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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. If you would like to
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Bookcase Seven: T-Z
Talbert, B.J. Gothic Forms Applied to Furniture, Metalwork, and Decoration for Domestic Purposes. Published by S. Birbeck, Birmingham and the Author, London: 1867. A pattern book by an extremely influential Mediaevalist designer. Elisabeth Aslin ('19th Century English Furniture') calls Talbert "probably the most influential (designer) of the whole period". Apprenticed as a woodcarver in Dundee, Talbert [1838-1881] soon took up the designer's pencil and flourished in his new vocation. In 1867 he moved to London to design for the furniture maker Hollands, who won a medal at the Paris Exhibition that year with a Talbert-designed sideboard. In that same year Talbert published this work, and its influence was immediate. J. Moyr Smith wrote in his book 'The Rise of Modern Styles' that Talbert's book was "without doubt the cause of the new style of decoration taking hold of the public; for the book soon found its way to the chief designers and cabinet-makers in the kingdom and imitations, which were sometimes improvements, were produced on all sides".
Talbert himself designed directly for a number of popular furniture makers besides Hollands, but whatever the source, his influence was broad and profound. The text of this book discusses general principles for the design and construction of Gothic-Revival furniture as well as such subjects as metal fittings and inlays. He also essays into the Victorian house, room by room, giving his suggestions for its decoration. The plates illustrate a variety of cupboards, cabinets, side-boards, tables, bookcases, and chairs, many presented as entire suites of designs for all the pieces he proposes putting in a particular room. Hardcover. 13"x17", an elaborate decorative title page, 8 pages of text plus 30 lithographed plates.Talbot, E.Page. The Furniture Industry in Boston, 1810-1835. E.Page Talbot: 1974. A Master's Thesis for the University of Delaware (Winterthur). A quite valuable study of Boston cabinetmaker's establishments of the Empire period, based on extensive research. Semowich 953. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 238+ pages, very poor b/w illustrations; bound in typical thesis-type card covers; mimeographed pages.
Talbott, Page. Classical Savannah. Fine & Decorative Arts, 1800-1840. Savannah; Telfair Museum of Art: 1995. The catalog to an extraordinary loan exhibition of early 19th century furniture, paintings and minor decorations which were either made in Georgia or imported into the state by wealthy Savannah residents to furnish their homes. The first portion of the catalog describes the Classical Taste of the early 19th century and its origins; the second portion examines the arts, architecture, interiors, and patrons of Savannah of the period, and the third section is strictly devoted to the furniture of the exhibition. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 196 pages, b/w illustrations.
Tarule, Robert. The Joined Furniture of William Searle and Thomas Dennis: A Shop-Based Inquiry into the Woodworking Technology of the Seventeenth Century Joiner. The Union Institute: 1992/UMI Reprints. A detailed examination of the methods of construction used by two Ipswich, Massachusetts 17th century joiners. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", about 400 pages, poor b/w illustrations. A reprint from microfilm, with consequent degradation of b/w photos.
Taylor Collection. The Talbot J. Taylor Collection. Furniture, Wood-Carving, and other Branches of the Decorative Arts. New York; G.P. Putnam's Sons:1906. An interesting publication from several standpoints. As a collection of European wooden sculpture and furniture of the 16th, 17th and early 18th centuries it is quite formidable. As an example of the collection of a well-to-do, turn of the century collector, who stuffed his psuedo-Norman house brim-full, it is also quite interesting, with many very revealing photographs of the rooms as he set them up. Taylor decorated his house in a typically Victorian manner, using 16th-18th century pieces. Fascinating. 9"x12", 139 pages, with 187 b&w illustrations.
Taylor, Lonn & David B. Warren. Texas Furniture. The Cabinetmakers and Their Work, 1840-1880. Austin; University of Texas Press: 1975. The first and most comprehensive documentation of the rich heritage of Texas cabinetmakers, who flourished in the second and third quarters of the 19th century. A large body of them were German immigrants, and they brought their woodworking skills to the new frontier, making a wide variety of articles, 222 of which are illustrated and described here. The study also contains illustrations and descriptions of cabinetmaking tools and machinery, types of woods used, and an annotated list of some 850 identified cabinetmakers. A superb reference work. 11"x9", xi + 387 pages, b&w illustrations.
[Taylor] Ideas for Rustic Furniture proper for Garden Seats, Summer Houses, Hermitages, Cottages, &c. on 25 Plates. London; printed for I. & J. Taylor at the Architectural Library, Holborn:nd (1790s). The only 18th century English pattern book to illustrate rustic designs exclusively. Twig furniture did not start in the Adirondacks of New York, nor in the mid-Victorian period. It seems to have emerged as an offshoot from the baroque frenzy of shells and other natural forms a hundred years earlier. This absolutely delightful little pattern book features twig and branch-formed chairs, benches, sofas, tables, stands, looking glass frames, and mantelpieces, as well as the arbor used for the frontispiece. Perhaps the most bizarre items are the twiggy mirrors which feature, in a wildly disparate stylistic twinge, classical Chippendale and federal ornaments of ribbons and urns as the top center and corner pieces. An author for these designs has never been identified, but those mirrors must give us some sort of a clue. 6"x9.5", 25 engraved plates including the frontispiece/title page.
Theus, Mrs. Charlton M. Savannah Furniture 1735-1825. Privately printed: 1967. An uncommon title on southern furniture, which includes chapters on woods, Savannah inventories, types of furniture made in Savannah, Savannah cabinetmakers, and furniture made in other places and imported into Savannah. A noted authority on southern furniture, Mrs. Theus worked on the 1952 Virginia Museum exhibition, and wrote articles on the subject for The Magazine Antiques. Alice Winchester wrote the Foreword. Softcover. 5.5"x8", 100 pages, b/w illustrations.
Thompson, Paul. The Work of William Morris. New York; The Viking Press: 1967. An attempt to produce a mid-sized yet comprehensive biography of Morris, and to reevaluate his contribution to Victorian-era arts and decoration. Includes chapters on his designs for architecture, furniture, tiles & wallpaper, textiles, stained glass, and books. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 300 pages, b/w and some color illustrations, dj; annotated; bibliography.
[Thoresby Hall] Thoresby Hall, Newark, Nottinghamshire. London; Sotheby's: May 31-June 2, 1989. The contents of this Victorian-built, Elizabethan-style mansion, home for generations to the Pierreponts, Earls of Manvers. In addition to fine Victorian-era furnishings there are many earlier family pieces, and one of the most interesting aspects of this auction is that the catalogers were able to go through the 18th and 19th century shop records of the Gillows of Lancaster furniture manufacturing firm and identify many of the pieces in the sale, complete with original drawings and specifications. The catalog begins with a long and interesting history of the Pierrepont family. Softcover. 8"x10.5", 139 pages, 513 lots, color and b/w illustrations.
Thornton, Peter. Seventeenth-Century Interior Decoration in England, France & Holland. New Haven; Yale University Press for the Paul Mellon Center: 1981. 1st Edition, 3rd Printing. A splendid survey and analysis of the development of European interior decoration in England, France and Holland following the stimulus of the Italian Renaissance. Working from surviving examples of the furniture and decoration of the period, and making full use of prints and paintings, inventories and other documentary evidence, Peter Thornton exhaustively documents and investigates the roles and intentions of the architect, upholsterer and cabinetmaker. Hardcover. 8"x10.5", 427 pages, packed with color and b/w illustrations, dj.
Tingry, P.F. The Painter and Varnisher's Guide; or, A Treatise, both in Theory and Practice, on the Art of Making and Applying Varnishes; on the Different Kinds of Painting; and on the Method of Preparing Colours both simple and compound... London; G. Kearsley: 1804. The first English edition of this classic French work. The illustrations include two very dramatic folding plates showing a blazing, twenty-foot high log furnace for making tar, and a folding plate of the still-like apparatus used for making varnish. Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", xlii + 540 pages; plus 5 engraved plates (3 folding) and a folding table.
