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Patricia Phillips Marshall
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Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color (Richard Hampton Jenrette Series in Architecture and the Decorative Arts) Hardcover – May 22, 2010

4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 35 ratings
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Thomas Day (1801-61), a free man of color from Milton, North Carolina, became the most successful cabinetmaker in North Carolina--white or black--during a time when most blacks were enslaved and free blacks were restricted in their movements and activities. His surviving furniture and architectural woodwork still represent the best of nineteenth-century craftsmanship and aesthetics.

In this lavishly illustrated book, Patricia Phillips Marshall and Jo Ramsay Leimenstoll show how Day plotted a carefully charted course for success in antebellum southern society. Beginning in the 1820s, he produced fine furniture for leading white citizens and in the 1840s and '50s diversified his offerings to produce newel posts, stair brackets, and distinctive mantels for many of the same clients. As demand for his services increased, the technological improvements Day incorporated into his shop contributed to the complexity of his designs.

Day's style, characterized by undulating shapes, fluid lines, and spiraling forms, melded his own unique motifs with popular design forms, resulting in a distinctive interpretation readily identified to his shop. The photographs in the book document furniture in public and private collections and architectural woodwork from private homes not previously associated with Day. The book provides information on more than 160 pieces of furniture and architectural woodwork that Day produced for 80 structures between 1835 and 1861.

Through in-depth analysis and generous illustrations, including over 240 photographs (20 in full color) and architectural photography by Tim Buchman, Marshall and Leimenstoll provide a comprehensive perspective on and a new understanding of the powerful sense of aesthetics and design that mark Day's legacy.
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Previous page
  1. Part of series
    Richard Hampton Jenrette Series in Architecture and the Decorative Arts
  2. Print length
    320 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    The University of North Carolina Press
  5. Publication date
    May 22, 2010
  6. Dimensions
    8 x 1 x 11 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    9780807833414
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0807833414
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Exhaustively researched . . . with . . . gorgeous full-color photographs of more than 160 pieces of furniture and architectural woodwork that Day produced between 1835 and 1861.--Raleigh News & Observer



Give[s] hints of the artisan's hidden inner life. [Day] came across as subservient in his newspaper ads, promising that commissions 'will be thankfully received and punctually attended to.' But he sent his children to an abolitionist boarding school in Massachusetts and wrote them that he longed to leave 'the Oppressive South.'--The New York Times



Day's incredible story is exhaustively researched and deftly illustrated. . . . A fascinating study of both the entrepreneur and his craft. . . . [With] eye-catching photographs and engrossing text. Highly recommended.--Library Journal



An excellent book about the craftsman's remarkable life. Building upon decades of research, the authors have produced the most comprehensive publication on this figure to date. . . . The photographs . . . are abundant and of high quality.--American Craft



This beautifully-illustrated book offers exceptionally skillful and sensitive readings of the artifactual and textual evidence. It is recommended for academic libraries, museums and large public libraries, and for all collections that support programs in African American studies and American cultural history more generally.--Art Libraries Society of North America



Comprehensively researched and delightfully written. . . . The authors successfully advance the body of knowledge of free African American craftsmen in the antebellum period, while painting a vibrant image of the world in which Thomas Day operated. . . . Will be indispensable for all collections that focus on art history and the decorative arts, African American history, the antebellum era, and regional collections. . . . Essential.--Choice



This fascinating study explores the vital legacy of Thomas Day. . . .The authors have produced a highly detailed−and highly readable−study of Day's career." --The Magazine Antiques



This long-awaited book . . . is the first significant scholarly examination of Day and his work. . . . The product of decades of research. . . . Is a foundation on which future scholars can build the often-forgotten story of North Carolina's free black community, and it is also a call to scholars in other states, North and South, to search out similar stories that puncture the myth of a monolithic antebellum society.--North Carolina Historical Review



Thomas Day is to be lauded as a significant achievement in scholarship on free black artisans of the South.--Journal of Southern History



Provide[s] the most comprehensive inventory of Thomas Day's furniture and architectural woodwork to date. This is an invaluable volume. . . . Marshall and Leimenstoll have indeed broken new ground by better illuminating the work of one of America's greatest craftsman and by placing his life and business within a larger context that will interest readers beyond academe and the fields of history and material culture.--Winterthur Portfolio

From the Inside Flap

Thomas Day (1801-61), a free man of color from Milton, N.C., became the most successful cabinetmaker in North Carolina--white or black--during a time when most blacks were enslaved and free blacks were restricted in their movements and activities. This beautifully illustrated book provides information on Day's life and career and features more than 160 pieces of furniture and architectural woodwork that he produced for 80 structures between 1835 and 1861. Oversized, with 20 color and 239 b&w photos.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 080783341X
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The University of North Carolina Press; First Edition (May 22, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780807833414
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0807833414
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.18 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 1 x 11 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 35 ratings

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Patricia Phillips Marshall

Patricia Phillips Marshall

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Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
35 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Constine
5.0 out of 5 stars Insights into the life of free African Americans in the 19th century
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great book describing life and work of North Carolina*s most successful cabinet maker of the 19th century. Insights into what it must have been like to live as a free African American in a slave society.
Visited the Thomas Day House in Milton after reading this book. Thomas Day*s story comes to life here!
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Dennis E. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2020
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Like that it had photos of much of this work and gave a lot of his history and family
One person found this helpful
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Lisa DJ
5.0 out of 5 stars I'm a Realtor specializing in historic homes in Caswell County ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2015
Verified Purchase
I'm a Realtor specializing in historic homes in Caswell County, NC. This makes the third one of these books I've purchased as closing gifts for my clients. This truly is the handbook for anyone selling or buying a historic home where the sawnwork, gingerbread, moldings, window casing and door casings were done by woodworking Mastercraftsman Thomas Day!
2 people found this helpful
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Robert Klein
5.0 out of 5 stars well written and accurate
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2011
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thomas day has gained new notoriety of late. it is deserved but it seems as if every antique mall or antique shop in virgina and north carolina has an item tagged as made by thomas day. this well documented and researched book gives the proper perspective. a good one for the collector who wants accurate information.
8 people found this helpful
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Book Addict
4.0 out of 5 stars Educational with Great Photos
Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2013
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I love coffee table books. This one is special because I didn't know anything about Thomas Day so I learned some things. And I get to share this with friends and family , as well.
3 people found this helpful
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Anne B. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars This is the definitive book on Thomas Day. A ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2014
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This is the definitive book on Thomas Day. A must read for anyone interested in Day, his life and art.
2 people found this helpful
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Shanal01
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2017
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Great book on this master craftsman
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