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Byrdcliffe linen press
NO. ITEM DIMENSIONS (INCHES) MATERIAL COMMENTS
T W LCARCASE
❏ 8 Leg front & back 1 21 ⁄ 2 541 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak Miter long edges
❏ 8 Leg sides 11 ⁄ 8 21 ⁄ 2 541 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak Miter & rabbet long edges
❏ 4 Side panel stiles^3 ⁄ 4 31 ⁄ 2 441 ⁄ 2 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 2 Side panel top rails^3 ⁄ 4 61 ⁄ 2 83 ⁄ 8 Quartersawn white oak 11 ⁄ 4 " TBE
❏ 2 Side panel middle rails^3 ⁄ 4 51 ⁄ 8 83 ⁄ 8 Quartersawn white oak 11 ⁄ 4 " TBE
❏ 2 Side panel bottom rails^3 ⁄ 4 35 ⁄ 8 83 ⁄ 8 Quartersawn white oak 11 ⁄ 4 " TBE
❏ 2 Lower arched rails^7 ⁄ 8 51 ⁄ 8 83 ⁄ 8 Quartersawn white oak 11 ⁄ 4 " TBE
❏ 2 Top side panels^5 ⁄ 8 67 ⁄ 8 13 Quartersawn white oak^1 ⁄ 2 " TAS
❏ 2 Bottom side panels^5 ⁄ 8 67 ⁄ 8 181 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak^1 ⁄ 2 " TAS
❏ 1 Top^3 ⁄ 4 183 ⁄ 4 41 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 1 Front top rail^7 ⁄ 8 25 ⁄ 8 343 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak 1" TBE
❏ 2 Drawer rails^7 ⁄ 8 11 ⁄ 4 343 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak 1" TBE
❏ 1 Bottom front rail^7 ⁄ 8 13 ⁄ 8 343 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak 1" TBE
❏ 1 Bottom apron^3 ⁄ 4 63 ⁄ 4 343 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak 1" TBE
❏ 2 Stiles @ doors^3 ⁄ 4 23 ⁄ 16 193 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 2 Stiles @ top drawer^3 ⁄ 4 23 ⁄ 16 71 ⁄ 2 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 2 Stiles @ bottom drawer^3 ⁄ 4 23 ⁄ 16 81 ⁄ 2 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 1 Drawer rail support^3 ⁄ 4 13 ⁄ 8 323 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 2 Fill behind crown^3 ⁄ 8 15 ⁄ 16 121 ⁄ 8 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 1 Fill behind crown^1 ⁄ 4 15 ⁄ 16 323 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 6 Web frame stiles^3 ⁄ 4 21 ⁄ 2 351 ⁄ 2 Poplar
❏ 9 Web frame rails^3 ⁄ 4 21 ⁄ 2 107 ⁄ 8 Poplar^3 ⁄ 4 " TBE
❏ 4 Web frame panels^3 ⁄ 4 103 ⁄ 8 143 ⁄ 4 Plywood
❏ 2 Crown moulding 1 2 48 Quartersawn white oak
DOORS❏ 2 Door hinge stiles^3 ⁄ 4 37 ⁄ 8 193 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 1 Left lock stile^3 ⁄ 4 37 ⁄ 8 193 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 1 Right lock stile^3 ⁄ 4 41 ⁄ 8 193 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak
❏ 2 Door top rails^3 ⁄ 4 37 ⁄ 8 93 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak 1" TBE
❏ 2 Door bottom rails^3 ⁄ 4 37 ⁄ 8 93 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak 1" TBE
❏ 2 Door panels^5 ⁄ 8 83 ⁄ 4 13 Basswood^1 ⁄ 2 " TAS
DRAWERS❏ 1 Top drawer front^3 ⁄ 4 71 ⁄ 2 311 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak Opening size trim to fi t
❏ 1 Bottom drawer front^3 ⁄ 4 81 ⁄ 2 311 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak Opening size trim to fi t
❏ 2 Drawer sides^3 ⁄ 4 71 ⁄ 2 141 ⁄ 4 Maple Dovetailed to front
❏ 2 Drawer sides^3 ⁄ 4 81 ⁄ 2 141 ⁄ 4 Maple Dovetailed to front
❏ 1 Drawer back^3 ⁄ 4 71 ⁄ 2 323 ⁄ 4 Maple In dado in sides
❏ 1 Drawer back^3 ⁄ 4 81 ⁄ 2 323 ⁄ 4 Maple In dado in sides
❏ 2 Drawer bottoms^1 ⁄ 4 141 ⁄ 2 303 ⁄ 8 Plywood
❏ 4 Drawer runners 1 11 ⁄ 2 141 ⁄ 4 Quartersawn white oak^3 ⁄ 4 " TOE
BACK❏ 3 Back frame rails^3 ⁄ 4 21 ⁄ 2 30 Poplar^3 ⁄ 4 " TBE
❏ 3 Back frame stiles^3 ⁄ 4 21 ⁄ 2 433 ⁄ 8 Poplar
❏ 2 Back planks^1 ⁄ 2 47 ⁄ 8 433 ⁄ 8 Poplar^1 ⁄ 4 " rabbet one edge
❏ 4 Back planks^1 ⁄ 2 47 ⁄ 8 433 ⁄ 8 Poplar^1 ⁄ 4 " rabbet both edges
TBE = Tenon Both Ends; TAS= Tenon All Sides; TOE= Tenon One End
Byrdcliffe linen press
The Cast of
Charact ers
Byrdcliffe was founded and
fi nanced by Englishman Ralph
Radcliffe Whitehead. He inher-
ited the family’s felt fortune at
age 32, and was a follower of
John Ruskin. Although not an
artistic man himself, he mar-
ried a painter, and enjoyed the
company of many prominent
artists and intellectuals.
In the early 1890s, he wrote
about an idealized community
of artists, but didn’t act on these
plans until the birth of his two
sons gave him a desire to do
something useful with his for-
tune. He purchased 1,300 acres
of land, built about 30 buildings,
including a well-equipped wood-
shop and surrounded himself
with a talented group of artists
and writers.
Although Whitehead held
artists in high esteem, he had
a rather low opinion of crafts-
men. In his written plan for his
community he stated: "Now,
in order to have anything good
made in stuff, or in hard mate-
rial, we must seek out the art-
ist to provide us with a design,
and then a workman to carry
it out as mechanically as pos-
sible, because we know that if
he puts any of his coarser self
into it he will spoil it."
Who actually made and
carved the furniture produced
at Byrdcliffe is not known.
Apparently there were several
different cabinetmakers, as the
quality of construction varies
from piece to piece. Although
Byrdcliffe was intended to be
self-supporting, Whitehead
was wealthy enough to aban-
don the furniture-making part
of his plan after a little more
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