Rare Book 19th Cent. American Furniture Decorative Arts 298 color and black-and-white captioned photographs provide and in-depth survey of

19TH-CENTURY AMERICA FURNITURE AND OTHER DECORATIVE ARTS. By Marilynn Johnson and others, New York Graphic Society Ltd., 1970.

This book is a commemorative and companion volume to an exhibition celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, April 16 through September 7, 1970. A typical museum text, the photography is superb, the captions are in-depth, and the narrative is concisely rich. 'Federal, Empire, Gothic, rococo, Renaissance, art Nouveau, reform—the century’s principal styles succeed one another in a series of lavish room settings and galleries that display the 300 prime pieces illustrated and discussed in this book. More than 200 of these objects, including furniture, silver, glass, ceramics, and metalwork, are treasures of the Museum’s American Wing, some of them accessioned during the Museum’s early years, a substantial number acquired only recently and never shown before. The rest of the material has been lent to the exhibition from other museums, institutions, and private collections. A show of this magnitude dealing entirely with American works of the nineteenth century is without precedent. The historical line begins with the cabinetry of New England (a superb chest of drawers of about 1796 from Salem, Massachusetts), proceeds through the sedate European-influenced styles of the Empire, takes into account the medley of revivals in the decades before the Civil War, sets forth the splendid eighties, when decorative arts became an expression of American success and optimism, and ends with the elegant simplicity of furniture by the architect brothers Charles and Henry Greene. Among the outstanding furniture makers represented are Duncan Phyfe (with an entire parlor suite), Charles-Honore Lannuier (with a bed as elaborately ornamented as any made in America), Joseph Meeks and Sons, and the rococo master, John Henry Belter. Other craftsmen and manufacturers include the silversmiths Chaudron and Rasch, Fletcher and Gardiner, Gorham, Manufacturing Company, Tiffany and Company, the Boston and Sandwich and New England Glass companies, the Tucker Porcelain Company, and the great decorating firms of LePrince and Marcotte, Herter Brothers, and Louis Tiffany’s Associated Artists.'

8.5 in. x 10.25 in. softback in very good condition. 298 pages.

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Rare Book Encyclopedia Antique Furniture 2,000 Illust. More than 2,000 color and mostly black-and-white illustrations highlight this scarce out-of-print book which covers 'all aspects of furniture – the art, craft, history, techniques, periods, development, designers and materials. Already acknowledged as the foremost authoritative reference book in its field, 'THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE' is here presented in a deluxe edition, featuring 16 pages in full color and a special section on the uses of color in furniture design. How color can be used to identify and classify period furniture is shown in detail, and the colors of wood, the hues and ingredients of paint, and the texture, weave, and colors of textiles are presented to enable the expert to identify place and time of manufacture. Illustrations are not a supplement, but are arranged close to the relevant text. Almost every article contains references to one or more of the 2,000 illustrations so that the reader can see for himself an example of the item being described. Definitions are clear and complete; factual matter is thoroughly reliable. This single volume contains the synthesis of an entire library on the subject of furniture and decoration.' This in-depth text belongs in the permanent reference library of the collector, dealer, or appraiser of antique furniture.

THE NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE by Joseph Aronson, Crown Publishers Inc., NY, 1967.

8.8 in. x 11.2 in. hardback with dust cover in very good condition. 484 pages.

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Rare Illust. Book American Victorian Decorative Arts Lavishly illustrated with 600 halftones and 45 color plates, here is a comprehensive survey of

THE WORLD OF ANTIQUES, ART, AND ARCHITECTURE IN VICTORIAN AMERICA by Robert Bishop and Patricia Goblentz, E.P. Dutton, New York, 1979.

It 'provides a feast of material for all to learn from: architecture, the Victorian house, heating, lighting, furniture, glass, ceramics, clocks, metals, pictorial art, sculpture, and country style. Of special interest are the delightful chapters devoted to man's world, woman's world, children's world, and pleasures and pastimes, for they provide access to the particular quality of life in this period.' This fine volume will appeal to interior decorators, set designs, period authors, and, of course, collectors and curators of American Victoriana.

