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    Making Authentic Country Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics
    Making Authentic Country Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics
    Making Authentic Country Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics
    Ebook633 pages1 hour

    Making Authentic Country Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics

    By John G. Shea

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    This outstanding work provides furniture makers and woodworkers with the principal antique country furniture designs used in North America during the past 400 years. Concerned only with provincial handmade designs — generally of simple solid-wood construction — John Shea's carefully researched and abundantly illustrated volume includes 95 measured drawings from which serious students and craftworkers can reproduce their own versions of these antique classics. All important European influences are represented — English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, French, Dutch, German, Spanish, and Norwegian among them.
    Among the pieces represented are Shaker chairs, rockers, tables, and a wall cupboard; a New England settle, Spanish trestle table, Dutch gateleg table, French Canadian armoire and dresser, a Pennsylvania German corner cupboard and plate rack, as well as a wide array of country bedsteads, benches, stools, candlestands, plate racks, wall sconces, and much more.
    Additional sections of the book provide historical background to several regional designs, describing the effects that various nationalities and ethnic and religious roots have had on furniture design and construction. A number of construction techniques (for creating dovetail joints, applied moldings, scrolled paneling, cabriole legs, mortise-and-tenon joints, and more) are also explored.
    Profusely illustrated with some 800 photographs and line drawings, this richly informative manual will be valued by furniture makers for its clearly delineated technical segments as well as by anyone who has ever been fascinated by the construction and design of antique furniture.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateMay 5, 2014
    ISBN9780486144191
    Making Authentic Country Furniture: With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics

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      Book preview

      Making Authentic Country Furniture - John G. Shea

      Making Authentic Country Furniture

      With Measured Drawings of Museum Classics

      John G. Shea

      DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC.

      NEW YORK

      Copyright

      Copyright © 1975 by Litton Educational Publishing, Inc.

      All rights reserved.

      Bibliographical Note

      This Dover edition, first published in 1993, is an unabridged, slightly corrected republication of Antique Country Furniture of North America and Details of its Construction, originally published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York, in 1975.

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Shea, John Gerald.

      [Antique country furniture of North America]

      Making authentic country furniture : with measured drawings of museum classics / John G. Shea.

             p. cm.

      Includes bibliographical references and index.

      eISBN 13: 978-0-486-14419-1

      1. Country furniture—United States. 2. Country furniture—Canada. 3. Furniture—United States—Drawings.4. Furniture—Canada—Drawings. I. Title.

      NK2405.S47   1993

      749.21—dc20                                                                                93-34298

