American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique, and Structure [Hardcover]

Jeffrey P Greene (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1996

American furniture of the 18th century is prized for its historical and artistic value by museums and collectors, and as a benchmark in design and craftsmanship by modern-day furniture makers.

In the first part of the book, Jeffrey Greene chronicles the evolution of the design and construction of 18th-century furniture, drawing on historical influences and the tastes of the period. In the second part, he explains and illustrates the techniques of the period furniture maker, including joinery and authentic construction; carving, turning and inlay; time-honored finishing methods; and making working drawings. The final part examines 24 important original examples in detail for their design, construction and artistic merit.

Written by a professional period furniture maker, this book is intended for anyone with an interest in 18th-century furniture. For antiquarians, it will serve as a detailed guide to the furniture maker's methods. For cabinetmakers of any period, it will be an essential reference on connoisseurship and historical methods.

Editorial Reviews

Review

American Furniture Of The 18th Century bridges the gap between the art of period furniture and the craft of furniture making. Jeffrey Greene's meticulous research of styles, makers and period methods produces a rare combination of history and technique that is bursting with information and insight. Green first provides a comprehensive survey of design and construction based on the historical influences and tastes of the period. He then examines and explains authentic joinery, construction and furniture making methods. Throughout, he provides drawings, illustrations and photographs. And in a separate, full-color section, he treats readers to a close-up look at 18 important examples with a discussion of their design, construction and artistic merit. American Furniture Of The 18th Century captures the spirit of an age that boasted William and Mary, Queen Anne, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Neoclassical and other enduring makers and styles. It successfully links the history, craft and construction of these classic masterworks in a beautiful volume of elegance and timeless designs. Highly recommended reading for antiquarians, collectors of 18th Century furniture, and students of 18th Century Americana. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Taunton Press (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1561581046
• ISBN-13: 978-1561581047
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A selection of fine furniture, January 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique, and Structure (Hardcover)

This book has an excellent selection of photographs of fine furniture of the 18th Century. The most notable thing about the book is that the author has exhibited fairly good taste in his selection of specimens to include, and has largely ignored the more shabby pieces of the era. This is in contrast with Nutting's "Furniture Treasury", which has truly extensive selections of photographs of all furniture of the era (good, bad, or indifferent). Greene's book also contains good historical information on the furniture trade of that era, and has an excellent bibliography of furniture books written in the 18th Century (some of which remain available).

The author is a former mechanical engineer, who now hand crafts replica 18th Century furniture for a living.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent all-around reference for this period furniture, December 31, 2000

By 

Tool Connoisseur (APO, AE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique, and Structure (Hardcover)

Greene's book does a good job of providing a woodworker (or others interested in period pieces) with solid information on many selected pieces from the era of the title. He does a good job of selecting pieces of good taste, and gives a lot of information on various details with just the right amount of how-to. There is also a lot of historical background info for those who like to know about the history of a piece or style before they build it. The pictures and exploded drawings (showing joinery) are excellent. Though not a comprehensive encyclopedia (it's not intended to be one) it is a good read from start to finish or a good reference book. Well worth the money.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "must-buy" book for furniture makers, January 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique, and Structure (Hardcover)

This is a simply fabulous book. Its split into two sections; a furniture history section and a "how-to" section, describing basic techniques. These two sections make the book a great, informative read. BUT what makes this a "must buy" are the appendices. Greene shows exploded views of virtually all the basic furniture types. While these pictures aren't project plans, they provide invaluable information about the guts of antique furniture. The other appendix I like is the one showing 18th century recipes for finishes. I tried a few and they work great.