Tipping, H Avray English Furniture of the Cabriole Period London: 1922.
Titmuss, F.H. A Concise Encyclopedia of World Timbers. New York; The Philosophical Library:1959. A detailed description of the characteristics and uses of almost 200 timbers from all over the world. 6.5"x10", 264 pages, 30 b&w plates.
Toller, Jane. Papier-Mache in Great Britain and America. London; G. Bell & Sons: 1962. A good examination of late 18th and 19th century papier-mache furniture, trays, boxes and other objects. A well researched study, based on the author's extensive work with period publications, catalogs, and directories, and with many period illustrations of very unusual articles. Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", 126 pages, 1 color and 32 b/w plates and 15 line illustrations, dj.
Toller, Jane. Antique Miniature Furniture in Great Britain and America. London; G. Bell and Sons Ltd.:1966. Covers doll house furniture, cabinetmaker's samples, and children's furniture. 5.5"x9", 112 pages, plus 57 b&w plates.
Tombor, Ilona R. Old Hungarian Painted Woodwork, 15th-19th Centuries. Budapest; Corvina Press: 1967. I love these little Corvina Press books -they bring the vibrant arts of Hungary dramatically alive, and cover subjects not covered half so well elsewhere. This study features carved, polychrome decorated woodwork, mainly architectural ornaments such as ceilings and wall panels, but with a few chests as well. 6.5"x7", 61 pages with b&w illustrations, plus 48 plates, some in color; dj.
Tomlin, Maurice. Catalogue of Adam Period Furniture. London; Victoria & Albert Museum: 1972. A very fine catalog of Adam furniture in the V&A. A scholarly catalog with fine b/w illustrations. Softcover. 7"x9.5",211 pages, many b/w illustrations.
Towner, Wesley [and Stephen Varble]. The Elegant Auctioneers. New York; Hill & Wang: 1970. The story of the rise and fall of Anderson Galleries, the American Art Association and Parke-Bernet, auctioneers to the magnates of the Gilded Age and the early and mid-20th century collectors who assembled legendary collections, only to see them dispersed at legendary sales. This is also the story of the coming-of-age of collecting in America, an often tumultuous and entertainingly raucous tale. Towner was given unprecedented access to Parke-Bernet's files, records and veteran employees in researching this book. Hardcover. 6.5"x9", 632 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.
[Tracy Collection] Important American Furniture, The Collection of the Late Berry B. Tracy. New York; Sotheby's: February 1st, 1985. Sale 5285. Fine Federal and other furniture and accessories from this noted collection. Softcover. 8.5"x10.5", 131 lots, about 60 pages, color and b/w illustrations.
Tracy, Berry B. Federal Furniture and Decorative Arts at Boscobel. New York; Harry N. Abrams and Boscobel Restorations: 1981. "A remarkable collection of Federal period furniture and decorative arts graces Boscobel, a delightful example of New York Federal domestic architecture at Garrison, New York." This handsome, oversized book features brilliant color illustrations of the furniture, silver, paintings and other decorations, and a scholarly text by one of the foremost experts on Federal furniture. Hardcover. 12"x12", 165 pages, 166 color and 49 b/w illustrations, dj.
Tracy, Berry B. & William H. Gerdts. Classical America 1815-1845. Newark Museum: 1963. A "pioneering catalogue" (Ames & Ward) whose decorative arts section "focuses on high-style examples and the understanding of American work in a European context." This is appropriate because the Empire (or Grecian) style was, above all, a European creation, and "high-style" and dramatic in manner. Although there is much material here on furniture, there are also sections devoted to silver, ceramics, glass, wallpaper & textiles, and lamps, stoves & clocks; another section, by William Gerdts, focuses on the fine arts. Many of the objects illustrated and described were from private collections. Semowich 1424. Softcover. 8.5"x10.5", 212 pages, b/w illustrations.
Tracy, Berry Bryson. 19th Century American Furniture in the Collection of the Newark Museum. Newark Museum: Fall, 1961. An issue of "The Museum" devoted to this study, which runs from Federal to Victorian styles. Softcover. 7.5"x10, 22 pages, b/w illustrations.
Trent, Robert F. & Nancy L. Wilson. New London County Joined Chairs 1720-1790. [in the] Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin, Fall, 1985. Based on a CHS exhibition, this includes two articles: 'New London County Joined Chairs: Legacy of a Provincial Elite" by Trent, and 'A Catalogue of New London County Joined Chairs' by Trent and Wilson. Softcover. 6"x9", 199 pages, b/w illustrations.
Trent, Robert F. (ed.). Pilgrim Century Furniture. New York; Main Street Press/Universe Books: 1976. An anthology of articles from the Magazine Antiques concerning American furniture of the 17th century. Authors include Wallace Nutting, Helen Comstock, Irving Lyon, Luke Vincent Lockwood, Homer Eaton Keyes, C.F. Luther, Patricia E. Kane, Benno Forman, and others. Semowich 1522. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 165+ pages, many b/w and some color illustrations.
Trent, Robert Francis. Two Seventeenth-Century Upholstered Chairs. [in the] Essex Institute Historical Collections: January, 1980. Trent examines a newly-identified type of Boston-area, 17th century upholstered chair. Softcover. 6"x9", pp. 34-40 [article], 6 b/w illustrations.
Trent, Robert. Hearts & Crowns: Folk Chairs of the Connecticut Coast, 1720-1840, as viewed in the light of Henri Focillon's Introduction to 'Art Populaire'. New Haven Colony Historical Society: 1977. "An excellent book that deals mainly with banister-back and other 18th century chairs" (Semowich). Semowich 832. Ames & Ward. Softcover. 9"x12", 101 pages, b/w illustrations.
Trent, Robert. The Spencer Chairs and Regional Chair Making in the Connecticut River Valley, 1639-1863. [in the] Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin, Fall, 1984. Also contains the articles "Planemaking by the Chapins at Pine Meadow, (New Hartford) 1826-1929" by Kenneth D. Roberts, and "Abiel Pease: An Unknown Connecticut Sword Maker" by William H. Guthman. Softcover. 6"x9", 21 pages (article), b/w illustrations.
Trubner, Henry & William Jay Rathburn. China's Influence on American Culture in the 18th and 19th Centuries. China Institute in America / Seattle Art Museum: 1976. A loan exhibition staged as part of the Bicentennial festivities, which drew on both public and private collections. The items were predominantly porcelains, but also included furniture, silver, textiles, paintings and other objects. Softcover. 8"x9", 94 pages, b/w and color illustrations.
True Gospel Simplicity: Shaker Furniture in New Hampshire. An Exhibition at the New Hampshire Historical Society. Concord; NHHS:1974. 8.5"x11", 30 pages, 37 b&w illustrations, including several period photos; softcover.
Tucker, Henrietta. The Cedar Furniture of Bermuda. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. February, 1925.
Twiston-Davies, L. & H.J. Lloyd-Johnes. Welsh Furniture. An Introduction. Cardiff; University of Wales Press: 1950. The first book dealing specifically with Welsh furniture, chiefly of the 17th-19th centuries. The authors scoured English museums and libraries in their research, and also made use of Dan R. Jones' unpublished thesis on Welsh furniture. 6.5"x9.5", 53 pages + 126 b&w illustrations.
[Tyler Collection] Selections from the Private Collection of the Late Charles Hitchcock Tyler... New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: January 24-28th, 1933. Sale 4018. An early member of the Walpole Society, Charles Hitchcock Tyler was a noted collector of Americana and decorative arts. This auction included "Early American Furniture, including a number of fine duplicates from the collection willed by Mr. Tyler to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, a large group of Ralph Wood and Walton Staffordshire figures...silver and Sheffield plate, French animal bronzes... a Paul Revere Church bell". Softcover. 6.5"x9.5", 241 pages, 1,222 lots; b/w illustrations.
