Arts and Crafts Furniture: From Classic to Contemporary »

Jonathan Binzen is a writer and photographer specializing in furniture and architecture. He's a former senior editor at Fine Woodworking magazine and has written for This Old House and American Craft.

From William Morris and the roots of the Arts & Crafts movement, through Gustav Stickley, the Prairie School, and including contemporary pieces, this book celebrates the classic furniture—and the master craftsmen who made it. 500 photos.

Library Journal

Books such as these make reviewing a true pleasure. The book by Cathers (Stickley Style), a lavish, comprehensive monograph on the life and, in particular, the work of an originator of the Arts & Crafts furniture design movement in the United States, is a fine, deep, and impressive exploration. Gustav Stickley had wide-ranging influence as a designer, particularly through the periodical The Craftsman. He worked with simple lines, virtually shorn of ornamentation, and the materials and craft of construction took center stage in his furniture and, later, architectural designs (most often conceived and implemented by others). Produced on heavy, glossy paper stock, with several hundred illustrations, both color and black-and-white photography, and line drawings, this work meticulously highlights Stickley's enormous contribution to design. The bibliography and index make this volume particularly useful. Arts & Crafts Furniture provides a broader context for the design movement of Stickley's time, helping readers understand fully the revolution he engendered. The volume shines in its careful delineation and exploration of the differences among designers and the different styles of the time, facilitated by textual discussions, drawings, and photographs. The definitions are clear, and examples bring many stylistic distinctions into sharper focus. Though distinctly different in focus, both volumes are celebrations of the art and work particularly well in tandem.-Alex Hartmann, INFOPHILE, Williamsport, PA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.