6.4 in. x 9.1 in. hardback with dust cover in very good condition. 495 pages.

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Antique Oak Furniture Scarce Book Identification THE MARKETPLACE GUIDE TO OAK FURNITURE: STYLES & VALUES by Peter S. Blundell, Collector’s Books, KY, 1980.

Noting that 'oak' is a generic term for this book’s purposes—and includes elm and ash woods—the author states that 'this book is aimed at filling a void in our historical mosaic; and deals with that era of industrial revolution that saw furniture making evolve from a hand skill into an almost totally, mechanized task. This era has been largely overlooked in the past because of general opinions about later furniture which did not allow it a place in the world of antiques. Magazines of the 1930’s considered the collection in these pages to be merely 'used furniture.' More recently it has been branded 'commercial furniture' by the people who have been greatly influenced by the 1930’s way of thinking. Large numbers of respected professionals, both on the curatorial side and the dealing side, agreed that the subject of 'oak furniture' was definitely not for examination by scholars of antiques.' This book reflects the truth that oak furniture is collected, bought and sold on the antique markets and that a discussion of designs and styles is therefore most useful. Here is a book for anyone planning to collect, restore, buy, sell, or arrange decorative settings for antique oak furniture.

8.5 in. x 11.25 in. imprinted hardback in very good condition. 125 pages. Includes 4-page 1985 Value Guide supplement..

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Antique American Rocking Chairs / Rare In-Depth Book Profusely illustrated in black-and-white, this early out-of-print book provides an in-depth survey of the history and development of the American rocking chair.

THE ROCKING CHAIR BOOK by Ellen and Bert Denker, A Main Street Press Book, Mayflower Books Inc., NY, 1979 First Edition.

This book is a scholarly study of the rocking chair through both pictures and rich narrative. Pictured are photographs of various types of rocking chairs, rocking chairs in their original settings, and numerous reproduced advertisement and sale catalog illustrations of rocking chairs. This book discusses the rocking chair as being an American invention (some attribute its design to Benjamin Franklin), and it discusses how the rocking chair changed over time with period furniture designs. This is a most complete reference book on the subject that will assist the reader in identifying and dating American rocking chairs.

8.5 in. x 9.9 in. softback in very good condition. 192 pages.

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Antique Windsor Chairs Types Periods / Book 150+ Photos WINDSOR CHAIRS – An Illustrated Celebration by Michael Harding-Hill, Antique Collector’s Club, London, 2003.

'More than 150 color plates illustrate the very best Windsor chairs from the earliest stick backs – literally stools with a few sticks added to the back – of the 18th century to those mass-produced for offices, schools, public institutions and the armed forces in the 19th century. There is s special section on American Windsors and the story of the Windsor chair is continued through the 20th century, concluding with illustrations of a Millennium chair and a 2002 Golden Jubilee chair.' This book is an invaluable reference for the collector, dealer, or historian of antique chairs.

8 in. x 9.7 in. hardback with dust cover in like-new condition. 159 pages.

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American Chairs 1640-1970 950 Photos / Rare Book With more than 950 black-and-white photographs, this rare out-of-print book is the leading authoritative reference on American antique chairs. The superb photographs, in-depth captions, and comprehensive narrative combine to make this text an invaluable resource reference work.

THE AMERICAN CHAIR – THREE CENTURIES OF STYLE by Robert Bishop, Crown Publishers, NY, 1972/1983.

This text is an indispensable pictorial guide to antique American chairs covering all periods through a span of almost 350 years. This book covers by chapter: The Earliest Settlers 1640-1700; Fashions from Abroad 1680-1730; The Queen Anne Style 1720-1755; The Chippendale Style 1750-1800; Isolated Instances 1750-1850; The Windsor Chair 1750-1815; The Hepplewhite and Sheraton Styles 1785-1815; The empire Style 1800-1840; The Victorian Styles 1820-1900; The Country Style 1800-1900; The Colonial Revival 1876-1970; The Arts and Crafts Movement 1880-1915; The Art Nouveau Style 1890-1915; The Mission Style 1890-1915; The International Style 1915-to date.