[Undertaker's Card] "Davis Brothers, Dealers in Fine, Medium and Common Furniture, Drapery Poles and Curtain Fixtures. Five and Ten Cent Goods a Specialty. Also, Funeral and Furnishing Undertakers. Davis Block, Tenant's Harbor, Maine. Probably 1890-1900. An interesting card showing the various businesses with which small-town undertakers were engaged in the late 19th century. 3"x4.5", nice typography.
Unselt, Johannes. Newes Zierathen Buch... Augsburg: 1695. Three suites of Baroque designs for craftsmen, especially cabinetmakers and metalworkers, removed from a larger collection of engravings by the noted 17th century designer Johannes Unselt. The first suite includes a decorated title page and 5 more plates, illustrating a variety of decorative objects decorated with fancy Baroque scrolls, leaves, fruits, flowers, and so on. These objects include chairs, frames, runners, tables and candlesticks; the next suite (bound with the first) is incomplete and lacks a title page; it consists of four folding plates (numbered 3-4-5-6), and features more Baroque frenzy, featuring scrolls, cherubs, satyrs, flowers, and more. All 4 folding plates are in poor condition- Plate 3 is in two pieces, with a little loss at the split; Plates 4 and 5 have partially split folds; Plate 6 has chips, a tear, a split, and is lacking the upper and lower corners, with image loss. The third suite consists of five plates, including the title page, illustrating very fancy and elaborate scrollworks.
[Untermyer Collection] The Untermyer Collection, at "Greystone", Yonkers, N.Y. Owned by the Late Samuel Untermyer and His Children. Parts One & Two. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: May 10th-11th and 15th-17th, 1940. Samuel Untermyer was a noted New York attorney with a fine eye for art. This magnificent two-part sale included a vast array of 18th century furniture and accessories, as well as a very catholic collection of paintings, which included American and English 19th century paintings, Primitive Italian and Flemish paintings, English 18th century paintings, Gothic and Renaissance artworks, oriental rugs, tapestries, and more. Also included was Whistler's famous 'Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket'. It was Ruskin's scathing criticism of this painting in 1877 at the Royal Academy which led to the infamous lawsuit; Whistler also alludes to the controversy in "The Gentle Art of Making Enemies". Untermyer purchased the painting from Whistler in 1892. Card covers. 2 volumes. 8"x11", 145 pages & 190 pages, 1,037 lots, many b/w illustrations.
Valuable Secrets Concerning Arts and Trades: or Approved Directions, from the best Artists... London; Will Hay:1775 (1774). A guide to the techniques, secrets and formulas used by artists, artisans and others for engraving, metalwork, varnishing, glass and paste gemstones, paints and painting, gilding, staining, inks, wines, vinegars, liquors and oils, foods and fruits, snuff, removing stains, etc. Several other editions were published, including one in America in the same year, and in Dublin in 1798. 3.75"x6.5", 312 pages.
'Various Writers'. The Cabinet Maker. A Practical Guide to the Principles of Design, and the Economical and Sound Construction of Household Furniture, Furnishings, and Fittings. Together with treatises on the designing and setting out of mouldings, and of ornamental or cut-wood work. London; Ward, Lock, Bowden, and Co.: 1892. An interesting work, based in large part on material previously published periodically in 'The Industrial Self-Instructor'. In addition to giving aspiring cabinetmakers technical instruction, the editor notes that he wants to make them aware of the principles of good design as well, which he sees sadly lacking in current furniture, much of which illustrates "such monstrosities of design that it may well be doubted whether any thought was given to the purposes of household convenience, utility and comfort". Hardcover. 5.5"x8", xii + 178 pages with many text illustrations, plus 20 folding plates on 10 sheets (printed double-sided).
[Vaughn Collection] American Furniture with Labeled, Documented & Pedigreed Examples by Eminent XVIII-XIX Century Craftsmen. A Private Collection Removed From the New Rochelle Home of the Owner, Roland V. Vaughn. New York; Anderson Galleries: November 14th, 1931. Sale 3926. A collection of fine Colonial and Federal furniture and accessories. 8"x11", 89 pages, 138 lots, b&w illustrations.
Vedder, Alan C. Furniture of Spanish New Mexico. Santa Fe; Sunstone Press: 1982. A study of antique Hispanic New Mexican furniture, including chests, trasteros, alacenas, repisas, tables, chairs, benches & stools, and the tools used to make them. Semowich 1006. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 96 pages, b/w illustrations.
Venable, Charles L. American Furniture in the Bybee Collection. Austin; University of Texas Press: 1989. A wide-ranging collection, from 17th century tables to a Sam Maloof rocker. Jonathan L. Fairbanks contributed the Introduction. A beautiful catalog. Hardcover. 9.5"x12.5", 192 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.
Verlet, Pierre. French Royal Furniture. An Historical survey followed by a study of forty pieces preserved in Great Britain and the United States. London; Barrie & Rockcliff: 1963. A study of furniture commissioned by the French Royal Family in the 17th and 18th centuries, illustrating the very best French cabinetmaking and leading styles and designs of the period. Includes an appendix on marks on the furniture, with illustrations. Hardcover. 7"x9.5", 201 pages, plus 4 color and many b/w plates.
Vernay. An Eighteenth Century Adam Cabinet. New York; Arthur S. Vernay, Inc: 1930. Printed by the Garamond Press, Baltimore in an edition limited to 200 copies. A catalog describing and illustrating a magnificent Adam-designed cabinet, probably made by Chippendale. In absolutely original condition, with Battersea enamel labels on the pigeon-holes and ram's hoof feet, this beautiful cabinet was made sometime between 1765 and 1770. The catalog is elegantly printed on thick, deckle-edged paper and illustrated with color and black & white plates. The presentation line indicates that this copy was given to "Mrs. William Russell Grace". William Russell Grace (1832-1904) was the first Catholic mayor of New York and founder of W.R. Grace; however, it is probable that this catalog was given not to his wife, but to his son's (William Russell Grace Jr.) wife. Hardcover. 10"x12", 10 pages, 5 tipped-in b/w plates, 2 pasted-in color plates, decorated title page and 1 color illustration.
Viaux, Jacqueline. Bibliographie du Meuble (Mobilier civil francais). [with the] Supplement 1965-1985. Paris; Ancien Hotel des Archeveques de Sens:1966 [&] 1988. A magnificent bibliography of over 7000 entries concerning French furniture, cross-indexed every which way. 2 volumes. 6.5"x9.5", 587 + 624 pages, softcovers.
Vienne 1815-1848, un Nouvel Art de Vivre a l'Epoque Biedermeier. Paris; Atelier Phillippe Gentil: 1990. An exhibition of Biedermeier art, furniture, ceramics, silver and jewelry in Vienna, staged with the aid of the Bundesmobilien Verwaltung, the Osterreichisches Museum, the Vienna History Museum and the Vienna Kunsthistoriches Museum. Loaded with color and b/w photographs, not only of objects but interiors. French text. Softcover. 8.5"x10", 181+ pages; profusely illustrated in color and b/w.
Villard, Paul A Manual of Veneering. Princeton: D. Van Nostrand Company: 1968. One of the best, most helpful and invormative guides. 6"x9", 174 pages, color frontispiece and many b&w illustrations, dj.
Vors, Frederic. Bibelots and Curios: A Manual for Collectors, with a Glossary of Technical Terms. New York; D. Appleton and Company: 1879. A clever little book with chapters on pottery, porcelain, glass, stained glass, enamels, metal-work, arms, clocks, watches, musical instruments, fans, lacquer-work and furniture. Obviously of little practical use to the modern collector, but a good example of the sort of very early collecting manual which served as an inspiration for pioneering individuals and collecting clubs in Victorian days. Hardcover. 4.75"x6.25", 116 pages, plus 12 pages of publishers' advertisements.
Wace, A.J.B. Illustrated Catalogue of the Loan Exhibition of English Decorative Art at Lansdowne House, February 17th-28th, 1929. London; The Collector:1929. Edition limited to 750 copies. A very important loan exhibition of textiles and furniture, designed to illustrate the progression of English decorative arts from 1460 to 1820. Aside from the furniture and textiles, which form the nucleus and most important part, there is also silver and vertu included. 8.5"x11", 112 pages of text plus 6 color and 96 b&w plates.
