American Furniture 2023

The Chipstone Foundation's annual American Furniture journal remains one of the most influential publications to have emerged in the field of decorative arts, with this year's edition featuring new research on objects associated with Thomas Jefferson. The 2023 volume of American Furniture is largely comprised of new research on objects associated with Thomas Jefferson. Essays by Diane Ehrenpreis and Emilie Johnson show how Jefferson was inspired by furniture he saw and used while serving abroad, how he worked with American craftsmen to produce conventional and novel forms, and how he arranged and occasionally modified the pieces he acquired to suit specific locations and personal needs. Cary Howlett’s article follows suite while chronicling the conservation of Jefferson’s renowned rotating armchair, and James Gergat’s article – bolstered by finish microscopy performed and explicated by Susan Buck -- sheds new light on two objects traditionally associated with the Declaration of Independence. Table of Contents Cross-section Microscopy and Paint Analysis of Thomas Jefferson’s Revolving Windsor Armchair Susan L. Buck “Threads & Clues of it”: Thomas Jefferson’s New York Furniture James Gergat The Descent and Rise of Francis Trumble: A Philadelphia Success Story James Gergat “So that Every Detail Might Stand out Clearly”: New Upholstery for Thomas Jefferson’s Revolving Chair F. Carey Howlett “Recline at ease”: Thomas Jefferson’s Metamorphic Sofa Emilie Johnson Read more