sale, highlighted by a spectacular selection of pieces by Phyfe. R.T.H. Halsey contributed a short tribute to Myers for the catalog, and Charles Packer wrote an introduction to the collection. Softcover. 7.5"x10.5", 170 pages, 567 lots, numerous b/w illustrations.

Myers, Mary L. French Architectural and Ornament Drawings of the Eighteenth Century. New York; Metropolitan Museum Of Art & Harry N. Abrams: 1992. 1st Edition. A wonderful exhibition of drawings from the Met's Collection. Begun by William M. Ivins Jr. early in the century, the Museum's holdings of 18th century architectural and ornament drawings was substantially augmented in 1970 with the addition of major holdings from the Wrightsman Collection. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", xxx + 224 pages, b/w and color illustrations.

Myers, Minor & Edgar Mayhew. New London County Furniture, 1640-1840. New London; The Lyman Allen Museum: 1974. A loan exhibition. "An exhibition catalog that contains an excellent checklist of New London cabinetmakers. Catalog entries contain construction details and related information" (Semowich). Semowich 828. Softcover. 8.5"x10", 134 pages, numerous b/w illustrations.

Naeve, Milo M. The Way West. American Furniture in the Pike's Peak Region 1872-1972. Colorado Spring's Fine Arts Center: 1972. Much of the furniture in this loan exhibition is from New England and New York, is but now owned by Colorado collectors; there is an 1885 horn chair from Colorado and 19th century Taos, NM chair and chest; The pieces range from the 18th-20th century (mainly 18th and 19th). Semowich 795. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 16 pages of b/w illustrations and 19 half-pages of inter-leaved text.

Naeve, Milo N., et al (eds.). Winterthur Portfolio One. Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum: 1964. The first issue of this very important decorative and fine arts anthology. This issue concentrates on the history of Winterthur and its collections, and also includes essays on an 18th century English hardware catalog; Francis Trumble, windsor chair maker of Philadelphia; and much more. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 255 pages, profusely illustrated in b/w.

Naeve, Milo. M. The Classical Presence in American Art. The Art Institute of Chicago: 1978. An exhibition exploring how the Classical Ideals of the ancient Mediterranean influenced late 17th-early 20th century American furniture, silver, paintings and other arts, based on specimens in the Art Institute of Chicago collection. Softcover. 9"x12", 36 pages, color and b/w illustrations.

Nagel, Charles. American Furniture, 1650-1850. A brief background and illustrated history. New York; Chanticleer Press: 1949. First edition. One of the noted Chanticleer series on American decorative arts. "A social and historical study...examines sources and uses of furniture" (Semowich). Hardcover. 6.5"x9", 112 pages, 4 color plates and 65 b/w illustrations.

National Patent Wood Preserving Company. The Robbins Process for Preserving Wood and Lumber from Mould, Decay and Destruction by Worms. An Invaluable Improvement, Susceptible of Universal Application. New York: National Patent Wood Preserving Company: 1868. A promotional book, apparently intended both to sell the product and to entice investors. The Robbins process used a machine, illustrated on the frontispiece, to heat lumber, driving its water content out as steam, and then forcing a creosote vapor mixture into it. The book describes this process and then gives many examples of uses to which such wood might be put, including obvious ones like railway ties, bridges and barrels, and less obvious ones such as wood pavements. The book also discusses preservation of the nation's woodlands, and reprints a number of letters praising the process. Softcover. 7"x10.5", 101 pages, wood-engraved frontispiece.

(Navis) Charles Navis: Tastemaker. A Collection of Early American Furniture. Richmond: Valentine Museum, 1967. 7"x10", 42 pages, line illustrations, softcover.

New Orleans Furniture. Los Angeles; The Knapp Press: 1984. A fluffy little confection of a book, with pretty photos, some not showing much detail, and no text to speak of. Softcover. 5.5"x8.5", 6 pages of text plus 15 color plates with facing "descriptions".

Newell, A.C. Coloring, Finishing and Painting Wood. Peoria; Chas. A. Bennett Co.:1940, enlarged edition. A frighteningly comprehensive guide to every conceivable stain, oil, varnish, lacquer or other chemical agent capable of staining, coloring or finishing wood, written for the 1930s furniture craftsman. 6.5"x9", 480 pages, b&w illustraions.

[Nicholson Collection] The Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Eddy Nicholson. New York; Christie's: January 27-28th, 1995. Sale 8082. Certainly the premier Americana collection of the 1980s, perhaps of the last half of the 20th century. Nicholson made headlines in the 1980s when he broke record after record buying premier pieces of American colonial and federal furniture and related decorative arts at auction, and then made headlines again when he sold it all. The catalog Christie's produced for the sale is a sumptuous hardcover, packed so full of color illustrations and folding color plates that it almost explodes right off the bookshelf. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", about 350 pages, 1194 lots, jam packed with color illustrations and plates; dj.

Nicholson File Co. A Treatise on Files and Rasps. Descriptive and Illustrated for the Use of Master Mechanics, Dealers, &c. Providence; Nicholson File Co.: 1878. "In which the kinds of files in most common use, and the newest and most approved special tools connected therewith, are described -giving some of their principal uses, with a description of the process of manufacture, and a few hints on use and care of the file". A really wonderful period catalog. Hardcover. 8.5"x11.5", xi + 79 pages, b/w illustrations.

Nicholson, Peter & Michael Angelo. The Practical Cabinet-Maker, Upholsterer, and Complete Decorator. London; H. Fisher, Son & Co.:1826. An important source of Empire and Regency designs for furniture and drapery. Of special interest and importance are the details of upholstery and draping techniques and patterns. 8.5"x11", 152 + 12 pages, plus 22 engraved plates of geometrical renderings and 81 plates of furniture and interiors, of which 35 are nicely hand-colored.

Nicholson, Peter. Practical Carpentry, Joinery, and Cabinet-Making; being a new and complete system of lines for the use of workmen... London; Thomas Kelly: 1835. New edition. "...founded on accurate geometrical and mechanical principles, with their application in carpentry -to roofs, domes, centering, &c.; in joinery -to stairs, hand-rails, soffits, niches, &c. in cabinet-making -to furniture, both plain and ornamental. Fully and clearly explained". A very popular work, first published in 1826. The Nicholsons were fans of the Classical taste, and in the cabinet-making section Peter extols the virtues of Thomas Hope and his designs. Nicholson's own furniture plates illustrate several pairs of chairs, a table, a library bookcase, a sideboard and designs for borders and inlays which are all rather more exuberant than restrained, and show more French taste than English. There is, appended at the rear, an "Index and Glossary of Technical Terms used in Carpentry and Joinery" and an "Index and Glossary of Technical Terms used in Cabinet-making". Hardcover. 8.5"x11", vii, [i] 132, 32, 8, 4 pages, plus 84 + 6 engraved plates.