Wagner, Charles L.H. Text Book of Gilding for Sign and Related Arts. Boston; Wagner School of Sign and Commercial Art: 1950. Considering that gilding in gold and silver leaf has always been one of the fundamental artists and cabinetmaker's arts, it is surprising that there are so very few practical treatises on the subject. How many cabinetmakers and artists began as a gilder's assistant? 20th century master-forger Federico Icilio Joni began as a gilder in an Italian cabinetry shop... This certainly qualifies as an extremely practical treatise, and will give art and furniture dealers and collectors a good background in this arcane yet essential art. Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", 115 pages, b/w frontispiece and line illustrations, dj.
Wagner, Pamela, et al. Hidden Heritage. Recent Discoveries in Georgia Decorative Art, 1733-1915. Atlanta; High Museum of Art: 1990. An exhibition of previously unrecorded Georgia decorative arts, basically furniture and textiles, from the four regions of the state- Highlands, Piedmont, Coastal Plain and Tidewater. The entries are carefully written and accompanied by clear color and b/w photographs. There is also a helpful bibliography. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 127 pages, filled with color and b/w illustrations.
Wainwright, Nicholas B. Colonial Grandeur in Philadelphia. The House and Furniture of General John Cadwalader. Philadelphia; Historical Society of Pennsylvania:1964. The carefully documented story of how a great Philadelphia mansion was decorated and furnished in Colonial times. General Cadwalader's house was said to have been one of the grandest and most magnificent in the city, and scores of Philadelphia master craftsmen created furnishings and decorations for it. An unprecedented number of original documents, bills, and other correspondence concerning its building, furnishing and ultimate dispersal have survived, and provide an enlightening and important glimpse of the 18th century. 8.5"x11", 169 pages, profusely illustrated in b&w, dj.
Waissenberger, Robert (ed.). Vienna in the Biedermeier Era, 1815-1848. London; Alpine Fine Arts: 1986. An intensely well illustrated survey of the life and arts of this exuberant era. With essays by many different experts. Hardcover. 9"x10.5", 280 pages, 80 color and 220 b/w illustrations, dj.
Walcott, William S., Jr. Furniture in the Old Hartford State House. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. July, 1928. Not located by Semowich.
Walcott, William Stuart, Jr. Samuel Adams' Furniture. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. April, 1929. Not located by Semowich.
Walker, Philip (ed.). The Victorian Catalogue of Tools for Trades and Crafts. London; Studio Editions: 1994. A facsimile of the plates from the tool catalog issued by Timmins & Sons of Birmingham in 1845. This includes tools for cabinetmaking, carpentry, shoemaking, saddlery, draughtsmanship, and other trades. Walker provides an informative and interesting introduction, and a description of the uses of many of the tools illustrated. Hardcover. 10.5"x8", 22 pages + 162 b/w plates, dj; bibliography.
Walker, Philip. Woodworking Tools. Shire Publications: 1983. Album #50. Bits, saws, planes, augers, braces, etc. Softcover. 6"x8", 32 pages, b/w illustrations.
Walkling, Gillian. Antique Bamboo Furniture. London; Bell & Hyman: 1979. A well-illustrated survey of all sorts of antique bamboo furniture, both 18th century China Trade pieces imported to England and America, and Victorian manufactured bamboo and imitation-bamboo furniture. Also includes lists of bamboo furniture manufacturers and cane importers. A smallish book, but fierce. Hardcover. 6"x9.5", 127 pages, 4 color plates, 136 b/w illustrations, dj.
Wall, William E. Graining, Ancient and Modern. Somerville; Published by the author: 1905. 1st edition. William E. Wall, considered to be one of the preeminent grain-painters and marblers, was himself the son of a grainer. Edmund Wall established his shop in Cambridgeport, Massachusetts, where his son learned the trade and eventually took over the business. William received many awards and medals for his work, including medals at the Columbian Exposition, the St. Louis World's Fair, the Jamestown Tercentennial and the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition. He wrote several books and pamphlets on graining, of which "Graining, Ancient and Modern" is the most famous. This book is one of the classic modern studies of graining techniques and history, with many illustrations and complete descriptions of tools, methods and recipes. Although revised and augmented in later editions, the first edition is the only one to include a photo of the members of the Grainers' Association of Boston, Massachusetts and Vicinity. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 137 pages, plus 56 [+3] b/w and color plates.
Wall, William E. Graining, Ancient and Modern. Somerville; Published by the author: 1924. 2nd, revised edition. This 2nd edition was revised and enlarged. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 143 pages, plus 56 b/w and color plates.
Wall, William E. Graining, Ancient and Modern. Wilmette; Frederick J. Drake: 1955. 3rd, revised & enlarged edition.This 3rd edition was revised and enlarged. Hardcover. 6"x9", 208 pages, b/w and color illustrations, dj.
Wall, William E. Graining, Ancient and Modern. New York; Drake Publishers: 1972. Revised edition. This edition was revised by F.N. Vanderwalker. Hardcover. 6"x9", 209 pages, b/w and many color plates, dj.
[Walters Collection] The Mrs. Henry Walters Art Collection. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: April 23rd-26th, and April 30th-May 3rd, 1941. One of the most elegant sets of American auction catalogs ever produced- Wesley Towner, in "The Elegant Auctioneers", calls them "imposing volumes with the feel of great books". Mrs. Pembroke Jones, herself a rich widow, had become the collecting companion, and then the wife, of Henry Walters long after his museum in Baltimore had been filled. Her mansions in Newport, New York and Wilmington were filled with "the porcelain subtleties of rose de Pompadour and rose du Barry, and unearthly Sevres blues. Sculptures by Houdon, Clodion, and Falconet, mingled with a galaxy of signed pieces by the greatest ebenistes the world has ever known- such sovereign relics as a commode fashioned for Marie Antoinette, another purchased by King George III of England at auction on the public square at Versailles after the French Revolution. France was her first love, but the enthusiasm of Mrs. Walters did not stop there. She also had a taste for Greco-Roman antiquities, Gothic choir stalls, and carved ivories, the arts of Persia, China and Japan; her syllabus of personal adornment included a collection of Renaissance jewels that Catherine de Medici might have worn with pride...Few are the collections of French art, private or in museums, that are not in her debt. Again and again her treasures have reappeared at auction, often to be knocked down at ten or twenty times the amount paid for them in 1941". Hardcover. 2 volumes. 8"x11", 544 pages, 1,456 lots; profusely illustrated in b/w with many gravure plates with tissue guards; several color plates.
Walters, Betty Lawson. The King of Desks: Wooton's Patent Secretary. Washington; Smithsonian Institution Press: 1969. A well-illustrated study of this truly American invention -the Wooton desk, which had more nooks and crannies to lose important papers in than an Arthur Anderson auditor's office. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 31 pages, b/w illustrations.
Wands, Scott Lannon. William G. Beesley (1797-1842), Windsor Chairmaker, Colourman, and Decorative Painter of Salem, New Jersey. University of Delaware: 2003/UMI Reprints. A master's thesis. A scholarly transcription and analysis of the daybooks for 1828-1830 and 1937-1842 of southern New Jersey chairmaker and interior paint supplier William Beesley. Beesley's daybooks have been held at the Salem County Historical Society, but this was the first time they had been thoroughly analyzed. "The study of Beezley's daybooks reveals important information about the types of chairs manufactured and sold in Salem, New Jersey, about the production and sale of decorative and house paint, and about the artisan network present there in the 1820s and 1830s." Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 321 pages, poor b/w illustrations. A reprint from microfilm, with consequent degradation of b/w photos.
