80 ADIRONDACK LIFE September + October 2019I
t’s hard to believe there was ever a time when twiggy wasn’t
trendy, but in “Woodsy Whimsy Turns Chic” (June 1985),
Adirondack folk-art dealer Bob Doyle announced a turbocharg-
ing of the rustic renaissance that had begun a decade before.
Citing booming sticker prices for turn-of-the-century antiques, he
wrote, “Most furniture is fi ve times as valuable today as it was in 1980.”
And that was just the beginning. In 1987, Blue Mountain Lake’s
Adirondack Museum—now the Adirondack Experience—hosted its
fi rst Rustic Furniture Fair, a showcase of contemporary artisans that
gave another boost to the appetite for Adirondackana. At fi rst there
were only a handful of exhibitors; now the event overfl ows with top-
notch artists. (This year’s festival happens September 7–8.)
Schroon Lake’s Barry Gregson, who started crafting rustic furni-
ture in the early ’80s, watched the transformation from utilitarian
camp chairs and tables to high-style designs reminiscent of Great
Camp masterpieces. He cites the talent and innovation on display in
the region for feeding a continuing evolution: “Someone sees some-
thing, sees how far it can go, and says, ‘Oh, this can be done in rustic.’”1969-2019
THEN & NOW