Nosban & Maigne. Nouveau Manuel Complet de l'Ebeniste et du Tabletier. Paris; Librairie Encyclopedique de Roret: 1887. A complete guide to cabinetwork, including woods, finishes, construction, etc- "contenant la description des bois d'ebenisterie indigenes et exotiques; la teinture et l'appret des bois indigenes destines a imiter les bois precieux; l'outillage de l'ebeniste; le debitage des bois de placage; le polissage et le vernissage des bois; la fabrication des meubles et des petits objets de tabletterie; la reparation et l'entretien des meubles." One would expect such a book, with an 1880s publication date, to illustrate Victorian forms, but this edition is still showing the Classical forms which were popular when it was first issued, in the 1830s. Softcover. 3.75"x6", (ii) + 408 pages with text figures, plus 3 folding plates; plus 36 pages of publisher's advertisements.

Nutting Collection. The Wallace Nutting Collection of American Antiques, formerly on view in the Wentworth-Gardener House, Portsmouth, N.H., Cutler-Bartlet House, Newburyport, Mass., Hospitality Hall, Wethersfield, Conn. New York; John Wanamaker:nd (1930s). Nutting furnished three houses with American antiques as a backdrop for his highly successful business making photos of early American interiors. The contents were finally sold, en bloc, to Wanamaker's in New York. This catalog notes that there were so many items that only representative pieces can be noted, and the descriptions are cursory at best (although everything is priced). Still, an interesting document of the collection. The end notes states that most of Nutting's windsor chairs were included. 6.5"x10", 32 pages, 17 b&w illustrations, softcover.

[Nutting Collection] Early American Furniture, property of the estate of the late Wallace Nutting... New York; Parke-Bernet: October 4th, 1941. Sale 209. In its own quirky way, the most famous collection of early American furniture in America. The sale realized a total of $23,942.50. Softcover. 6.5"x9.5", 51 pages, 204 lots, b/w illustrations.

Nutting, Wallace. Furniture Treasury (Mostly of American Origin). Framingham; Old America Company: 1928. The first edition of Nutting's massive pictorial reference, lacking the 3rd volume which was published several years later. "Regarded as the bible of furniture collectors for more than fifty years, Nutting's "Furniture Treasury" remains an unsurpassed pictorial dictionary of American furniture; however, the terse captions cannot be relied on..." (Ames). Hardcover. 2 volumes, 8"x11", 5,000 b/w illustrations; a nice, clean, tight set in the original ands scarce dust jackets.

Nutting, Wallace. Furniture Treasury (Mostly of American Origin). New York; The Macmillan Company: 1948 (& 1975). First published in 1928, Nutting's massive pictorial reference has been "regarded as the bible of furniture collectors for more than fifty years...(it) remains an unsurpassed pictorial dictionary of American furniture; however, the terse captions cannot be relied on..." (Ames & Ward). Frankly, the authenticity of all the pieces cannot be relied on either, but classics are classics, and this is one. This set comprises the 1948 edition of the first two volumes, in a slipcase, as it was issued, and the Macmillan edition of the 3rd volume. Hardcover. 3 volumes, 7.5"x10.5", 5,000 b/w illustrations; line drawings, etc.

Nutting, Wallace. Furniture of the Pilgrim Century 1620-1720, including colonial utensils and hardware. Boston; Marshall Jones Company: 1921. The first book published on the subject of American 17th century furniture. Like all Nutting books, caution is required in figuring out where the good examples end and the restored or re-manufactured examples begin. This book was beset by controversy almost from the start, as within a year a broadside was circulated by an ironworker stating that he had made many of the examples of ironwork illustrated by Nutting. Still, as with other Nutting books, the sheer volume of furniture illustrated, as well as the important place these volumes have occupied in the literature for over three-quarters of a century, make them worth having. Ames & Ward, speaking of both editions of the title (which were different enough to really qualify as two different books) notes that they "occasionally contain nuggets of information of use to modern researchers". Hardcover. 8"x11", 587 pages, hundreds of b/w illustrations.

Nutting, Wallace. Furniture of the Pilgrim Century (of American Origin) 1620-1720. With maple and pine to 1800, including colonial utensils and wrought-iron house hardware into the 19th century. Framingham; Old America Company:1924. Revised and enlarged edition. The first book published on the subject of American 17th century furniture. Like all Nutting books, caution is required in figuring out where the good examples end and the restored or re-manufactured examples begin. First published in 1922, this book was beset by controversy almost from the start, as within a year a broadside was circulated by an ironworker stating that he had made many of the examples of ironwork illustrated by Nutting. 8.5"x11", 716 pages, 1559 b&w illustrations.

Nutting, Wallace. Furniture of the Pilgrim Century (of American Origin) 1620-1720, with maple and pine to 1800, including colonial utensils and wrought-iron house hardware into the 19th century. New York; Dover Publications: 1965. A facsimile of the 1924, revised and enlarged edition. This was the first book published on the subject of American 17th century furniture. Like all Nutting books, caution is required in figuring out where the good examples end and the restored or re-manufactured examples begin. First published in 1921, this book was beset by controversy almost from the start, as withi a year a broadside was circulated by an ironworker stating that he had made many of the examples of ironwork illustrated by Nutting. Softcover. 2 vols. 6.5"x9.5, 714 pages, hundreds of b/w illustrations.

Nutting, Wallace. Wallace Nutting -Final Edition- Furniture Catalog. Framingham; Wallace Nutting: 1937. The catalog of Nutting's fine reproduction American antique furniture, now itself very collectible. With the separate "Changes and Additions" sheet. Softcover. 7"x10", 136 pages, hundreds of b/w illustrations.

Nutting, Wallace. A Windsor Handbook. Comprising Illustrations & Descriptions of Windsor Furniture of all Periods including Side Chairs, Arm Chairs, Comb-Backs, Writing-Arm Windsors, Babies' High Backs, Babies Low Chairs, Child's Chairs, also Settees, Love Seats, Stools & Tables. Saugus; Wallace Nutting Inc.:1917. 1st state, 1st issue, with the Saugus/Nutting imprint, and not having pages 88a-d added. The first publication on American windsors, by perhaps the most famous early author of American furniture books. 5"x7", 192 pages, b&w illustrations.

Nutting, Wallace. A Windsor Handbook. Comprising Illustrations & Descriptions of Windsor Furniture of all Periods including Side Chairs, Arm Chairs, Comb-Backs, Writing-Arm Windsors, Babies' High Backs, Babies Low Chairs, Child's Chairs, also Settees, Love Seats, Stools & Tables. Framingham; Old America Company: 1917. The first publication on American windsors, by perhaps the most famous early author of American furniture books. 2nd state, with pages 88a-d and 192a-d added and the "Old America Company" label pasted over Nutting's original Saugus imprint. Hardcover. 5"x7", 192 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

Nylander, Jane C. Our Own Snug Fireside. Images of the New England Home, 1760-1860. New York; Alfred A. Knopf: 1993. An exploration of the realities and myths of life in the New England home between the Revolution and the Civil War. Drawing on period prints, paintings, books and accounts, Nylander weaves a compelling and detailed picture of how our ancestors really spent their days and nights. Hardcover. 8.5"x9.5", 317 pages, b/w and color illustrations, dj.