'All who love and appreciate fine furniture will want to add this beautiful volume to their libraries, for it is certain to become a classic and indispensable work for the field of American decorative arts.' This is a must-buy book for the serious collector, dealer, or curator of period American furniture.

Heavy 8.75 in. x 11.1 in. hardback with dust cover in very good condition. 526 pages.

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Antique Art Nouveau Furniture Makers Types / Rare Book Profusely illustrated with superb color and black-and-white photographs, this rare out-of-print book is a definitive pictorial guide to antique Art Nouveau furniture including makers and designers.

ART NOUVEAU FURNITURE by Alastair Duncan, Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., Publishers, NY, 1982.

As art enthusiasts know, Art Nouveau is the curvaceous style which flourished in Europe and American between 1890 and 1920 until it gave way to the more utilitarian and geometric formality of the Art Deco style. 'Like Art Nouveau paintings, graphics, architecture, and lighting, Art Nouveau furniture reflects a unique blend of grace, playfulness, and utility. It is recognized for its sinuous lines that evolved from the forms of nature, marvelous detailing, and highly polished exotic woods. This is the first book to concentrate on the wealth of furniture designed by some of the most gifted adherents of the style, such as Galle, Gaudi, Horta, Guimard, Majorelle, and Mackintosh. The text describes the techniques used by the designers—marquetry and carving—and the woods and mounts made by the famous craftsmen of the era.' In this collection, the reader will find chairs, desks, cabinets, chests, tables, mirrors and unusual designs of other furnishings. The illustrations and clear and instructive, highlighted by a center portfolio of color plates. The fascinating topic presented in this volume will please all who are interested in cabinet-making, antique furniture, interior decorators and designers.

8.9 in. x 10.25 in. hardback with dust cover in very good+ condition. 192 pages.

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American Mitchell Rammelsberg Furniture / Scarce Book This early out-of-print book provides an in-depth survey of antique American furniture including an in-depth study of Victorian Mitchell Rammelsberg furniture.

AMERICAN FURNITURE AND ITS MAKERS: WINTERTHUR PORTFOLIO 13 edited by Ian M.G. Quimby, Chicago UP, IL, 1979.

This series is published for the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, and presents a series of scholarly articles on American antique furniture. 'While the focus is on furniture made in America from 1660 to 1860, two articles are concerned with twentieth century attitudes toward furniture of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Collectively these essays reveal the wide variety of approaches taken by scholars in recent years to the study of antique furniture…; the new methodology stresses extensive documentary research and close scrutiny of the furniture….' This book is the only known text which covers the Victorian furniture maker Mitchell and Rammelsberg.

Illustrated in black-and-white, this early text covers by chapter: Style and Structure in the Joinery of Dedham and Medfield, Massachusetts 1635-1685; Wallace Nutting – Collector and Entrepreneur; Furniture in Philadelphia – The First Fifty Years; Cabinetmaking in Philadelphia – 1820 to 1840 – Transition from Craft to Industry; Furnishing an Eighteenth-Century Tavern for twentieth-Century Use; Wares and Chairs – A Reappraisal of the Documents; A Cabinetmakers Price Book; A Methodological Study in the Identification of Some Important Philadelphia Chippendale Furniture; Mitchell and Rammelsberg, Cincinnati Furniture Manufacturers 1847-1881; Note on Contributions; and Index.

The opening essay by Robert Blair St. George examines a group of seventeenth-century chests made in Dedham and Medfield, Massachusetts, where most town residents migrated from a small region in Suffolk, England. Employing the analogy of linguistics, St. George argues that the migrants imported a visual vocabulary, evident in a similarity of design motifs. In a similarly structured analysis, Philip D. Zimmerman demonstrates the advantages of combining history and measurable data in a study of two groups of Chippendale-style chairs." Attention is given to merchandising and commercial history, to the process of furniture making during westward expansion, and to the life of Wallace Nutting. Illustrated in black and white, this is a richly detailed text which will inform and inspire anyone who loves antique American furniture.

