furniture history book recommendations?
tufenhundel
| Posted in General Discussion on
I am trying to complete the $25 limit for free shipping on Amazon, when I remember that I’ve been looking for a good furniture history book. Does anyone have anything they’d recommend?
Replies
Furniture: World Styles From Classical to Contemporary (Hardcover)
by Judith Miller
http://www.amazon.com/Furniture-World-Styles-Classical-Contemporary/dp/075661340X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204033518&sr=1-2
A great book and the illustrations are superb.
http://www.cambiumbooks.com sell through amazon. The best woodworking book source
Thanks I was looking at this one too.
Another good read is Wallace Nuttings - Furniture Treasury in several volumes.
Your local library is also a great source for books. A lot of folks seem not to use this free resource but I have had really good luck. In our state, and I'm sure your too, they loan books interstate between all the libraries so they have lots to offer. They also sell used books that can be really good bargains if you're trying to build a library.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 2/26/2008 3:07 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob:Yeah, always forget about the library. I think it was because I was looking for something to also use as a reference, to go back to, because of its breadth and scope. That's why I am looking for recommendations here. Thanks.
Just a reminder that most libraries will also sell the books to you and it goes to a good cause too. Not affiliated in any way but I have added to my reference ligrary at very reasonable cost too.
Oh ya, and no shipping too!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
I purchased this from Amazon and I'm extremely happy with it.
American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique, and Structure (Hardcover)
by Jeffrey P. Greene (Author)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1561581046/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1HZTO1S8QZV9N&colid=9JVDK7JBOANE
Wow, you're on Amazon and are having trouble building an order that exceeeds $25 for the free shipping? I wish I had that problem! I never seem to be able to keep them under $100!!!
A book I recently purchased is titled 400 years of American Furniture Styles. If you are into period furniture it does a pretty nice job of covering the various styles their timeframes and most of the significant information pertaining to each.
Another book I enjoyed was Christian Becksworth's book on Shaker Furniture. Again nice history and some drawings of some of his work
Best
Madison
Madison:The whole key to making that free shipping deal payoff is to stick to the minimum!!! But of course you know that. Not a big period furniture guy, but I'll check it out all the same. Thanks.
I will not only second RickL's suggestion of Judith Millers book, I'll enthusiastically add to it. This book is unbelievable in every way. Over 3000 good size color pictures covering furniture of all kinds from the Egyptians thru today. Every piece of furniture in it is either breathtaking or historically significant, many are both. It is laid out by time period with subsections by country of origin. You want to see what the dutch were building in the mid 1600's? You can find it in seconds.
I picked this book up after seeing it recommended here and my expectations were exceeded by a factor of 3 or 4. I couldn't recommend this book any more if I was the author or the publisher. If you don't have it, buy it!
Rob
Rob:"expectations were exceeded by a factor of 3 or 4"!!??! Wow, can't remember last time something exceeded mine at all. I just placed the order--it sounds like what I was looking for. Was that your review on Amazon?
Nope. I didn't review it there.
I'm sure you will enjoy the book, if not, they sell well on ebay. I'll bet you a dollar you won't even consider selling it though.
Rob
History of Interior Design and Furniture by Robbie Blakemore. This is a pretty widely used book in interior design programs at universities and art colleges.
Don't look at furniture in a vacuum. You need to see the buildings and rooms in which it was placed.
Good point Boss. I'll check this out.
I, too, have been looking for books on furniture history. I recently spent some time with furnituremaker Tim Philbrick (see his Steinway art case piano at http://www.steinway.com/steinway/artcase_collection/stcroix.shtml), and asked him what his favorite ones are. His recommendations:
The Art of Furniture: 5,000 Years of Furniture and Interiors, by Ole Wanscher
World Furniture by Helena Hayward
Masterpieces from the Museum of Classical Chinese Furniture, by the Chinese Art Foundation.
None of these are in print, but you can get them used through the Amazon site. I glanced at them at Philbrick's house, but haven't read any of them yet. I'm trying to get them through the library at the university where I work. The nice thing about libraries is they let you decide whether you really want to buy the book or whether just looking at it for a couple of weeks is all you need.
Norman
Norman:Seems the only one available is World Furniture, and it looks to be well regarded. That'll go on the list. Thanks.BTW, how did Tim Philbrick get involved with Steinway?
Not sure exactly now Tim hooked up with Steinway, or what the process is for getting a commission to do one of those art cases. He's been doing high-end furniture since the late 1970s and has had a number of exhibitions in New York and other places in the Northeast. He has a piece at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, too. He actually just finished a huge table for a historic building that's next door to my office here in Providence, R.I. It's surfaced with that same Cuban mahogany veneer as the piano, I believe.Here's a link to a little news story I did about it. http://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/under_the_elms/all_in_the_family.htmlTim's the one in the blue t-shirt.Norman
Steinway goes out of house for design/build from time to time. Check out:http://www.pollaro.com/welcome.php
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