O'Neil, Isabel. The Art of the Painted Finish for Furniture & Decoration. Antiquing, Lacquering, Gilding & the Great Impersonators. New York; William Morrow & Co.:1971. A standard, extremely informative, comprehensive and well illustrated guide, including much material on a variety of faux finishes. Highly recommended. 7.5"x10", 382 pages, b&w and line illustrations; color plates.

Odate, Toshio. Japanese Woodworking Tools: Their Tradition, Spirit and Use. Newtown; The Taunton Press:1984. "Starting with the set-up of a Japanese workshop, Odate introduces the reader to a wide range of tools, including a variety of saws, chisels and planes...but Odate's book is more than just a how-to-guide. It also includes memories and stories that help the reader understand the spiritual as well as the practical nature of Japanese tools and the esteem in which they are held by traditional craftsmen." 9.5"x12", 189 pages, b&w and line illustrations, dj.

Odom, William M. A History of Italian Furniture, from the Fourteenth to the early Nineteenth Centuries. New York; The Archive Press:1966, 2nd edition. A reprint of the extremely scarce 1926 edition, with new Prefaces by Olga Raggio and Hugh Honour and a new bibliography. In the first volume Odom rediscovered the world of Italian Gothic and Renaissance furniture, which had only recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. In the second volume he broke new ground, describing the Baroque, Rococo, Classical Revival and Empire styles, which had previously been all but totally ignored. Although taste and scholarship have augmented much of the text, these volumes remain an unmatched repository of photographs of fine Italian furniture and a chronicle of its' changing styles. 2 volumes. 10.5"x14", xx + 364 (and) xxv + 422 pages, 352 + 513 illustrations.

Oglesby, Catharine. French Provincial Decorative Art. New York; Charles Scribner's Sons: 1951. A pictorial survey of antique French furniture, organized by type, with additional chapters devoted to silver, ceramics, textiles, glass, lighting, metalwares, clocks, and wallpapers. Hardcover. 9"x12", 214 pages, 301 b/w illustrations.

Oliver, Lucile. Mobilier Quebecois. Paris; Editions Charles Massin: 1979. A charming pictorial survey of 18th and 19th century Quebec furniture -country and informal styles. The text is in French, but that should not present too much of a problem, as the pictures are beautifully shot in full color and the captions, though French, are quite easily understood. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 80 pages, color illustrations, dj.

101 Chairs and stools collected, with the assistance of the Furniture Historical Society, from Oxford and district to show the historical evolution of chair design in Great Britain. Oxford; Divinity School: 1968. The title says it all. Softcover. 7.5"x9", 52 pages, b/w illustrations.

Onselen, L.E. van. Cape Antique Furniture. Cape Town; Howard Timmins: 1959. Edition limited to 1000 copies. By all accounts, the very first study of Cape furniture. The author was an enthusiastic expert, so the text is valuable, if not nearly as detailed as the later texts by Pearse and Atmore. I'd say all three books are necessary to the study of Cape cabinetwork. After all, in an out-of-subject example, the foremost expert on American silver in the 1950s was John Marshall Phillips, whose sole slim book on the subject (published before his early death) is not valuable because it is comprehensive, but because it sets before collectors the subject at hand in terms so clear as to command their attention and assent. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 83 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

Opstad, Jan-Lauritz. Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum - Natidsavdelingen Utvalgte innkjop, 1946-1979. Trondheim; Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum: 1980. The Nordenfjeldske Museum of Applied Art was founded in 1893. This catalog of objects from the design collection is devoted to items which were purchased by one of its most important directors, Thv. Krohn-Hansen, during his tenure (1946-1979). It includes silver, glass, ceramics, textiles, furniture and other "commercial" decorative arts. Softcover. 8"x6", 4 pages of introductory text (2 in English) plus 121 b/w illustrations with captions (including English).

[Ormolu] Important French Ormolu-Mounted Objects of Art and French and Continental Furniture. London; Christie, Manson & Woods: May 30th, 1968. A vast array of superb French 18th century furniture and ormolu-mounted ceramics. Softcover. 7"x9.5", 63 pages, plus many b/w and several color plates; 150 lots.

Ormond, Leonee. Writing. The Arts and Living. London; HMSO: 1981. A nice short survey of the tools, customs and furniture associated with writing, from ancient times through the 19th century, with illustrations from the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Softcover. 5"x7.5", 72 pages, color and b/w illustrations.

Ormsbee, Thomas H. Phyfe ne Fife. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. December, 1929. "Information is provided as the result of new research" (Semowich). Semowich 495.

Ormsbee, Thomas H. The Windsor Chair. New York; Deerfield Books: 1962. A useful reference which includes a list of American windsor chair makers. The first study of American windsors to be published after Nutting's 1917 book, it's set-up is similar to Nutting, with each chair illustrated in a full-page plate with a facing description. Although Ormsbee does not rival Santore or Evans, he was a prolific writer on American furniture, and is interesting to read. Semowich 1436. Hardcover. 6"x9", 223 pages, 80 b/w illustrations, dj.

Ormsbee, Thomas Hamilton. The Story of American Furniture. New York; The Macmillan Company: 1946. 7th printing. The author who wrote "The Windsor Chair" surveys the history of American furniture. Looks like a useful book for the beginner, although Semowich comments "A general book wit no new information. Of little use". Is it possible, though, that new information is sometimes over-rated? Hey, give me good old, venerable, tried and true (even if somewhat inaccurate...) information every time. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 276 pages, b/w illustrations.

Osborn, Susan. American Rustic Furniture. New York; Harmony Books:1984. A well illustrated study and survey of "rustic" furniture. 8.5"x11", 149 pages, profusely illustrated in b&w, dj.

Ostergard, Derek E. (ed.). Bent Wood and Metal Furniture: 1850-1946. University of Washington Press:1987. 11.5"x10", 366 pages, packed with hundreds of b&w illustrations; dj.

Ostergard, Derek. Art Deco Masterpieces. New York; Hugh Lauter Levin / Macmillan: 1991. A handsome coffee-table style book which features 48 masterpieces of the Deco arts in furniture, glass, ceramics, silver, jewelry and textiles, by such designers as Lalique, Ruhlmann, Legrain, Dunand, Fouquet, Rodier, and others. Hardcover. 9.5"x12", 120 pages, color illustrations, dj.

Ott, Joseph K. The John Brown House Loan Exhibition of Rhode Island Furniture. Providence; Rhode Island Historical Society: 1965. Along with Carpenter's catalog, the Brown House exhibition is one of the two landmark exhibitions of Rhode Island furniture. Many of the examples are from private collections, and the catalog is beautifully illustrated and elegantly presented. Semowich 1179. Ames & Ward. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 178 pages, b/w illustrations.