8.25 in. x 11.25 in. hardback with dust cover in very good condition. 244 pages.

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Early American Furniture Types Styles Care- Scarce Book This scarce out-of-print book provides an in-depth survey of

EARLY AMERICAN FURNITURE - How to Recognize, Evaluate, Buy, & Care For the Most Beautiful Pieces – High-Style, Country, Primitive, & Rustic By John T. Kirk, Alfred A. Knopf, 1970/1981.

Over 200 black-and-white captioned photographs supplement a rich narrative in this early text. The book covers by chapter: Chronology of American Furniture Forms; Taste, Design, Construction, and Function; The Evolution of Style; Proportion & Organization; The Role of Small Details; The Interpretation of Sources; High-Style, Country, Primitive , & Rustic; Evaluating & Collecting; Specialization; Fakes, Reproductions, & Restoration; The Care of Furniture; Conclusion; and Indexes. This invaluable pictorial reference belongs in the permanent reference library of the collector, dealer, or historian of Early American Furniture.

8.9 in. x 11.9 in. softback in very good condition. 210 pages.

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Chicago Victorian Arts Crafts Furniture / Rare Book A collector’s item in itself, this early out-of-print book provides a scholarly surevy of antique furniture produced in Chicago during the Victorian and Mission Arts & Crafts periods. 'This profusely illustrated volume covers 150 years of the design and manufacture of furniture in Chicago.'

CHICAGO FURNITURE ART, CRAFT, AND INDUSTRY, 1833-1983 by Sharon Darling, W.W. Norton & Co., NY, 1984 First Edition.

Pictured and described in depth 'are pierces designed by such celebrated architects and designers as William LeBaron Jenney, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Gustav Stickley, and Wolfgang Hoffmann. Here also are detailed accounts of the firms that made the furniture, including the Tobey Furniture Company, S. Karpen & Brothers, and the Howell Company, as well as over 500 others. Promoted in expositions and catalogues, and distributed nationwide by wholesalers, retailers, mail-order firms, furniture made in Chicago both reflected and shaped popular taste across the country; modern or antique, it met the needs both of "the million" and of 'the sifted few'.' Given the hundred of black-and-white photographs, and the extremely rich narrative, this early out-of-print book is an indispensable resource reference for the serious collector, dealer, or historian of early American furniture.

8.5 in. x 10 in. softback in very good+ condition. 416 pages.

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Rare In-Depth Book Antique American Chairs 1640-1970 923 black-and-white photographs, in-depth captions, and a rich narrative combine to make this early out-of-print book the standard reference on early American chairs.

'In this magnificent reference work Robert Bishop presents the fascinating progression of stylistic change that altered the appearance of the American chair from 1640, when its form was basically architectural and derived from an inherited European medieval tradition, through a span of almost 350 years to the present, when man can sit in a scientifically engineered, molded-plastic chair aboard a spaceship bound for the moon.'

CENTURIES AND STYLES OF THE AMERICAN CHAIR 1640-1970 by Robert Bishop, E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., NY, 1972.

This comprehensive pictorial guide covers by chapter: The Earliest Settlers 1640-1700; Fashions From Abroad 1680-1730; The Queen Anne Style 1720-1755; The Chippendale Style 1750-1800; Isolated Instances 1750-1850; The Windsor Chair 1750-1815; The Hepplewhite and Sheraton Styles 1785-1815; The Empire Style 1800-1840; The Victorian Styles 1820-1900; The Country Style 1800-1900; The Colonial Revival 1876-1970; Arts and Crafts 1880-1915; Art Nouveau 1895-1915; The Mission Style 1890-1915; The International Style 1915-1970; Selected Bibliography; Credits; and Index. 'All who love and appreciate fine furniture will want to add this beautiful volume to their libraries, for it is certain to become a classic and indispensable work in the field of American decorative arts.'

Bible-thick 8.75 in. x 11.1 in. hardback with dust cover in very good condition. 516 pages.

