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In a country of junk-filled attics, yard sales, and flea markets frequented by millions of Antiques Roadshow viewers hoping to uncover a grungy chest of drawers worth millions, the Keno twins have become the Siskel and Ebert of antiques. Dapper, witty, and in their early forties (with nearly 60 years of combined experience between them), they symbolize the union of amateur enthusiasm and acute professionalism that has made their television program a cultural phenomenon. Now, in this fascinating collection of tales of their personal adventures hunting -- and discovering -- priceless "junk" (including some notable Roadshow success stories), readers will learn how to see the extraordinary in the mundane. "Hidden Treasures" is part history lesson and part treasure map for finding valuable antiques where they would be least expected.
Drawing on the latest scholarship, this comprehensive, lavishly illustrated survey tells the story of the evolution of American furniture from the 17th century to the present. Not viewed in isolation, furniture is placed in its broader cultural, historic, and aesthetic context. The focus is not only on the urban masterpieces of 18th century William and Mary, Queen Anne, Chippendale, and Federal styles but also on the work of numerous rural cabinetmakers. Special chapters explore Windsor chairs, Shaker, and Pennsylvania German furniture which do not follow the mainstream style progression. Picturesque and anti-classical explain Victorian furniture including Rococo, Renaissance, and Eastlake. Mission and Arts and Crafts furniture introduce the 20th century. Another chapter identifies the eclectic revivals such as Early American that dominated the mass market throughout much of the 20th century. After World War II American designers created many of the Mid-Century Modern icons that are much sought after by collectors today. The rise of studio furniture and furniture as art which include some of the most creative and imaginative furniture produced in the 20th and 21st centuries caps the review of four centuries of American furniture. A final chapter advises on how to evaluate the authenticity of both traditional and modern furniture and how to preserve it for posterity. With over 800 photos including 24 pages of color, this fully illustrated text is the authoritative reference work.
Meant for both connoisseur and amateur, this is the definitive book in its field. During ten years of research, the authors examined furniture from coast to coast, in museums and private collections. American Furniture has a running text along with its identification captions, which places furniture in its social and historical context. In its 100 color pictures and 1300 black-and-white photos, the book frequently presents furniture in the rooms they were made for. There is extensive coverage of the masterpieces from the seventeenth century to the present, many of them newly photographed for this book, but coverage is by no means restricted to these pieces. This is the first book to encompass furniture "away from the mainstream"--Pieces made away from the furniture centers of New York, New England, and Pennsylvania. Thus, there is discussion of the furniture of the Southwest; furniture made in Dutch, Spanish, French, and Norwegian settlements; and furniture made in religious enclaves or as part of social or aesthetic reform movements. Also, line drawings reveal how antique furniture was made--and therefore how to tell a genuine antique from a forgery.--From publisher description.
The instant New York Times bestseller about one man's battle to save hundreds of jobs by demonstrating the greatness of American business. The Bassett Furniture Company was once the world's biggest wood furniture manufacturer. Run by the same powerful Virginia family for generations, it was also the center of life in Bassett, Virginia. But beginning in the 1980s, the first waves of Asian competition hit, and ultimately Bassett was forced to send its production overseas. One man fought back: John Bassett III, a shrewd and determined third-generation factory man, now chairman of Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co, which employs more than 700 Virginians and has sales of more than $90 million. In Factory Man, Beth Macy brings to life Bassett's deeply personal furniture and family story, along with a host of characters from an industry that was as cutthroat as it was colorful. As she shows how he uses legal maneuvers, factory efficiencies, and sheer grit and cunning to save hundreds of jobs, she also reveals the truth about modern industry in America.
Tour American styles, periods, and types of furniture by examining Chippendale, Shaker, Rococo, and many other distinctly American creations that showcase the artistic merit of American furniture.
This book is a comprehensive guide to regional differences in early American furniture. It will assist the collector, dealer, and auctioneer in determining where and when antique furniture was made. The book is unique in that it covers all the major furniture producing regions from the time of the first settlements until American furniture begins to lose its regional character in the first decades of the nineteenth century. The almost 700 illustrations focus on furniture most likely to be seen in the home and marketplace. In addition to many hundreds of illustrations of New England, Middle Atlantic, and Southern pieces, there is a chapter on the regional use of cabinet woods, essays on the furniture of the different regions, and detailed illustrations of regional carving, turning, and construction practices. There is no other book half as useful in determining the who, when, and where of early American furniture. 2006 values.