Otto, Celia Jackson. American Furniture of the Nineteenth Century. New York; Viking Press: 1965. "The nineteenth century was a period of remarkable changes in furniture styles in America, and this book, with nearly 500 illustrations, presents a record of those evolutions. Each of the major styles is examined in detail". A standard study of Empire and Victorian styles, and other 19th century innovations. Copiously illustrated. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 229 pages, 3 color plates and 481 b/w illustrations, dj.

Ouin-Lacroix, Ch. Histoire des anciennes Corporations d'Arts et Metiers et des Confreries Religieuses de la capitale de la Normandie... Rouen; Lecointe Freres: 1850. A survey of the corporations of arts & trades in Medieval Normandy, with many lithographed plates illustrating their arms and crests. The text includes information about the charters and rules of the Medieval guilds. 6.5"x10", xii + 763 pages, 29 lithographed plates.

Pabst Collection. Catalogue of the Renowned Collection of Japanese Swordfurniture of the late General J.C. Pabst... The Hague; Van Stockum's Antiquariaat: June 26th, 1956. This collection was strongest in Tokugawa-period tsuba and other objects.The catalog also features a bibliography, glossary, and shape chart. 7"x10.5", 80 pages, 507 lots, 8 b&w plates illustrating 60 items. Softcover.

Packer, Charles. Paris Furniture by the Master Ebenistes. Newport Mon; The Ceramic Book Company: 1956. Edition limited to 1000 numbered copies. "A chronologically arranged pictorial review of furniture by the master menuisiers-ebenistes from Boulle to Jacob; together with a commentary on the styles and techniques of the art". A standard, very well illustrated reference work. Hardcover. 10"x12.5", xxv + 104 pages plus 237 b/w illustrations; bibliography.

Page, Addison Franklin, et al. Kentucky Furniture. An Exhibition. Louisville; J.B. Speed Art Museum: 1974. A ground breaking loan exhibition of 18th and early 19th century furniture. Each piece is illustrated and described. Softcover. 7"x10", 6 pages of text plus 86 b/w illustrations with descriptions.

Page, John F. Litchfield County Furniture, 1730-1850. Litchfield Historical Society: 1969. The well illustrated catalog to a loan exhibition. Includes short biographical notes on identified Litchfield County cabinetmakers. Semowich 827. Ames & Ward. Softcover. 8"x8", 124 pages, b/w illustrations.

Page, John F., et al. The Decorative Arts of New Hampshire: A Sesquicentennial Exhibition. Concord; New Hampshire Historical Society: 1973. An exhibition of furniture, silver, textiles, paintings, metalware, glass and ceramics from the Society's collections. Softcover. 8.5"x10", 64 pages, b/w illustrations.

Page, Marian. Furniture Designed by Architects. New York; Whitney Library of Design:1983. Since the 18th century architects have been fooling around with furniture designs; in the 19th and 20th centuries the practice seems to have gotten somewhat out of hand, although the results are often interesting. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 224 pages, hundreds of b/w illustrations.

Pain, Howard. The Heritage of Upper Canadian Furniture. A Study in the Survival of Formal and Vernacular Styles from Britain, America and Europe, 1780-1900. Toronto; Van Nostrand Reinhold:1978. "Pain's mammouth survey of objects produced in Canada illustrates almost 1,400 examples. This is an excellent resource for placing American furniture into context, particuarly New England, upstate New York, and German-influenced furniture produced in Pennsylvania, New York, Texas and elsewhere." (Ames & Ward) 9.5"x12.5", 548 pages, 1,347 color and b&w illustrations, dj.

The Painter's, Gilder's, and Varnisher's Manual: containing Rules and Regulations in every thing relating to the arts of painting, gilding and varnishing... London; M. Taylor, Barnard's Inn, Holborn: 1836. New edition, corrected. "Numerous useful and valuable receipts; tests for detecting adulterations in oils, colours, etc.; and a statement of the diseases and accidents to which painters, gilders, and varnishers are peculiarly liable; with the simplest and best methods of prevention and remedy". The text was later copied and expanded by the American technical publisher Henry Carey Baird and reprinted numerous times in the 1860s-1880s. This is a scarce edition; the closest thing OCLC locates is 4 copies of the London/New York 1838 edition. Hardcover. 3.75"x6", 207 pages.

The Painter, Gilder, and Varnisher's Companion... Philadelphia; Henry Carey Baird: 1861. 8th edition. "Containing rules and regulations in every thing relating to the arts of painting, gilding, varnishing, and glass-staining; numerous useful and valuable receipts; tests for the detection of adulterations in oils, colours, etc.; and a statement of the diseases and accidents to which painters, gilders, and varnishers are peculiarly liable; with the simplest and best methods of prevention and remedy... to which is added complete instructions in graining, marbling, sign-writing, and gilding on glass". Based on an English text that was published in the 18390s, updated and expanded. Hardcover. 4.75"x7", 216 pages, several b/w figures in the text.

Palardy, Jean. The Early Furniture of French Canada. Toronto; Macmillan of Canada: 1965. 2nd ptg. An invaluable reference to Canadian furniture of the 17th-19th centuries.Palardy also discusses the lives of the craftsmen and their tools and methods, use and identification of woods, comparisons between French and French-Canadian furniture, and more. Hardcover. 9.5"x12.5", 413 pages, 11 color plates and 585 b/w illustrations, dj.

Pallasmaa, Juhani (ed.). Alvar Aalto Furniture. Cambridge; MIT Press:1985. Do you *really* want to be comfortable? Get yourself some Aalto furniture. Be comfortable. This catalog contains 4 essays- Igor Herler explores Aalto's youthful designs, Goran Schildt studies the evolution of his bentwood furniture, Marja-Liisa Parko relates the history of the Artek Studio, and Aalto's wife Elissa explores the designers fixed furniture and architecture. Beautifully illustrated, well designed, good text -a splendid book. 8.5"x9.5", 179 pages, packed with color and b&w illustrations.

[Palmer Collection] The George S. Palmer Collection. Removed from 'Westomere', New London, Conn. With Addition of Fine American Pieces Collected by Mr. I. Sack. New York; The Anderson Galleries: October 18-20th, 1928. Sale 2280. George S. Palmer was one of the first serious collectors of fine American furniture, a founding member of the Walpole Society and cousin of noted fellow-collector Judge Eugene Bolles. The purchase en bloc of the Palmer Collection, and its subsequent sale at auction, was one of those daring moves in which Israel Sack specialized in the heady days before the Great Depression dampened everyone's spirits. Softcover. 7.5"x10", 165 pages, 320 lots, b/w illustrations.