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Rare Book Early American Victorian Furniture With 314 line drawing illustrations, this rare out-of-print book is an in-depth pictorial

FIELD GUIDE TO AMERICAN VICTORIAN FURNITURE. By Thomas Ormsbee, Bonanza Books, NY, 1952.

A pocket-size reference book, designed with extraordinary thoroughness and clarity, for the quick identification of all types of furniture made in this country before the middle of the last century [19th century]. It starts off with a glossary of cabinetmaking terms, introduces the reader briefly to the eight established American styles, and goes into a concise description, accompanied by line drawings, of every distinctive piece of cabinetwork produced during the two hundred years in which furniture making was a craft in this country. An infallible guide for the uncertain beginner and a sound refresher course for old hands. …It describes pieces, and periods, and defines the cabinetmaker’s terms, giving basic information to help any novice recognize the genuine and detect the counterfeit…The book can be carried for ‘on the spot’ identification and value determination of all types of furniture before 1850.

5 in. x 7.25 in. hardback with dust cover in very good condition. 429 pages.

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Scarce Book Antique Chinese Household Furniture Wonderfully illustrated in black-and-white, this early out-of-print book is a scholarly survey of antique

CHINESE HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE. By George N. Kates, Dover publications, NY, 1962. (This Dover edition, first published in 1962, is an unabridged and unaltered republication of the first work published by Harper and Brothers in 1948).

This book contains in its 112 black-and-white plates many excellent examples of hardwood furniture with striking simplicity and line. The author contributes an interesting background history of Chinese furniture and provides descriptive background notes for every piece pictured in the book. Covered by chapter are: Growth of Western Interest; The Chinese Tradition; What the West Noticed; Native Appraisals; Problems of Dating; The Woods Employed; Historical Evolution; Cupboards in General; Wardrobes; Smaller Cupboards; Open Cupboards; Dressers; Tables; Small Tables; Writing Tables; Side Tables; Altar Tables; Lute Tables, Etc.; The Built-In K’ang; K’ang Furniture; The Bed; The Stool; The Chair; Various Chests, Boxes, etc.; Traditional Design; Furniture Arrangement; Conclusions; and Summary Bibliography. The Chinese furniture designs, many centuries old, strangely resemble today’s "modern." Artists, collectors, designers and the many interested in furniture for its own sake will find this book a source of fresh inspiration.

5.25 in. x 7.8 in. softback in very good condition. 126 pages plus photo plates.

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New Book Antique Victorian Edwardian Furniture Prices The profuse illustrations and in-depth captions make this book an invaluable resource reference work for the connoisseur or appraiser of antique Victorian and Edwardian furniture.

VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN FURNITURE: PRICE GUIDE AND REASONS FOR VALUES by John Andrews, Antique Collector’s Club, Suffolk, UK, 1992/1998.

This reprint of one of the classic books in the Antique Collectors’ Club list contains 1,100 illustrations (80 in full color) of all types of furniture from bureaus to whatnots, in styles from Gothic Revival to Edwardian Sheraton and Art Nouveau. It explains many of the mysteries behind the most prolific period in furniture history, taking a sympathetic but shrewd look at the styles, the construction and the market’s assessment of an enormous range of pieces. Like its predecessor, and the best-selling "British Antique Furniture," this book discusses furniture which is available to the collector rather than museum pieces. It provides an objective guide to what is sought after and to what is unpopular. Fine quality and cheap mass-production are described in succinct terms which assist the reader to understand the complexities of a confusing period and the judge his or her own preferences. The illuminating essay on styles and informative captions contained in the comprehensive sections on each category of furniture not only give both novice and experienced collector a first-rate picture of what to look for from the reigns of Victoria (1837-1901) and Edward VII (1901-1910), but also highlight the wide overlap between the two. The great designers and craftsmen of the period are given due recognition and a twenty-year survey of the movement of prices of the major types of pieces provides the reader with that unique perspective for which Antique Collectors’ Club reference books and price guides are justly famous.

8.5 in. x 11 in. hardback with dust cover in mint new condition. 298 pages.

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