Stickley Book Rack
Expose your joinery skills with this Arts &
Crafts classic.
I
n the early 1900s, furniture maker Gustav Stickley began producing a
unique style of furniture that he called "Craftsman." At the time, the
world was coming into the modern industrial age, and Stickley, among
others, began to question the value of mass-produced furniture and its
effect on those who made or owned it.
Victorian furniture featured many machine-made elements that
sought to mimic the handwork of earlier times. In most cases these
adornments detracted rather than added. Just because machines could
produce intricate imitation carvings and mouldings didn’t mean that
they should. Stickley decided to get back to basics.
This simple book rack is a good example of the s t yle. The joiner y,
along with the character of the quartersawn white oak, becomes the
decoration. Function comes fi rst, and the form is a combination of nice
wood, good proportions and honest joinery.
Making this piece is like going to Craftsman boot camp. You’ll get
to know the nature of the wood and how to make exposed joints. It’s
not a big piece, but there are enough joints and details to provide
plenty of practice.
Craftsman furniture was factory made, but Stickley’s aim was to
use machines to save the workers from drudgery while providing room
to display skilled workmanship. At the time, most of the machines we
know today were in common use, but the subtle details that make this
piece special have to be completed by hand.
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