Synopses & Reviews
John Townsend (17331809) is one of the most revered cabinetmakers of Colonial America. He spent his life in Newport, Rhode Island, leaving a uniquely large body of documented work. This handsome and generously illustrated bookthe first publication ever devoted to Townsendlooks at the life and legacy of this extraordinary cabinetmaker.
The book opens with an overview of Newport and a discussion of other important cabinetmakers, including Job and Christopher Townsend, Johns father and uncle. John worked as an apprentice to his father before establishing his own shop when he was twenty-one. The catalogue section of this volume presents new color reproductions, including details of carving and construction and inscriptions and labels, of all thirty-five documented pieces by John Townsend. Comparative works by Christopher, Job, Job Jr., and Edmund Townsend as well as by John Goddard, another significant Newport cabinetmaker of the time, are also featured. Other documentation includes: a genealogical chart of the Townsend and Goddard families; wills and inventories of Christopher and John Townsend; a list of Townsend family furniture; names of John Townsends clients; and a list of all documented Newport furniture.
Synopsis
This book is the first to examine the life and work of John Townsend, one of the most revered cabinetmakers of Colonial America. New color photographs of all thirty-five documented Townsend pieces highlight his craftsmanship and distinctive personal style. Also featured are pieces by other members of his family and by his contemporary John Goddard, along with extensive archival materials.
Synopsis
A beautifully illustrated reassessment of the work of Duncan Phyfe, America's best-known cabinetmaker
Synopsis
Duncan Phyfe (1770and#8211;1854), known during his lifetime as the "United States Rage," to this day remains America's best-known cabinetmaker. Establishing his reputation as a purveyor of luxury by designing high-quality furniture for New York's moneyed elite, Phyfe would come to count among his clients some of the nation's wealthiest and most storied families.
This richly illustrated volume covers the full chronological sweep of the craftsman's distinguished career, from his earliest furniture--which bears the influence of his 18th-century British predecessors Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Hope--to his late simplified designs in the Grecian Plain. More than sixty works by Phyfe and his workshop are highlighted, including rarely seen pieces from private collections and several newly discovered documented works. Additionally, essays by leading scholars bring to light new information on Phyfe's life, his workshop production, and his roster of illustrious patrons. What unfolds is the story of Phyfe's remarkable transformation from a young immigrant craftsman to an accomplished master cabinetmaker and an American icon.
About the Author
Peter M. Kenny is Ruth Bigelow Wriston Curator of American Decorative Arts and Administrator, The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Michael K. Brown is curator, Bayou Bend Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Frances F. Bretter, an independent scholar, was formerly research associate, The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Matthew A. Thurlow, formerly research associate, The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, is on the staff of the Winterthur Museum.