      CIP

      Manufactured in the United States by Courier Corporation

      27774703

      www.doverpublications.com

      Contents

      Preface

      Acknowledgments

      I   HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF REGIONAL DESIGN

      Spanish Colonial

      New England Colonial

      Dutch Colonial

      Pennsylvania German

      French Canadian

      American Shaker

      Other Regional Influences

      Connecticut Hitchcock

      Southern Plantation

      Maine Curiosities

      Ohio Zoar

      Norwegian American

      Texas German

      II  COUNTRY CATEGORIES: COMPARISON OF REGIONAL INFLUENCES

      Chairs

      Rockers

      Settles, Settees, Benches & Sofas

      Chair-Tables & Hutch-Benches

      Tables

      Beds

      Cradles

      Chests

      Desks

      Chest of Drawers

      Cupboards

      Buffets, Dressers & Wardrobes

      Other Designs

      III  COUNTRY CONSTRUCTION

      Template Transfers of Scrollwork

      Edge Shapes

      Applied Moldings

      End Cleats

      Edge Joints

      Dado Joints

      Lapped Joints

      Dovetail Joints

      Dovetailed Construction

      Hinged Joints

      Mortise-&-Tenon Joints

      Cabriole Legs

      Pegleg Construction

      Scrolled Paneling

      Turning With Templates

      IV  MEASURED DRAWINGS OF COUNTRY

      CLASSICS

      Slat-Back Side Chair

      Governor Carver Armchair

      Shaker Dining Chair

      Shaker Tilting Chair

      Shaker Rocker

      Shaker Armchair

      Shaker Revolving Stool

      New England Settle

      Hutch Table

      Scrolled Chair-Table

      Joint Table

      Split Gate-Leg Table

      Harvest Table

      Spanish Carved Side Table

      Trestle Board On Frame

      Board On Triple-Trestle Frame

      Spanish Trestle Table

      Shaker Triple-Trestle Table

      Shaker Sewing Table

      French Canadian Side Table

      Candlestand

      Pedestal Table

      Shaker Pedestal Stand

      Shaker Pedestal Table

      Shaker Sorting Stand

      Shaker Sewing Stand

      Trestle Tavern Table

      Butterfly Trestle Table

      Small Butterfly Table

      Butterfly Table

      Oval-Top Tavern Table

      Rectangular-Top Tavern Table

      Dutch Baroque Table

      Dutch Split Gate-Leg Table

      Shaker Dry Sink

      Dough Box

      Pine Set Of Shelves

      Hanging Shelves

      Pennsylvania German Plate Rack

      Pennsylvania German Hanging Cupboard

      Hanging Shelves

      Shaker Wall Cupboard

      Spanish Pitcher Rack

      Wall Box

      Thoreau’s Bookcases

      Standing Shelves

      Carved Bible Box

      Typical Carved Patterns

      Carved Desk Box

      Desk Box

      Pine Desk On Frame

      Slant-Front Desk

      Blanket Chest

      Connecticut Chest

      French Canadian Four-Paneled Chest

      Spanish Clothing Chest

      Chest With One Drawer

      Pine Chest With Drawer

      Shaker Chest With Two Drawers

      Shaker Chest Of Drawers

      Cradle

      Hooded Trestle Cradle

      Oak Bedstead

      Four-Poster Bed

      French Canadian Small Armoire

      French Canadian Dresser

      Spanish Cupboard

      Pennsylvania German Corner Cupboard

      Cyma-Scrolled Cupboard

      Water Bench

      Pine Dresser

      Wall Boxes, Brackets & Sconces (6 Designs)

      Wall Racks & Shelves (5 Designs)

      Stands & Stools (5 Designs)

      Pegleg Personalities (4 Designs)

      Six-Board Chest

      Water Bench

      Spoon Rack

      Wall Box

      Selected Bibliography

      Index

      Preface

      The ambitions of this work involved the exploration of all elementary antique-country-furniture designs used in North America during the past four hundred years. The definition of "country furniture," in its present popular context, excludes all furniture of sophisticated design. This rules out the more ornate mahogany, inlaid, veneered, carved and complex-shaped period pieces. Thus, from the start, the lines were sharply drawn to deal only with provincial, handmade designs — generally of simple solid-wood construction.

      Considering the multiplicity of nationalities and ethnic influences that produced such furniture, it seemed desirable to break the book down into separate subchapters dealing specifically with each influence. But the scope and comprehensiveness of treatment required for each influence posed separate problems. Indeed, dozens of books have been written on each of them. Still, I did not wish to fall into the trap suggested by a Texas friend, who remarked that most books of antiques failed to consider designs that originated west of the Hudson River. Of course, I intended to penetrate far "west of the Hudson River." But after considerable study, I ultimately learned that there was not too much distinctive material available in some western regions.

      So, in the course of research, hundreds of letters were sent to curators of all significant United States museums as well as those of Canada. Thus all regions of North America were invited to contribute material relating to their historical holdings. It was reasoned that state and regional museums were in the best position to advocate recognition of noteworthy work performed in their areas.

      The results of these hundreds of inquiries were not too satisfactory. For instance, it was interesting to observe the number of western and midwestern museums holding antique furniture which had originated in New England. (Of course, it is logical to assume that much early furniture was moved from east to west by pioneering settlers.) Also, a preponderance of awkward, primitive pieces emerged from many regional museums. Most of these pieces were noteworthy only because of their historical relationship to the settlement of the areas where they originated. Looked at separately, in comparison with other country designs coming from other regions, they simply did not qualify.

      At all times the criteria of good design and good taste determined the selection of the furniture shown. It would seem that antiquity alone should not suffice to qualify for current interest furniture which is poorly designed. Indeed, some of the drab designs housed in museums throughout this country as authentic antiques would better serve aesthetic purposes if they had passed into oblivion along with their makers.

      Thus the original ambition of having all regions and all nationalities represented in this book had to be modified. This was because of the quality of material available and the limitations of book space. However, all important European influences are fully described. By linking the expression of regional European designs a clearer and more definitive representation seemed possible.

