Chippendale and all that
By Hannah Crouthamel on Jul 14  in Furniture Designers

Thomas Chippendale – Background
Born in 1718, Chippendale became a master carver and cabinet maker at an early age. Gifted with a rare eye for design and technique, his workshop in London became a highly successful undertaking. In 1754 he published the first edition of The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker’s Director. This chronicled tastes of the moment and his designs in particular.

It was so popular that a second edition was printed the following year and a third edition with more plates and up to date revisions in 1762. Most believe The Director, as it became to be known, was the most important book of furniture design published in the 18th century; it dominated design in England and her colonies through much of the century and, in fact, Chippendale’s designs are still being reproduced 250 years later. His influence was felt not only through The Director, but from the furniture that his workshops built and placed in the grand homes of London as well as in country mansions. He trained dozens of cabinetmakers, many of whom later established their own shops in England and in America (very likely some of the cabinetmakers who made furniture in Philadelphia, were trained in his London shop). (more…)