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The Encyclopedia of Furniture: Third Edition - Completely Revised

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Description

A completely revised edition, covering every period and development to the present, the designers and makers, the woods and other materials, the architecture and decoration. 2,000 photographs. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Potter Style; 3rd edition (December 13, 1965)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0517037351


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 55


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.6 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.78 x 1.5 x 11.14 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #154,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #12 in Antique & Collectible Furniture (Books) #34 in Furniture Design (Books) #147 in Antiques & Collectibles Encyclopedias


#12 in Antique & Collectible Furniture (Books):


#34 in Furniture Design (Books):


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • Very Valuable
Aronson's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FURNITURE is a must have if you do not know every detail of every style in every period of furniture development. It defines terms and shows sketches and photos of many of them. It has good summaries of each term. Organized by terms and presented in alphabetical order, if you don't find the information under one term, it will send you to the term where you can find information instead. Used in my History of Furniture class, I highly recommend it paired with Crochet's DESIGNER'S GUIDE TO FURNITURE STYLES, 2nd Edition. Together, you will have everything you need to know about the history of furniture. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2011 by Deborah Amyx

  • Dated, but still excellent
I purchased a used copy of this book via Amazon. Coming from the ninth printing of third edition, this book came off the press in 1975. Now, 46 years later, there are some signs of wear and tear—but no more than reasonable, and the seller was excellent in all categories. Joseph Aronson authored the first edition of this encyclopedia in 1938. In the foreword to it, he wrote, “It has long seemed to me that the art and industry of furniture sorely needed a convenient encyclopedia.” He sought to meet the reference-work needs of furniture designers, makers, collectors, architects, and the like, recognizing that to keep the encyclopedia compact enough to be a single tome, some details such would have to be omitted. The reception of the first and second editions were numerous, strong, and enthusiastic. The inside flap of my copy says that previous to its existence, more than 150,000 copies of the book were sold. In his foreword to the third edition, Aronson acknowledges that many revisions have been made, a substantial number of which came from critiques and suggestions regarding the first two editions. The first thing to note about the book is that it is, to modern eyes, remarkably Eurocentric. Given the era in which it was written, the locale, and the predominance of English, French, and other European styles, techniques, etc., in the influencing of American furniture making, sales, and so forth, it is not surprising. But don’t look here for much on Asian furniture, for instance, regardless of the merits thereof. (There are a few examples, but not sufficient to claim anything like thorough coverage of the subject.) The format of the book is one of the somewhat quaintly old-fashioned “encyclopedia” sort, much akin to a dictionary. Entries are alphabetical, and each is defined, described and/or explained in as concise a manner as the author thought acceptable. Many entries are augmented will illustration; some are simple b/w drawings/engravings, others photographs (again, all b/w), and there are more than 2000 of them, virtually all of which are valuable in a reference of this sort. As a budding furniture maker, I’m already finding this book very helpful in clarifying what is meant by some terms of art, or acquiring a photographic example of something to cement the idea of, say, just what a c-scroll is and looks like. Or what features might be expected of German Rococo furniture. It will continue to be a useful reference pretty much until I give up the activity, I’m sure. For those who wish ready reference to a broad range of phrases, names, design details, etc., of the furniture produced over the last several centuries, with an eye cast mostly toward European influence, this remains, as best I can tell, the best single resource. Recommended for students of design history, furniture design, repair, and construction, artists, and more. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2022 by Perry Clark

  • Great delivery
Arrived early and in good condition
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2023 by Amy R. Jebrine

  • this is a very detailed book that has just thousands of wonderful black and white pictures of many
the cover is different on my book, but its the same book. this is a very detailed book that has just thousands of wonderful black and white pictures of many, many types of furniture! and even a few sketches. it even has a section with pictures of different "cuts" of wood making different grains. a must have book if you are even slightly interested in the style and design of furniture! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2015 by d

  • Not ordered well.
Says "covering every period and development.." but doesn't give consistant examples. Say, you're looking for a Baroque chair, you might find some Baroque furniture under the article Baroque, and some chairs under the article Chair, but you might not find any baroque chairs. When I got this book, I thought I could use it to do some period research but it was very difficult to find what I wanted, if at all, and it wasn't what I was hoping for and expecting unfortunately. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2013 by Jennifer Kuberka

  • A Must-Have Resource Book for all Design Libraries
I cannot stress enough how fabulous this book is - it really is Must-Have Resource book for ALL Design Libraries. Having studied the applied arts/ craft arts & design this book is a great reference guide and something I use to check on original & replica styles from furniture suppliers, especially for historical aspects to help further inform clients on their choices/ placement & ultimately purchases. If you love furniture, design or are in both - then this is a great addition to your resources. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2009 by SVerity

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