      In this way the separation of English-speaking contributors include the work of English, Irish, Scotch and Welsh craftsmen who came to populate New England and other English colonies. Spanish Colonial also implies consideration of the work of other nationalities of the Mediterranean and southern Europe. French Canadian sketches the provincial expression of France. Dutch Colonial and Pennsylvania German also represent the European midlands, while Norwegian American deals with Scandinavian influences.

      So, this book endeavors to highlight the principal ethnic and religious cultures which influenced the development of American country furniture. By way of bicentennial observation and to trace the original discoveries and explorations of the various nationalities who came to settle in America, background information is offered on the early colonization of the United States and Canada.

      In order to determine the proper proportions of contents, an overall evaluation had to be made of the significance of various influences. Thus the number of pages devoted to New England Colonial exceeds that of Spanish Colonial, because the furniture produced in early New England is uniquely designed and has come to be more widely recognized and commonly used than that which remains to remind us of our Spanish heritage. By the same token, when considering contributions of religious cultures, it became abundantly evident that because of its graceful styling and functional attributes the furniture craftsmanship of the American Shakers exceeded in importance that of many other religious cultures. Hence, an increased amount of space was devoted to its presentation.

      For the final chapter of measured drawings of country classics, a random selection was made of popular country antiques, spanning several influences. It is hoped that this chapter may help serious students and craftsmen to reproduce some of these venerable country classics.

      John G. Shea

      Greenwich, Connecticut

      August 2, 1975

      Woodworkers’ Conversion Table

      Acknowledgments

      For their courteous cooperation in furnishing photographs and information, separately identified and credited in this book, the author wishes to thank the following museums and historical sources:

      The Agnes Etherington Art Center, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

      The American Museum in Britain, Bath, England.

      The Atlanta Historical Society, Atlanta, Georgia.

      The Baker Furniture Museum, Holland, Michigan.

      The Carlen House Museum, Mobile, Alabama.

      De Saisset Art Gallery and Museum, University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, California.

      The First Ironworks Association, Saugus, Massachusetts.*

      Fruitlands Museums, Harvard, Massachusetts.

      Greenfield Village & Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.

      The Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Delaware.

      Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board, St. Augustine, Florida.

      The Hitchcock Chair Company, Riverton, Connecticut.

      Index of American Design, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

      The Ipswich Historical Society, Ipswich, Massachusetts.*

      Little Norway Museum, Blue Mounds, Wisconsin.

      Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, Massachusetts.

      The Maine State Museum, Augusta, Maine.

      The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York.

      The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal, Canada.

      Musée du Québec, Quebec, Canada.

      The National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.

      The National Museum of Man, Ontario, Canada.

      New York State Museum, Albany, New York.*

      The Norwegian American Museum, Decorah, Iowa.

      The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.*

      The Shaker Museum, Old Chatham, New York.*

      The Shaker Museum, Sabbathday Lake, Maine.*

      Sleepy Hollow Restorations, Tarrytown, New York.

      Upper Canada Village, Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada.

      Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut.*

      Warren County Historical Museum, Lebanon, Ohio.*

      Winedale Inn, The University of Texas at Austin.

      *Photographs supplied from previous books.

      I HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF REGIONAL DESIGNS

      Reception room of restored early 19th century Spanish mission at Santa Barbara, California, shows heavy plastered adobe walls, original floor tiles and beams and ceiling constructed of native pine. Furniture and accessories were restored from designs produced by Indian neophytes under the direction of Spanish mission padres. (Courtesy, Index of American Design)

      Spanish Colonial

      Who really discovered America? This formidable accomplishment has been variously ascribed to the Scandinavians, the Greeks, the Buddhists, the Etruscans, the Hindus, the Japanese — and even the Welsh. And because of the proximity of the Bering Straits, which separate Siberia from Alaska by only a few miles, the Russians contend that they set foot on the North American continent centuries before anyone else appeared.

      But for all effective and enduring purposes, the discovery of America in 1492 by Christopher Columbus, an Italian in the employ of Spain, seems to have resolved the issue. For thereafter, America became rapidly settled, and in 1493, 1498 and 1502, Columbus returned to establish Spanish claims to territory in the New World.

      Ironically, Columbus, who had set out to circumnavigate the globe in order to find new and less dangerous routes to the Orient, never learned that he had failed to accomplish that mission. From his voyages he brought back to Spain samples of exotic plants, birds of brilliant plumage and some gold. He also brought back a few native Indians — so-called because he believed he had discovered a

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