Wanscher, Ole. The Art of Furniture. 5000 Years of Furniture and Interiors. New York; Reinhold Publishing:1966. An important study of the development of furniture style and utility, written by a leading Danish furniture designer and furniture historian. With the eye of a cabinetmaker, Wanscher traces the evolution of furnishings from ancient times through the 20th century in Europe, the East and America. He traces developing styles and uses, and notes some things which have not changed in 5000 years! 8.5"x10.5", 419 pages, color frontispiece and hundreds of b&w illustrations, dj.
Wanscher, Ole. Sella Curulis. The Folding Stool, an Ancient Symbol of Dignity. Copenhagen; Rosenkilde and Bagger: 1980. A fascinating study of the development of the folding stool throughout history, making use of numerous woodcuts, drawings, carvings, frescoes, etc, to document its evolution. From ancient Egypt and Rome, where the Roman Sella Curulis became the official seat of the high magistrate and the consular symbol of the Emperor, to later European traditions where the folding stool was the special seat of the Bishop, to Napoleon's camp chair, the form has been used, re-used and expanded upon. Evidently the only full-length monograph on this subject. Scarce. Hardcover. 7"x9.5", 350 pages, profusely illustrated in b/w, dj.
Ward, Gerald W.R. American Case Furniture in the Mabel Brady Garvan and Other Collections at Yale University. New Haven; Yale University Art Gallery: 1988. "This handsome book offers comprehensive descriptions of chests, dressers, desks, cupboards, and other types of furniture. Yale's renowned collection is celebrated with color plates that reveal the beauty and craft of such objects as an ornately carved chest from late-eighteenth-century Boston and a modernist 1950 sideboard by Dan Cooper. Ward's introductory essay surveys the diverse uses to which these objects were put over the years." Hardcover. 9.5"x10.5", 485 pages, 25 color plates, 233 black-and-white illustrations, dj.
Ward, Gerald W.R. (ed.). The Eye of the Beholder. Fakes, Replicas and Alterations in American Art. New Haven; Yale University Art Gallery: 1977. The catalog to an important exhibition which examined faked, altered, "revivial" and mis-attributed American art, furniture, silver, glass and ceramics along with genuine examples. Some questionable pieces, such as the Karolik-Collection side chair which may or may not be American, and may or may not be by Benjamin Randolph, are also included. The text is fully annotated, which can lead the reader on some interesting side-trips. Includes a Foreword by Charles Montgomery and Preface by Alan Shestack, as well as contributions by Edward S. Cooke, Jr., David Park Curry, Francis J. Puig, Barbara McLean Ward, and others. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 95 pages, b/w illustrations.
Ward, Gerald W.R. [ed]. Perspectives on American Furniture. New York; W.W. Norton, in association with Winterthur:1980. A series of essays on a variety of topics by noted scholars. An important reference. 5.5"x8.5", 360 pages, b&w illustrations, dj.
Ward, J.D.U. Uncommon Woods in Fine English Furniture. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. June, 1939.
[Waring Collection] Early American Stencils & Stenciled Furniture From the Collection of Miss Janet Waring... Springfield; George Walter Vincent Smith Art Gallery: 1939. "Together with numerous choice examples from various other private sources". In 1937 Waring had published her groundbreaking study of American wall stencils. This exhibition featured photographs of extant wall decorations as well as furniture, tinware, and some old stencils and stenciling tools, some of which were identified by their owner/maker, including William Eaton, George Lord and Jarred Johnson. The examples were drawn from private collections, included those of Waring as well as Esther Stevens Brazer, and others. Softcover. 6.25"x9.5", 20 pages, 3 b/w illustrations, comprising a piano, settee, and tinware tray.
Warren, David B. Bayou Bend. American Furniture, Paintings, and Silver from the Bayou Bend Collection. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston / New York Graphic Society: 1975. The catalog of furniture, silver and paintings from this important collection which was assembled by Ima Hogg, a collector of American arts during the first "Golden Age", from the 1920s through the 1950s. Her collection, along with the Bayou Bend mansion to house it, was given to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. Semowich 1532. Hardcover. 9"x12", 192 pages, b/w and color illustrations, dj.
Warren, William L. Were the Guilford Painted Chests Made in Saybrook? [in the] Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin, January, 1958. An enquiry into some related late 17th-early 18th century painted chests. This issue also includes the article "A Discovery on the Connecticut Chest" by Houghton Bulkeley, and "An Authentic Antique", by Newton C. Brainard, an interesting short essay on the faking of antiques by several clever fakers who were targeting some unsuspecting Hartford-area collectors. Softcover. 6"x9", 32 pages (total), b/w illustrations.
Warwick, Edward. The Source of an American Chippendale Chair. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. March, 1929. Explores English pattern books and their affect on American cabinetmakers.
Waters, Deborah Dependahl. Delaware Collections in the Museum of the Historical Society of Delaware. Wilmington; Historical Society of Delaware: 1984. A nicely illustrated catalog to the collections of furniture, silver and paintings. With a foreword by Charles T. Lyle. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 152 pages, filled with b/w illustrations.
Waters, Deborah Dependahl. Plain and Ornamental: Delaware Furniture 1740-1890. Wilmington; The Historical Society of Delaware: 1984. Published in conjunction with a loan exhibition. The catalog includes an Introduction by Charles G. Dorman. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 60 pages, b/w illustrations.
Watin, M. L'Art du Peintre, Doreur, Vernisseur, ouvrage utile aux artistes & aux amateurs qui veulent entreprendre de peindre, dorer & vernir toutes sortes de sujets et batiments, meubles, bijous, equipages, &c... Paris; Chez Durand: 1776. 3rd edition. "The Art of the Painter, Gilder and Varnisher". A popular 18th century work that went through several editions, this important text was also translated into German. Important and interesting as the techniques and formulas in the main text are, the supplemental material is every bit as interesting. It includes an essay on Chinese Varnishes, as well as price lists of goods offered for sale by Watin. These included a large variety of prints illustrating interior, furniture, silver and jewelry designs; and painter's, gilder's and varnisher's supplies, colors and ingredients. 5"x8", xxviii + 371 pages.
Watson, Aldren A. Country Furniture New York: Thomas Y Crowell, 1974. 8"x10", 274 pages, illustrated throughout with line drawings.
Watson, F.J.B. Louis XVI Furniture. London/New York; Academy Editions/St. Martin's Press: 1973.Eighteenth century France provided the perfect environment for the creation of great furniture- a guild system which encouraged specialization was combined with the exuberant excess of the period and the French taste for gilt, beautiful woods and showy forms; the result was the development of some of the most beautiful cabinetmaking ever accomplished. This is a good guide to the furniture, its makers, and their techniques, with illustrations drawn from several outstanding collections including those of the English Royal Collection, the Wallace Collection, and those of the V&A and Waddeson Manor. Hardcover. 6.5"x7.5", 162 pages plus 242 b/w illustrations, dj.
Watson, F.J.B. Wallace Collection Catalogues - Furniture. London; printed for the Trustees by William Clowes and Sons, Ltd.: 1956. A catalog of the furniture from this important collection of 17th and 18th century French decorative arts formed by the First, Second, Third and Fourth Marquess' of Hertford. "It is the French furniture at Hertford House more than anything else which gives the Wallace Collection its special character," notes James Mann, the Director, in this catalog. It was the Fourth Marquess who made the collection what it is today. Mann says- "The Fourth Marquess of Hertford, born in the last year of the eighteenth century, showed in this, as he did in other matters, his marked individual taste. He cared nothing for fashion or the opinion of others. The thirty years during which he lived in Paris enabled him to take full advantage of the dispersal of the contents of many French royal and noble houses...". A scholarly catalog with very detailed entries. Hardcover. 6.5"x10", lxvi + 360 pages, plus 120 b/w plates.
Watson, F.J.B. The Wrightsman Collection. Vol. 1- Furniture [&] Volume 2- Furniture, Gilt Bronzes, Carpets. New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1966. The first two volumes (of an eventual five) of the catalog of the Wrightsman Collection, one of the foremost collections of French 18th century decorative and fine arts in America. This set is complete in itself; later volumes covered such topics as porcelains and paintings. These two volumes contain pictures and descriptions of some 500 pieces with physical description, attribution, provenance, and bibliographical citations for each piece. There are also photographs of craftsmen's marks, an appendix on the Savonnerie manufactory, biographies of craftsmen, and a glossary of French technical terms. 2 vols. Hardcovers. 10"x11.5", 671 pages, 332 illustrations, including 35 color plates.
