The Encyclopedia of Furniture: Third Edition - Completely Revised [Hardcover]

Joseph Aronson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 1961

A completely revised edition, covering every period and development to the present, the designers and makers, the woods and other materials, the architecture and decoration. 2,000 photographs. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

A completely revised edition, covering every period and development to the present, the designers and makers, the woods and other materials, the architecture and decoration. 2,000 photographs. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Clarkson Potter; 3 Revised edition (December 13, 1961)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517037351
• ISBN-13: 978-0517037355
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 1.5 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Antiques & Collectibles > Furniture
  • #29 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Antiques & Collectibles

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good dictionary-style book, June 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Furniture: Third Edition - Completely Revised (Hardcover)

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE is more like a dictionary of design terms with pictures of specific furniture pieces. It gives a brief history of the furniture periods, but it will not aide you in learning about the characteristics of the pieces in each style. It is a good choice if you are looking for a quick reference guide with pictures and definitions.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful reference for those learning the elements of design., August 22, 2007

By 

Kate Ainsworth (Chicagoland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Furniture: Third Edition - Completely Revised (Hardcover)

This is a great visual encyclopedia for learning what parts of furniture and styles from different periods look like. When reading about a reproduction Greek klismos chair with sabre legs or a Louis XV commode with Sevres plaque and riband trim, there is nothing like a visual reference to understand what those words actually mean. Not a light read, but this is an important addition to the bookshelf of anyone really serious about being educated in elements of interior design.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but dated content deserves a new revision, February 22, 2010

By 

DIANNE JOHANSSON-ADAMS (Mount Holly, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Furniture: Third Edition - Completely Revised (Hardcover)

This book is just what I was looking for: Illustrated descriptions of styles and terms used for furniture. If you want to know what terms like "cabriole" mean (for which you really need illustrations), this is probably the right book for you. I say "probably" because The Encyclopedia of Furniture was originally published in 1938 and the current edition was revised almost 50 years ago. Given that most of the material is historical, that's not as bad as it sounds

The Encyclopedia of Furniture would benefit greatly from the better editorial and production values that computerized compilation methods have made possible. (Unfortunately, most publishers--reflecting the ownership of many by huge multinational media corporations--are more interested in how fast they can publish than whether the material is comprehensive or even factually correct.)

Following are examples of the kinds of problems that could be eliminated with some editorial direction and modern production techniques (which will also give you an idea of what's covered by The Encyclopedia of Furniture):

--The criteria for deciding what or who deserves an entry aren't clear. For example, an entry appears for William Morris but none for Breuer or Thonet. And does James Gillingham (an 18th century Phila. furniture maker whose name isn't identified with a chair or any other piece of furniture) warrant more space than either of these?
--It appears that only photographic plates are numbered, but line drawings don't always appear adjacent to the text they illustrate. Because there are 1800+ illustrations, this can create confusion. For example, to what do the unlabeled line drawings numbered a-e at the top of col. 1, p. 389 refer (none of the text appearing on pages 388-389 appears to reference these).
--The illustrations don't always appear with the most appropriate entry. For example, there's no illustration for KNEEHOLE but illustrations of kneehole desks appear under both DESK and ENGLAND.
--The means of illustration are also sometimes inappropriate. PERIOD FURNITURE (p. 336) is illustrated by a hand-drawn timeline whereas it should have been typeset---or perhaps the timeline (which certainly deserves space in this encyclopedia) belongs someplace else.
--In some places (e.g., the heavily illustrated ENGLAND section) the illustrations sometimes don't even fit the printed page (they just kind of slide off the end).
--INTAGLIO (p. 262) references illustration 32, which is a Queen Anne armchair. Does this mean that the three-toed DRAKE FOOT of the chair leg is an example of intaglio? The entry is vague, and so is the illustration.
--Running heads and folios are essential but are sometimes missing just where they are needed most (e.g., the lengthy ENGLAND section).

This great reference is most deserving of an extensive, up-to-date revision.