[Panckoucke & Agasse] Ebenisterie-Marqueterie. [Paris; ca.1770]. The section from Panckoucke's 'Encyclopedie' dealing with cabinetwork and marquetry. This section consists of two pages of descriptive letterpress and an errata, plus 4 engraved plates with a total of 58 figures. 3 of the plates are devoted to tools and machinery, and one plate illustrates 3 pieces of elaborate marquetry, inlaid with pewter, copper, ivory and wood. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", bound into modern marbled boards; 2 leaves + 4 engraved plates.

[Paramount Pictures] European Furniture, Paintings and Objects of Art from The Collection of Paramount Pictures. New York; Christie's: December 16, 1989. A selection of period and period-style furniture and decorations that were used in a wide variety of Paramount films from The Ten Commandments to Star Trek episodes (not what you think- it's a giltwood grand piano). Most of them items are juxtaposed with movie stills showing them in the film. Great fun. Softcover. 8.25"x10.5", 255 pages, 179 lots, color and b/w illustrations.

Parissien, Steven. Adam Style. Washington; Preservation Press: 1992. "This beautifully illustrated book examines the typical Adam style house from its outer shell through to the plaster-work and fittings, the colors, the furnishings, the textiles and carpets, giving details of the workings of the average home during the period. The author also wrote books on the Regency and Palladian styles. Hardcover. 10"x11.5", 240 pages, profusely illustrated in color and b/w, dj; bibliography.

Parissien, Steven. Palladian Style. London; Phaidon Press: 1994. The author of books on the Regency style and the Adam style completes the trio with this study, a nicely illustrated, scholarly study of the Palladian style in England. From the villas at Marble Hill and Stourhead to the pattern books of James Gibbs and Robert Morris, Batty Langley and the Halfpenny brothers, this exploration of the stylish English house as it was between 1715 and 1755 will fascinate and amaze in that way that, you know, architecture and design books do. Pure Palladinic Pandemonium. Hardcover. 10"x12", 240 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Parissien, Steven. Regency Style. London; Phaidon Press: 1992. A colorful, exuberant, joyful celebration of the Regency style. There are separate chapters on architecture, windows & doors, joinery & plasterwork, lighting & baths, colors & coverings, furniture, and gardens. Profusely illustrated with photographs and reproductions of period illustrations. Hardcover. 10"x11.5", 240 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.

[Parker Knoll Collection] Fine English Furniture Including chairs formerly in The Parker Knoll Collection. London; Christie's: September 24, 1998. Sale 6019. An extraordinary selection of very fine English furniture, beautifully photographed, but the highlight of the sale was lots 221-350 (the catalog says 221-250, a mistake) antique English chairs from the study collection assembled by Frederick Parker for his furniture manufactory in the early years of the 20th century. The Parker-Knoll firm used its study chairs to create furniture for such diverse clients as the Houses of Parliament, Cunard, and King George VI's coronation at Westminster Abbey. Softcover. 8"x10.5", 284 pages, 440 lots, color illustrations.

Parsons, Charles S. The Dunlaps and Their Furniture. Manchester; Currier Gallery of Art: 1970. "This exhaustive presentation of information about the Dunlap family of woodworkers in southern New Hampshire in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries is based on a large body of surviving manuscripts, including accounts books, tools and furniture... it has been treated thoroughly and intelligently" (Ames & Ward). This catalog, in addition to illustrating and discussing furniture by the Dunlaps, contains an enormous amount of information of interest to all students of American furniture. The analysis of documents, notebooks and inventories, discussion of tools, materials and other facets of these cabinetmakers' lives and problems, all provides a detailed study of cabinetmaking. Semowich 157. Softcover. 7.5"x10", 308 pages, b/w illustrations.

Patton, Albert B. & Clarence L. Vaughn. Furniture. Furniture Finishing, Decorating and Patching. New York; Drake Publishers:1970. A reprint of a ca.1930s work. 6"x8", 551 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Pearse, G.E. Eighteenth Century Furniture in South Africa. Pretoria; J.L. Van Schaik: 1960. The magnum opus on the subject of 18th century Cape furniture, its origins and development. Written as a companion to the author's book on 18th century South African architecture, it begins with an examination of 17th century furniture in both Holland and South Africa before moving on to the main topic. There are also chapters on the timbers used by Cape craftsmen, and related china, silver and glass. Profusely illustrated with photographs and line drawings. Hardcover. 10"x13", ix + 193 pages, 64 b/w plates and 223 b/w illustrations, dj; bibliography.

Penderel-Brodhurst, J. & Edwin J. Layton. A Glossary of English Furniture of the Historic Periods. New York; Robert M. McBride & Company:1925. 5"x7.5", 196 pages.

[Pendleton Collection.] Catalogue - The Pendleton Collection. Providence; Rhode Island School of Design: 1916. A short handlist/descriptive catalog to the collection, with an anonymous preface describing the 1904 catalog and the history of the collection. Softcover. 5.5"x8", 35 pages.

Pennington, Sam, et al. Americana at Auction. A Pictorial Record of More Than 700 American Antiques Sold by Twenty Auction Houses in 1978. New York; E.P. Dutton:1979. Interesting as a pictorial record of American furniture and other Americana, and also as a snapshot of the Americana market on the doorstep of the red-hot '80s. 8.5"x11", 255 pages, b&w illustrations.

Percier, Charles & P.F.L. Fontaine. Recueil de Decorations Interieures, comprenant tout ce qui a Rapport a l'Ameublement... Paris; 1812. Percier and Fontaine were a talented team of Empire/Neo-Classic designers who helped Napoleon redecorate many of his residences and public buildings in the new Empire styles and also provided the designs and models for the French Empire style in furniture and interior dcor, as illustrated here. They met as students at the Paris Ecole des Beaux Arts and worked together in Rome at the French Academy. Lincoln Kirstein has much to say about them and their somewhat complicated relationship with Napoleon in the excellent catalog "The Taste of Napoleon" (William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art, 1969) from which we take the liberty of quoting liberally-
            "As architects and designers, Percier and Fontaine contributed greatly to the panoply of elegance with which Napoleon surrounded himself. They were the architects for the Empress Josephine for the remodeling of Malmaison, they were the architects of the Louvre and of the Tuileries... they worked at Saint-Cloud, the Trianon, Compiegne, and Fountainebleau... Percier, supremely disciplined by measuring ancient Roman monuments fused the various strands into a contemporary Parisian antiquarianism...restored to a fresh wholeness, scaled down to modern metropolitan needs, primed for production and use. Elements in the vocabulary -eagles, sphinxes, victories, wreaths, fasces, columns, trophies, insignia -were worked and reworked, but Percier's delineation, his exquisite sense of proportion and fitness, his suggestion of the subtle plasticity of chiseled low-relief, made it seem like a novel metric to hymn Napoleon's epic."
            But it was not all quite that easy. Relations between the Emperor and his designers could be strained. "(Napoleon) was unpardonably rude to Charles Percier, a sickly mouse of a man, angelic character, marvelous draftsman, since he was too shy and busy to set himself constantly in the Emperor's entourage and play an assiduous courtier. Whereupon, Napoleon pretended he didn't exist. Fortunately his devoted comrade Fontaine, a bold, hard-shelled, skillful administrator protected Percier to do his best work, secluded in an almost secret studio, between floors in the Louvre. ... It is likely Napoleon was aware of Percier's part in his partnership with Fontaine; only he hadn't the patience to placate shyness; it saved time to talk to one strong foreman rather than a committee of two... Fontaine's great service lay in knowing how far he could risk Percier's freedom... Official recognition of the true genius of the partnership came late. It was not easy to work for Bonaparte. ... The team of Percier and Fontaine, in the capacities of supreme designer, agile diplomat, expediter, and shop-manager, learned how to accommodate Josephine's whim to Napoleon's will. It was she who had Percier's name written in on letters-patent naming Fontaine Architect of the Palace. How could two such loving comrades be separated? This was as much taste as sentiment...".
            This oversized volume features grandly decorated cabinets, chairs, sofas and other furniture, as well as wall panels and decorations, and silver candelabra and dishes, and all sorts of other decorations. A frenzied, meticulously detailed explosion of Empirical Neo-Classicism. Hardcover. 11.5"x16.5", 43 pages of text with an engraved vignette, plus 72 engraved plates.

