The Practical Book of Period Furniture

Philadelphia; (1914): J.B. Lippincott Co. First Edition. Octavo. 4th impression. Color frontispiece, 371 pages, index. Illustrated with 250 plates. The chapters on early American Furniture will help much to introduce order into the chaos that has been caused by the unintelligent use of the word Colonial. To quote the exact phraseology of the book before us: "The term Colonial Furniture as it is ordinarily used means nothing, and is usually misleading. William and Mary or Queen Anne furniture was just as much William and Mary or Queen Anne furniture on one side of the Atlantic as on the other; as was Chippendale or Adam, Hepplewhite or Sheraton." An important and valuable feature of the book is the interior arrangement of the different chapters. For example, the summary at the beginning of the chapter on William and Mary is followed by paragraphs subheaded as follows : Contour, Chairs, Stools, Setees, Chests, Cabinets, Mirrors, Materials, Upholstery, Turning, Carving, Painting, Gilding, Lacquering, Mounts, Finish, etc. Especially helpful to the novice anxious to acquire quickly an appreciation of style differences is the Illustrated Chronological Key. This makes the book indispensable to schools and shops, as well as to individuals. With the aid of the Key one can learn more about the shapes of English and Colonial furniture in a few hours that would often take a week long seminar. The illustrations of the Key are splendidly supplemented by many others placed appropriately throughout the book. The index is excellent. Bound in beige pictorial cloth depicting a dresser in black lettered and rules in brown and black, spine ruled and lettered in brown and black, top edge gilt. light rubbing to corners and spine ends, small stain to upper board. A very nice copy.