Watts, Melvin E. Eagles, Urns and Columns: Decorative Arts of the Federal Period. Manchester; Currier Gallery of Art: 1979. A checklist of the exhibition, with several illustrations. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 19 pages, several b/w illustrations.
Watts, W.W. An Exhibition of Works of Art Belonging to the Livery Companies of the City of London. London; Victoria & Albert Museum:1927. Revised edition. The various Livery Companies often decorated their halls in a grand manner, and much early material has survived. This exhibition was mainly devoted to silver of the 15th-18th centuries, and there was also a good array of 16th-18th century furniture, clocks, extraordinary embroideries, brocades and tapestry. 6.5"x10", 81 pages plus 80 b&w plates.
Waxman, Lorraine. French Influence on American Decorative Arts of the Early Nineteenth Century. The Work of Charles-Honore Lannuier. University of Delaware (Winterthur): 1958. A doctoral dissertation. Card covers. 8.5"x11", 241 pages, many fair-middling quality b/w illustrations.
Webster, Donald B. English-Canadian Furniture of the Georgian Period. Toronto; McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd.:1979. It comes as a surprise that not all early Canadian furniture was country pine. This study illustrates and examines fine furniture in the English cabinetmaking tradition of the late 18th century up to about 1830. 8.5"x11", 232 pages, 309 b&w and several color illustrations, dj.
Weidman, Gregory R. Furniture in Maryland 1740-1940: The Collection of the Maryland Historical Society. Baltimore; Maryland Historical Society: 1984. A catalog of 260 selected objects from the MHS collection. Although a majority of the furniture was made in Maryland, a substantial portion was made in other places and brought to Maryland by the families which eventually donated it, thus providing an intriguing study of Maryland furniture taste in the 18th and 19th centuries. Softcover. 9"x12", many b/w and several color illustrations.
Wenn, Leslie. Restoring Antique Furniture. London; Barrie & Jenkins: 1976. A good basic guide- nothing too detailed or complex, but an explanation of basic restoration techniques and repairs. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 96 pages, b/w and line illustrations, dj.
West European Mosaic of the 13th-19th Centuries in the Collection of the Hermitage. Leningrad; Sovietsky Khudozhnik:1968. The interesting thing about this study is that it includes a wealth of inlaid furniture. Almost all the material here, furniture and otherwise, is attributed either to Florence or Rome, and some really spectacular work is included. 9"x12", 111 pages, English picture captions, 78 items illustrated in color and b&w.
White, Margaret E, et al. Early Furniture made in New Jersey, 1690-1870. The Newark Museum: 1959. A loan exhibition with a listing of known New Jersey cabinetmakers. Illustrations and descriptions of some pieces, as well as an important biographical checklist of over 1000 cabinetmakers. There is also "an excellent essay on early New Jersey furniture" (Semowich). Semowich 997. Softcover. 8"x10", 89 pages, b/w illustrations.
White, Margaret E. The Decorative Arts of Early New Jersey. Princeton; D. Van Nostrand Company: 1964. Part of a series published to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of New Jersey. Margaret White, who also wrote a catalog solely devoted to New Jersey furniture, covers glass, pottery, weaving, silversmiths and clockmakers, and furniture in this short but informative book. Hardcover. 5.5"x8.5", 137 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.
Whitehill, Walter M., et al. Boston Furniture of the Eighteenth Century. Charlottesville; University Press of Virginia: 1986. A classic study, based on a conference held by the Colonial Society. It includes papers by Brock Jobe on the "Boston Furniture Industry 1720-1740"; Dean A. Fales, Jr. on "Boston Japanned Furniture"; Sinclair H. Hitchings on "Boston's Colonial Japanners"; Margaretta Markle Lovell on "Boston Blockfront Furniture"; Gilbert T. Vincent on "The Bombe Furniture of Boston"; Mary Ellen Hayward Yehia on "Ornamental Carving on Boston Furniture of the Chippendale Style"; Richard H. Randall, Jr. on Benjamin Frothingham; and Gordon Saltar on "New England Timbers...Boston Cabinetwoods of the 18th Century". Semowich 907. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 316 pages, 174 b/w illustrations, dj.
Whitehill, Walter Muir. The Arts in Early American History. Needs and Opportunities for Study. With a Bibliography by Wendell D. Garrett and Jane N. Garrett. University of North Carolina Press: 1965. In addition to Whitehill's essay, this is a valuable resource because of the 120 page bibliography of "The Arts in Early American History" by the Garretts. Hardcover. 6"x9", 170 pages.
Whitesides, Mary. Wicker Design. Salt Lake City; Gibbs Smith: 2003. A pictorial survey of fine wicker furniture of the last hundred and twenty-five years and its possibilities in decorating today. Whitesides, an interior designer by trade, enlisted the aid of several specialist antique dealers and some high-style photographers to create a slick (not scholarly) glossy book filled with photos that could have come out of Architectural Digest or a decorating magazine. Lovers of wicker will find much to love here by just browsing the photographs, and the somewhat cursory text manages to contain a few nuggets as well. Hardcover. 9"x10.5", 143 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.
Whitley, Mrs. Wade A Checklist of Kentucky Cabinetmakers from 1775 to 1859 KY: 1969.
[Whitmarsh Collection] The Art Collection of the Late Lillian S. Whitmarsh. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: April 7-8th, 1961. Sale 2029. A superb collection of important Chippendale furniture, including a Kingwood and burl yew marquetry serpentine-front commode mounted with ormolu; a fret-carved mahogany spider-leg tea table with claw and ball feet, believed to be the first such example sold at auction in America; a magnificent and superb Adam-Chippendale carved and gilded demilune console with harewood marquetry top, and a Adam-Chippendale satinwood and mahogany marquetry serpentine-front commode, mounted in ormolu, both of which were believed to have been executed by Thomas Chippendale to the order of Robert Adam. Softcover. 7.5"x11", 158 pages, 386 lots, b/w illustrations.
Whitson, Robley Edward, et al. The Shakers. An Exhibition Concerning Their Furniture, Artifacts and Religion with emphasis on Enfield, Connecticut. Women's Auxiliary of the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Hartford: 1975. A loan exhibition of furniture, sewing implements, and household tools and artifacts. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 38 pages, b/w illustrations.
Whittock, Nathaniel. The Decorative Painter's and Glazier's Guide; containing the most approved methods of imitating Oak, Mahogany, Maple, Rose, Cedar, Coral, and every other kind of fancy wood; Verd Antique, Dove, Sienna, Porphyry, White Veined, and other Marbles; in oil or distemper colour; Designs for Decorating Apartments, in accordance with the various styles of architecture; with directions for stenciling, and process for destroying damp in walls; also a Complete Body of Information on the Art of Staining and Painting on Glass; plans for the erection of apparatus for annealing it; and the method of joining figures together by leading, with examples from ancient windows. London; Isaac Taylor Hinton:1827. One of the earliest, if not the earliest, English guidebooks for grain-painting. It is certainly one of the most dramatic, with spectacular colored plates of wood and marble grains, and complete textual instructions and formulas. The glazier's guide is also of great interest to glass historians, as are the many plates of window traceries and "painted" glass windows, some in color. There is also an interesting and detailed section on interior decorating with information concerning wall painting and decoration, painting transparent blinds, etc. 8.5"x10.5", 332 pages, 85 lithographed plates, of which 31 are hand colored with watercolors and gum arabic.