Perdigao, Jose de Azeredo. Calouste Gulbenkian, Collector. Lisbon; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation: 1969. Calouste Gulbenkian was a Turkish financier and a pioneer player in the Western development of Middle Eastern oil -consequently he became very, very rich and collected fine paintings, sculpture, carpets, coins, furniture and other decorative arts on a grand scale. Today his foundation funds endeavors in the arts, charity, education and science, and the museum houses his grand collections. This volume contains tributes to the great collector by his son-in-law and others who knew him, as well as quotes from his personal diaries and letters. An interesting look at the collecting career of one of the 20th century's greatest private collectors. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 237 pages, color and b/w plates and illustrations, dj.

[Perry Collection] Chippendale & Other Georgian Furniture, Silver, Porcelain, Rugs, Belonging to Marsden J. Perry. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: May 7th, 1948. Sale 967. Marsden J. Perry was a noted collector who bought the John Brown house in Providence to house his collection and enlisted the help of C.L. Pendleton to advise him on his purchases. The foundation of the Perry Collection was actually the collection of fine Chippendale furniture assembled by another early Walpolean, Richard A. Canfield, whose collection Perry purchased after Canfield's death. The majority of the Perry Collection had been sold at auction in 1936, but like many collectors, you never really stop collecting... This sale has more superb specimens, including a chest of drawers the cataloguer describes as "virile". Softcover. 7"x10", 80 pages, 224 lots, b/w illustrations.

[Perry Collection] The Marsden J. Perry Collection [of] Chippendale Furniture...Including the Noted Chippendale Collection Assembled by Richard A. Canfield. New York; American Art Association: April 3-4th, 1936. Sale 4247. A noted collection of English (and some American) Chippendale furniture and accessories. Marsden J. Perry was a noted collector and Walpole Society member who bought the John Brown house in Providence to house his collection and enlisted the help of C.L. Pendleton to advise him on his purchases. The foundation of the Perry Collection was actually the collection of fine Chippendale furniture assembled by another early Walpolean, Richard A. Canfield, whose collection Perry purchased after Canfield's death. One thing about collectors- they never stop. After this auction Perry kept right on buying, and he had another auction in 1948. Softcover. 7.5"x10.5", 143 pages, 296 lots, b/w illustrations.

Pertini, Sandro, et al. Le Arti a Vienna dalla Secessione alla Caduta dell Impedo Asburgico. Milan; Edizioni La Biennale di Venezia: 1984. A massive, bone-crunchingly heavy catalog celebrating the arts in Vienna at the turn of the 20th century -the Vienna Secession et al. Paintings, graphics, architecture, furniture, decorative arts, they are all here. Possibly the ultimate Vienna Secession catalog. The exhibition was staged in Venice and features an extensive and scholarly Italian text. Softcover. 8.75"x9.5", 589 pages, hundreds of b/w and color illustrations; pictorial slipcase.

Peterson, Charles E. (ed.). The Carpenters' Company of the City and County of Philadelphia 1786 Rule Book. Annotated, with an Introduction by Charles E. Peterson. Princeton; The Pyne Press: 1971. A facsimile, with additional commentary, of one of the few surviving copies of this very early American price and pattern book. The Carpenters' Company book included patterns and price suggestions for windows, doorways, columns, fences, mantels, moldings, sashes, stairs, and more. Softcover. 6"x9", xxiii + xv + 47 pages, plus 35 b/w plates with facing descriptions.

Peterson, Harold L. How Do You Know Its Old? A Practical Handbook on the detection of fakes for the antique collector and curator. London; George Allen & Unwin:1977. A guide to uncovering fakes in furniture, glass, metalware, scrimshaw and other collectibles. 7.5"x9.5", 166 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.

Peterson, Harold L. How to Tell if It's a Fake. Trade Secrets Revealed for Antique Collectors and Dealers. New York; Charles Scribner's Sons:1975. A simple guide to uncovering fakes in furniture, glass, metalware, scrimshaw and other collectibles. 7"x9", 166 pages, b&w illustrations, softcover.

Petraglia, Patricia. American Antique Furniture. Styles and Origins. New York; Smithmark: 1992. First edition. A good general guide for the novice furniture enthusiast. The author took her photos not only from the leading museums, but also from a selection of private, leading dealers in American furniture including Sack, Bourgeault, Keno, Prickett, and Hirschl & Adler. Hardcover. 9"x12", 176 pages, b/w and color illustrations.

Pevsner, Nikolaus, et al. 'Gothick' 1720-1840. Brighton; Royal Pavilion, Art Gallery and Museums: 1975. A loan exhibition of Gothic decorative arts and architecture. The arts include a number of examples of distinctive furniture. Sir Nikolaus Pevsner contributed a short Preface and Duncan Simpson wrote a longer and very interesting introductory essay on the style. Softcover. 8"x10", 59 pages plus 40 b/w illustrations.

Philadelphia Museum. The Shakers: Their Arts and Crafts. Bulletin, Spring, 1962. sftcvr.

[Philadelphia Museum & other Collections] Important Queen Anne & Georgian Furniture & Decorations, Choice Early English and Other Silver, Antique Oriental Rugs, Property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art [and others]. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: March 10th, 1956. Sale 1657. Includes much fine 18th century English furniture and silver from the Philadelphia Museum of Art collections. Also includes material from the collections of Mme. Ganna Walska and Sol. M. Flock. Softcover. 7"x10", 63 pages, 216 lots, b/w illustrations.