Wick, Wendy Caroline. Stephen Girard: A Patron of the Philadelphia Furniture Trade. Wendy Caroline Wick: 1977/Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints. A thesis submitted to the University of Delaware. Between about 1780 and 1820 Girard, a successful Philadelphia businessman, patronized many Philadelphia cabinetmakers, silversmiths and other artisans. After his death his collection was preserved intact, along with many of the original invoices, bills and other notes. This all provides a valuable record of how a wealthy Philadelphia merchant furnished his house during an especially exciting period in American arts. This thesis focuses on his patronage of cabinetmakers. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 284 pages; very poor b/w reproductions of photographs; a reprint from the original microfilm.
Wildridge, T. Tindall. The Grotesque in Church Art... London; William Andrews & Co.: 1899. Edition limited to 400 numbered copies, of which this is copy #1. An engaging study of "grotesques" in Gothic ornament, specifically church ornament, and the origins of their symbolism. Illustrated with many wonderful examples drawn from unsuspecting and otherwise perfectly respectable English churches. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", vii, [ii], plus 228 pages, line illustrations and 1 b/w plate.
Wilkie, Angus. Biedermeier. New York; Abbeville Press: 1987. A beautiful coffee-table book exploring the decorative and fine arts of the Biedermeier masters. Includes much information on German cabinetmakers of the period. Also includes a number of brilliant period watercolors showing Biedermeier period interiors. Hardcover. 10.5"x12", 216 pages, loaded with color and b/w illustrations, dj.
[Williams Collection] Superb Chippendale and Other XVIII English Furniture...and other Art Property of the Estate of the Late Emily Coddington Williams. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: May 15-16th, 1953. Sale 1443. Some really fine Chippendale and other English furniture- a William & Mary "Oystered" walnut and marquetry cabinet, "oystered" marquetry tallboy, and a c.1710 inlaid burl elm secretary with maker's label, etc. Softcover. 7"x10", 98 pages, 449 lots, b/w illustrations.
Williams, Derita Coleman & Nathan Harsh. The Art and Mystery of Tennessee Furniture and Its makers Through 1850. Nashville; Tennessee Historical Society: 1988. An important study with much new material on cabinetmaking in Tennessee and Tennessee cabinetmakers. The illustrated section provides a survey of Tennessee furniture by type, and the appendices include very valuable brief biographical listing of hundreds of "artisans associated with furniture making in Tennessee through 1850". This fine book is no longer available from the THS. Hardcover. 9"x11.5", 344 pages, profusely illustrated in b/w and color; dj.
Williams, H. Lionel. Country Furniture of Early America. New York; A.S. Barnes: 1963. An early popular appreciation of colonial-era furniture, with an emphasis on looking at the design and construction from the eye of the woodworker. Fun and enthusiastic rather than deeply scholarly. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 138 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.
Williams, Robert Folkstone. An Historical Sketch of the Art of Sculpture in Wood, from the Earliest Period to the Present Time; with notices of the most remarkable sculptural works in the same material now remaining in Europe, and some Account of the Designers. London; published at the Library of the Fine Arts: 1835. "The savage who tattoos his flesh, is a painter -the barbarian who ornaments his club with carvings, is a sculptor -the Indian who constructs his wigwam in the forest, is an architect -the cannibal who sings in triumph while his enemy is burning at the stake, is a musician -and all are artists."
The author came from an architectural background and approached his subject with the eye of the architectural historian, treating not only sculpture but also all other types of decorative carving to be found in churches, cathedrals and the great houses. Mantelpieces, railings, even furniture fascinated him, and he treated all as more or less equal products of the chisel. Williams begins his essay in the dim ages of antiquity before exploring the woodcarver's art in Europe and England from the early times through the 17th and 18th centuries. He spends most of his time in England and Italy, although France and Germany are certainly not neglected. He then returns to the far east and ancient times in an appendix. Williams is nothing if not forthright, with an eye for the odd-
"There are many bas-reliefs, particularly those carved underneath the seats of the choirs of different religious structures, that represent grotesque , and even obscene subjects, altogether at variance with the sacred character of the buildings in which they are placed. Something of this kind may be observed in Worcester cathedral, in Ely cathedral, in the priory church of Great Malvern, and in many other ecclesiastical edifices. What may be thought most singular, is, that these sculptures sometimes represent priests and other religious persons, engaged in actions of a very profane description. For a satisfactory reason for this, I am indebted to my friend, Mr. Cottingham.
"The sculptors who executed those carvings were the caricaturists of the time; and, as different religious communities were frequently at variance with each other, they employed these artists to satirize their mutual follies and vices. Under their seats they concealed from the public eye, but exposed for their own private gratification, a series of pictorial libels. In one place, the monks of a certain order are represented as licentious, ridiculous, and depraved: -in the building belonging to these holy fathers, will, probably, be found a similar series of bas-reliefs, exposing the secret debaucheries of the sacred brotherhood by whom they have been libelled- but never, in any church, will a priest of that order be represented in an unholy character. He will very likely be discovered thus pictured in the church of the Franciscan, while the follower of St. Francis receives the same treatment from the Carthusian brethren in their own buildings. The various monastic establishments, which at one time were exceedingly numerous in England, generally regarded each other with considerable jealousy; and, more than once, their animosities and squabbles have disturbed the peace of the kingdom, and brought disgrace upon the un-reformed religion. This occasioned some of our most ancient ecclesiastical edifices to be disfigured with grotesque and offensive designs".
In the end, this is an early budding of that appreciation of the woodcarver's art which would flower in the latter decades of the Victorian era as antiquaries began to prowl around churches, producing learned tomes on their carvings and woodwork. Williams' essay may be seen as the opening shot in their campaign. OCLC locates 15 copies, but the title seems to be scarcer in the marketplace than that might suggest. Hardcover. 5.5"x8", 96 pages.Williamson, Scott Graham. Extant Furniture Ascribed to New York's Federal Hall. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. May, 1938.
Wills, Geoffrey. Craftsmen and Cabinet-makers of Classic English Furniture. Edinburgh; John Bartholomew and Son, Ltd.:1974. An interesting study of designs, techniques and actual examples. The emphasis is on the men who designed and made the furniture. 7"x10", 136 pages, 10 color plates and 119 b&w illustrations, dj.
Wills, Geoffrey. English Furniture 1550-1760. Garden City: Doubleday & Company: 1971. 1st edition. A superb visual survey of early English furniture, described by noted expert Geoffrey Wills. Far from being heavy and clunky, (well, ok, it's heavy) this 16th, 17th and early 18th century cabinetry has a beauty and grace all its own. At the end there is some very wild, psychedelic Chippendale stuff. Hardcover. 7"x9.5", 256 + iv pages, 32 color plates and 195 b/w illustrations, dj.
Wills, Geoffrey. English Furniture 1760-1900. New York; Doubleday & Co.: 1971. A well illustrated study of English furniture from Chippendale and Gothic styles through Adam, Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Regency, and Victorian. Hardcover. 7"x9.5", 256 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj.
Wills, Geoffrey. English Looking-Glasses, A Study of the Glass, Frames and Makers (1670-1820). London; Country Life Limited: 1965. 1st Edition. The first study of English mirrors and their makers, and a scholarly effort. Wills examines the development of English mirrors through the Stuart, Georgian, Rococo, Neo-classic and Regency styles. He also delves into plate glass manufacture, papier-mache and steel frames, and appends a directory of London makers. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 160 pages, 164 b&w illustrations, dj.
Wilner, Eli (ed.). The Gilded Edge. The Art of the Frame. San Francisco; Chronicle Books: 2000. Nothing enhances the appeal of a beautiful painting like the perfect frame. Indeed, framing is an art form in its own right, and The Gilded Edge is the first book to offer a comprehensive visual survey of the beautiful antique frames made in America over the last two centuries. With essays by art world luminaries, museum curators, private collectors, and independent scholars, this richly illustrated volume covers topics ranging from frame history and fabrication to the art of perfectly matching frame to artwork. Unlike most art books that depict paintings without their frames, The Gilded Edge presents many photographs that showcase frames in relation to the paintings they border-and as works of art themselves. Hardcover. 10.5x12.5, 203 pages, filled with color and b/w illustrations; bibliography; dj.
Wilson, K. and D.J.B. White. The Anatomy of Wood. Its Diversity and Variability. London; Stobart & Son Ltd.: 1986. A serious technical study of wood and it's nature, from the cells on out...Softcover. 6"x9", 309 pages, b/w illustrations.
Winchester, Alice (ed.). Southern Furniture 1640-1820. A Loan Exhibition Presented in Richmond at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Richmond & New York; Museum of Fine Arts / Magazine Antiques: 1952. An important loan exhibition of southern furniture, with essays by Marshall B. Davidson, E. Milby Burton, and Helen Comstock. Joe Kindig, Jr., Charles Navis, Henry D. Green, and Mrs. Charlton M. Theus were also involved. The text examines sources, styles, woods and makers of southern furniture, divided into three geographic areas- urban furniture from Charleston, the tidewater Virginia area, and Virginia Valley and related Carolina pieces. Ames & Ward notes -"The first serious attempt to investigate American southern furniture... (a) pioneering effort. Although the information contained here has been superseded in many cases...the importance of this catalogue as a landmark in the historiography of American furniture cannot be overestimated". Semowich 787. Hardcover. 10"x12", 64 pages, b/w illustrations, dj.
Winters, Robert E., Jr. North Carolina Furniture 1700-1900. Raleigh; North Carolina Museum of History: 1977. From an edition of 400 hardcover copies. A well-executed catalog of a loan exhibition of 18th and 19th century furniture, which included pieces from many private collections. Seventy-one pieces of furniture are illustrated and described. Semowich 1064. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 77 pages, color frontispiece and 1 color plate and many b/w illustrations.
Wintersgill, Donald. English Antiques. The Age of Elegance, 1700-1830. New York; William Morrow: 1975. A good-humored survey of the furniture, silver, ceramics, glass and other arts of the Georgian and Regency periods in England by an author who obviously feels strongly that those were indeed the "Good Old Days". Entertaining evening reading. Hardcover. 8"x10", 256 pages, b/w illustrations, dj; glossary, bibliography.
Wolsey, S.W. & R.W.P. Luff. Furniture in England. The Age of the Joiner. New York; Frederick A. Praeger: 1968. A well illustrated study of 16th and 17th century English furniture, including chapters on the craftsmen who made it, the materials and methods they used, and various types of furniture. Instead of using pictures of well-known specimens in the National collections, the authors sought out fine examples which had not been widely illustrated before. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 105 pages plus 123 b/w illustrations; dj.
Woodhouse, Dr. Samuel W., Jr. More About Benjamin Randolph. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. January, 1930. A scholarly follow-up to an article Woodhouse had published 5 years earlier. Semowich 527.
Woodhouse, Samuel W., Jr. English Hardware for American Cabinetmakers. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. November, 1931. Examines an 18th century Salem merchant's scrapbook of English hardware patterns.
Woodhouse, Samuel, Jr. Thomas Tufft. [contained in] The Magazine Antiques. October, 1927. Semowich 722.
[Woronzow & Pierce] Louis XV and Louis XVI Furniture and Objets d'Art. Liquidation of the Entire Stock of Woronzow & Pierce. New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: January 19th, 1963. Sale 2157. A magnificent selection of 18th century work of French furniture craftsmen, with many signed examples. Includes a handsome Louis XVI tulipwood and harewood marquetry table de salon mounted in bronze dore by David Roentgen, and much more. Softcover. 7"x10", 89 pages, 122 lots, b/w illustrations.
Wright, Edward Reynolds & Man Sill Pai. Korean Furniture. Elegance and Tradition. Tokyo; Kodansha International Ltd.: 1986. 2nd ptg. A very good study of this appealing and elegant furniture, with many b/w and color illustrations as well as line drawings of details. An excellent reference work. Hardcover. 9"x12", 192 pages, color, b/w and line illustrations, dj.
Wright, Lawrence Warm and Snug. The History of the Bed London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1962. 6"x9", 360 pages, numerous b&w illustrations, lightly soiled dj.
Yates, Raymond F. Antique Fakes and Their Detection. New York; Gramercy Publishing: 1950. A concise guide for unearthing frauds in furniture, glass, silver, ceramics, jewelry, pewter, clocks, lamps, silhouettes, metalware, etc. Hardcover. 5.5"x8", 229 pages, several b/w and line illustrations, dj.
[York Hall] English and American Furniture and Decorations...The Contents of Historic York Hall at Yorktown, Virginia... New York; Parke-Bernet Galleries: January 18th, 1941. Sale 249. York Hall was the residence of Thomas Nelson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Virginia. In 1913 Captain George P. Blow bought it and restored it, filling it with authentic (though not original) American and English period antiques, which were auctioned off in this sale. Softcover. 6.5"x9.5", 54 ages, 272 lots, b/w illustrations, including 5 interior views.
Young, Francis. Every Man His Own Mechanic. A Complete and Comprehensive Guide to every description of constructive and decorative work that may be done by the amateur artisan at home and in the colonies. London; Ward, Lock & Co., Limited: [1890?]. An encyclopedic guide to all the tools and processes of woodworking, joinery, carpentry and architectural finishing, and a valuable reference to late-Victorian tools and practices. The text begins with woods and trees and their uses, felling and seasoning, then progresses to carpentry and joinery tools, their care and use, how to handle them, methods in joining timber, the carpenter's bench, ornamental carpentry, turning & veneering, making fixtures, furniture doors, windows and gates, garden structures and ironmongery. The next section is devoted to the builder's trades and methods, including excavation, bricklaying, masonry, roofs, plastering, ironsmithing, plumbing and gas-fitting, painting, graining, varnishing and gilding, and finally paper-hanging. Now that your house is basically finished, a number of appendices treat specialized tool-related topics. The two colored plates illustrate 30 examples of wood "in their natural state". A veritable Victorian vade-mecum of practical advice for the carpenter, joiner and finisher. Hardcover. 6.5"x9", 924 pages, 2 color plates and 850 text illustrations.
Young, W.A. Old English Pattern Books of the Metal Trades. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection in the Museum. London; HMSO, V&A: 1913. The V&A has an extensive collection of trade catalogs and pattern books for hardware, silver, silver-plate, brass, ironware, lighting, tools and fancy articles, dating back to the 18th century. This important catalog of the collection includes helpful notes and descriptions by W.A. Young. An important reference tool which has become somewhat difficult to locate. Softcover. 6"x9.5", 38 pages plus 24 b/w plates.
Zea, Philip & Donald Dunlap. The Dunlap Cabinetmakers. A Tradition in Craftsmanship. Mechanicsburg; Stackpole Books: 1994. Now here is a different approach to a furniture book- take a noted family of Colonial-era cabinetmakers, add a 20th century ancestor who is just as serious about the trade, mix an eminent furniture historian's comments with scale drawings... what you end up with is, quite literally, a dis-assembly of traditional Colonial and modern cabinetmaking. Vintage pieces mix side-by-side with Donald Dunlap's modern creations in this delightful survey of fine cabinetmaking. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 210 pages, b/w, color and line illustrations, dj.
Zea, Philip & Suzanne L. Flynt. Hadley Chests. Deerfield; Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association: 1992. An excellent exhibition catalog, with a lively and interesting text and wonderful color illustrations. Softcover. 7.5"x10.5", 31 pages, color and b/w illustrations.
Zinszky-Sternegg, Maria Renaissance Inlay in Old Hungary Budapest: Corvina Press, 1966. 6.5"x7", 52 pages with 21 b&w illustrations plus 48 color and b&w plates.
Zogry, Kenneth Joel. The Best the Country Affords. Vermont Furniture 1765-1850. Bennington Museum: 1995. Edited by Philip Zea, with a Foreword by Wendell Garrett. A beautifully produced loan-exhibition catalog, featuring large, nicely lit photographs, and many illustrations of original labels, advertisements, etc. Softcover. 8.5"x12", 172 pages, many b/w and some color illustrations.