Phin, John. Hints and Practical Information for Cabinet-Makers, Upholsterers, and Furniture Men Generally. New York; Fred. A. Hodgson:1884. "A description of all kinds of finishing, with full directions for varnishes, polishes, stains for wood, dyes for wood, gilding and silvering, receipts for the factory, lacquers, metals, marbles, etc...". 5.5"x7.5", 130 pages plus 30 pages of advertisements.

[Phin, John] Hints and Practical Information for Cabinet-Makers, Upholsterers, and Furniture Men Generally. New York; The Industrial Publication Company: 1899. First published in 1884. "A description of all kinds of finishing, with full directions for varnishes, polishes, stains for wood, dyes for wood, gilding and silvering, receipts for the factory, lacquers, metals, marbles, etc., pictures, engravings, etc.". Hardcover. 5"x7.5", 130 pages plus advertisements.

Pilcher, Donald. The Regency Style, 1800 to 1830. London; B.T. Batsford:1948. A survey of the arts and architecture, garden design, drapery and decorations of the period as well as the leading designers. 6"x9", 120 pages, 138 b&w illustrations.

Pillsbury, William Mitchell. The Providence Furniture Making Trade 1772-1834, As Seen in the Account Books of Job Danforth and William, Samuel and Daniel Proud. William Mitchell Pillsbury: 1975 / Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints. A dissertation submitted to the University of Delaware Winterthur Program. A study based on two account books in the collection of the Rhode Island Historical Society. Danforth was a cabinetmaker, and the Prouds were chair makers. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 143+ pages; a reprint from the original microfilm.

Pinckney, Pauline A. George Woltz, Maryland Cabinetmaker. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. March, 1939. Semowich 747.

Pinto, Edward H. The Craftsman in Wood. London: G Bell & Sons, 1965. 2nd ptg. 5.5"x9", 199 pages plus 28 b&w plates.

Plumb, J.H. Royal Heritage. The Story of Britain's Royal Builders and Collectors. London; British Broadcasting Corporation: 1977. A wandering, wondrous look at Royal collections in Britain and the buildings that house them, from the Tower of London to the Banqueting House at Whitehall and the pavilion at Brighton. Paintings, furniture, drawings, porcelain and glass, books, silver and scientific instruments -they and much more are all here. Hardcover. 8.5"x12", 360 pages, filled with b/w and color illustrations, dj.

Plumier, Charles. L'Art De Tourner, ou de Faire En Perfection Toutes Sortes d'Ouvrages au Tour... Lyon; Chez Jean Certe: 1701. The first edition of the first book devoted to the art of turning wood, metals and ivory, issued as a ten-part series with an addenda on varnishes and finishes. Plumier (1646-1704) was the son of a turner and learned the trade as a lad, although it would not turn out to be his life's work- he entered the Order of Minims where he studied the sciences and when he acquired note in the scholarly world it was as a botanist. But back to this massive work. The plates illustrate the large variety of tools and machinery used by the turner, as well as turned objects themselves. Of particular interest are a series of plates showing, with diagrams, how intricate turned objects (including those Escher-esque ivory balls-within-balls) are formed. The decorative vignette on the title page is also worth noting -it illustrates the inside of a turner's shop, manned by winged cherubs. The text is presented in a double-column format, with text in both Latin and French. Further, expanded, editions were published in 1706 and 1749. Hardcover. 10"x14.5", [iii] [xii] [vi] [iv] 187 pages, plus a full-page engraved decorative title and 70 engraved plates, one folding.

Poesch, Jessie. The Art of the Old South. Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, & the Products of Craftsmen, 1560-1860 New York; Alfred A. Knopf: 1983. First edition. An important study of the fine and decorative arts in the Old South. In addition to the paintings, sculpture and architecture, the text covers furniture, silver, pottery, and textiles. Hardcover. 11"x12", 384 pages, packed with color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Poesch, Jessie. Early Furniture of Louisiana, 1750-1830. Louisiana State Museum: 1972. A loan exhibition. "An important look at a substantial body of early objects that fall outside the mainstream Anglo-American taste" -Ames & Ward. Semowich 874. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 85 pages, color frontispiece and many b/w illustrations.

[Poles Collection] Catalogue des Objets d'Art et de Magnifique Ameublement du XVIIIe Siecle... Composant la tres importante Collection de Madame de Poles. Paris; Galerie Georges Petit: June 22nd-24th, 1927. A truly stupendous collection, the sort of elegant collection some well-heeled connoisseurs managed to amass in the early 20th century, including a very good selection of 18th century portrait miniatures, magnificent gold, horn and enamel snuff boxes, some very fine 16th century Limoges enamels, Sevres porcelains, and other porcelains, fine examples of bronze mounted celadons and other mounted porcelains, many fine fancy bronze candlesticks, a very fine and large collection of tapestry-upholstered 17th and 18th century furniture, fine examples of other 17th, 18th and early 19th century cabinetwork, and a few very choice textiles including tapestries and draperies. The catalog itself is printed on elegant stock, with 136 gravure plates illustrating most of the 310 lots. A wonderful reference and a joy to browse, even 75 years after the collection was dispersed! Softcover. 9"x12.5", 111 pages, plus 136 gravure plates, 310 lots.

Pollen, John H. Ancient & Modern Furniture and Woodwork in the South Kensington Museum. London; Chapman and Hall: 1874. An interesting early catalog of the V&A's furniture collection consisting of English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Italian furniture, mostly of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The text begins with a 259-page Introduction which covers the history of furniture from ancient times through the 17th century, and also includes material on construction and finishing techniques as related by period writers. It finishes with 31-page descriptive listing of identified cabinetmakers, woodworkers and allied craftsmen in England and Europe through the 18th century. This is all followed by the catalog itself, organized by type of furniture; many of the descriptions are quite lengthy and contain many interesting details. The text is illustrated with 42 woodcuts and 15 Woodburytypes which are quite fresh and unfaded. An exemplary catalog of truly fine furniture. Hardcover. 6.5"x10", cclix + 415 pages with 42 woodcuts in the text, plus a chromolithographed frontispiece and 15 photographic (Woodburytype) illustrations.

[Polo Collection] Important French and Continental Furniture and Decorations from a Collection formed by Roberto Polo. New York; Sotheby's: November 3, 1989. Sale 5942. An amazing collection of French & other furniture and accessories, ranging from elaborate English papier-mache and abalone furniture and a rare Russian neo-classic ormolu-mounted marquetry table to a slew of signed and attributed French cabinetry, including a Louis XV ormolu-mounted commode and a Louis XVI giltwood console from the Palais se Fontainbleu, and a 6-fold Chinoiserie screen attributed to Canabas from the Chateau de Bellevue, home of Madame de Pompadour. Softcover. 8"x10.5", 144 lots, about 125 pages, color illustrations.

Post, Emily. The Personality of a House. The Blue Book of Home Design and Decoration. New York; Funk & Wagnalls Company: 1937. 2nd edition, 4th prtg. Everyone knows Emily Price Post's famous book on etiquette, but few people know that her father was a noted architect and that Emily herself had a lifelong interest in interior decoration. In this lengthy treatise on tasteful furnishing and color harmony, Post explains her principles of good taste for furniture, rugs, hangings and other elements of interior decoration and styles. She gives practical advice on renovating an ugly house to make it beautiful, and writes with the same zest and wit that characterizes her etiquette books. Post's contributions to the art of interior dcor have also spawned some scholarly buzz- historian Jane Lancaster, who admires the book, made it the topic of her presentation at Salve Regina University's 2004 conference on the history of Interior Decoration in America while Sandy Isenstadt, Assistant Professor of Modern Architecture at Yale has weighed in with her own paper titled "Spatial Schizophrenia in Emily Post's 'The Personality of a House' ". Indeed. Hardcover. 6.5"x9", xvi + 521 pages; b/w plates and a folding color chart; dj.

Practical Hints for Furniture Men. Relating to All kinds of Finishing, with full directions therefor - Varnishes - Polishes - Stains for Wood - Dyes for Wood - Gilding and Silvering - Receipts for the Factory - Lackers, Metals, Marbles, &c. - Pictures, Engravings, &c New York; The Furniture Trade Journal:1880. 5"x7", 108 pages, advertisements.

Pradere, Alexandre. French Furniture Makers. The Art of the Ebeniste from Louis XIV to the Revolution. London; Sotheby's Publications: 1989. "The magnificent furniture produced in eighteenth-century Paris rested on a unique combination of factors - a thriving clientele of both bourgeoisie end elite of the largest and wealthiest country in Europe, strict guild laws guaranteeing the highest quality of workmanship, and cross-fertilization by immigrant foreign craftsmen. This book is the thorough, up-to-date account of the subject that has long been needed. Over 60 of the principal ebenistes active in Paris between 1660 and the Revolution are chronologically presented, with details of their careers, clients and output". Hardcover. 10"x12.5", 442 pages, loaded with hundreds of color and b/w illustrations, dj.

Praz, Mario. On Neoclassicism. Evanston; Northwestern University Press:1969. 2nd edition. A scholarly study, focusing on the development and effects of the Neoclassic style in art, architecture, design and literature. One of the main studies of the style, and still a classic work. 7.5"x10", 400 pages, 71 b&w illustrations, dj.

Price, Lois Olcott. Furniture Craftsmen and the Queen Anne Style in Eighteenth Century New York. University of Delaware: 1977/Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints. A very interesting master's thesis with an analysis of styles, documentation of cabinetmaking shops, etc. Semowich 1043. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 158 pages, muddy b/w illustrations; bibliography. A bliography. A reprint from microfilm, with consequent degradation of b/w photos.

Prime, Alfred Coxe. The Arts & Crafts in Philadelphia, Maryland and South Carolina 1721-1785. The Walpole Society: 1929. Special Edition limited to 100 copies printed on rag paper at the Wayside Press. An important documentation of Colonial and Federal-era artisans and tradesmen, based on an extensive search of period newspaper advertisements and announcements. Topics include painters, miniaturists, engravers, maps, silversmiths, pewterers, ceramics, glassware, cabinetmakers, upholsterers, carvers & gilders, clock & watch makers, wall paper, architects, house painting & glazing, sign painting, and stone cutters. A companion volume, covering the years 1786-1800, was published several years later. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", xvi + 323 pages plus 43 b/w plates.

Prime, Alfred Coxe. The Arts & Crafts in Philadelphia, Maryland and South Carolina 1721-1785 (with) The Arts & Crafts in Philadelphia, Maryland and South Carolina 1786-1800. Series Two. New York; Da Capo Press: 1969. Facsimiles of the original 1929 and 1932 limited editions. An important documentation of Colonial and Federal-era artisans and tradesmen, based on an extensive search of period newspaper advertisements and announcements. Topics include painters, miniaturists, engravers, maps, silversmiths, pewterers, ceramics, glassware, cabinetmakers, upholsterers, carvers & gilders, clock & watch makers, wall paper, architects, house painting & glazing, sign painting, stone cutters, composition, and stucco work. Hardcover. 2 volumes, 6.5"x9.5", xvi + 323 pages plus 43 b/w plates (and) xii + 331 pages, plus 28 b/w plates.

Prime, Alfred Coxe. Colonial Craftsmen of Pennsylvania. Reproductions of Early Newspaper Advertisements from the Private Collection of Alfred Coxe Prime. Philadelphia; Pennsylvania Museum and School of Industrial Art:1925. Reproductions of the actual notices, many with decorative elements or illustrations. 7"x9.5", 28 pages, b&w illustrations, softcover.

Primitive American Furniture. Norwich; Slater Memorial Museum: no date. An oddly-constructed catalog. It consists of brief descriptive entries of 195 items of furniture, glass, metalware and such, loaned to the museum for the exhibition. It appears that pages from a second copy were for some reason cut out and re-mounted onto pages in this copy, with now-discolored glue; it is not clear why. All the pages are here (though a few out of order), and the catalog, if not very descriptive, is scarce. Softcover. 6"x9", 24 pages; glue stains, some pages clipped out and remounted, several pages with small marginal holes. It is what it is, and that's all there is to say.

Pugin, Augustus W.N. Designs for Furniture, Gold & Silversmiths, Iron & Brass Work, in the Style of the XV & XVI Centuries. London; Ackermann & Co.:1835-36; later printing, probably ca. 1860. Pugin's Gothic-inspired designs continued to be popular and influential throughout the Victorian era. His furniture designs feature massive carved pieces; his gold and silver designs feature massive (and some smaller) ornately decorated pieces, many eccelesiastical in form; his designs for iron and brass include very fancy lighting devices, railings, keys and locks, escutcheons, handles and latches, chests, etc. 9"x11.5", 24 + 27 + 27 lithographed plates.

Puig, Francis & Michael Conforti (eds.). The American Craftsman and the European Tradition, 1620-1820. Minneapolis Institute of Arts: 1989. An extremely important exhibition and series of essays. Most of the focus is on furniture, with essays by Robert Trent, Morrison Hecksher, Francis Puig, Donna Pierce, and Gregory Wiedman. In addition, Gary Nash and Barbara Ward contribute overviews of the main theme, and there are separate essays on silver by Barbara Ward and Gerald Ward, American glass by Arlene Palmer, and American china by Graham Hood. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 295 pages, color and b/w illustrations.

Pulos, Arthur J. American Design Ethic. A History of Industrial Design to 1940... Cambridge; The MIT Press: 1983. A broad, comprehensive study of the development of industrial design in America since the 1820s, illustrated with 350 illustrations. Everything from Shaker chairs, clipper ships, and Eli Whitney's arms factory to Louis Sullivan skyscrapers. Hardcover. 7.5"x11", 441 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.

 

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