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“The two great truths in the world are the Bible and Grecian architecture.”
– Nicholas Biddle (1786 , 1844), president of the Second Bank of the United States
Among some historians of furniture and architecture there is a line in the sand where everything built before 1830 was great and everything built after that was on the downhill slide to McMansions filled with Value City pressboard termite-barf.
Jonathan Hale, the author of “The Old Way of Seeing” (one of my favorite books), explores this idea in a thoughtful way. Before 1830, carpenters and woodworkers viewed geometry as a world of secrets that teaches us to “trace the chain” of truths. After 1830, geometry became a set of rigid rules that a builder should follow to produce a design that was correct.
In Hale’s view, the early builder chose harmony over symmetry. The modern builder reversed that relationship.
What happened in 1830? That’s when the Greek Revival style of architecture swept the nation , this country’s first national building style. Suddenly, new buildings (even humble ones) had Greek porticos with massive columns. Architecture had become a performance, according to Hale.
American society was also going through enormous changes. Clothing was becoming more prudish, as were attitudes toward sex and alcohol. Though America was still rural, the country was beginning to become urban and industrialized.
The same changes applied to furniture, according to Wallace Nutting, the author of the three-volume “Furniture Treasury.” He challenged anyone to show him a piece of well-designed furniture built after 1840. For any piece of furniture since then, Nutting said he could produce one that was both better and older.
“Is it likely that anyone can think of anything new and good?” Nutting wrote. “It may be new, but it looks as if born in the infernal regions to plague the glimpses of the moon. Nobody in a hundred years has brought forth anything new except monstrosities, or at least inelegancies, weak shapes, or mongrels.”
Here at Woodworking Magazine, we have been investigating this tumultuous time in the history of furniture, architecture and society. And though you’re probably reading this and thinking “What does this have to do with me and my workshop?” I hope you will bear with us.
– Christopher Schwarz
Illustration at top: A stand 1690-1720 from “Furniture Treasury”
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we have to remember that the common household of the time did NOT have quality furniture, much like todays common household.they got by with what they could. the particleboard furniture of the day and mostly homemade, form over function.the average homeownerof today does not sit on thomas moser furniture or a sam maloof rocking chair.
If you want to see the design differences between the eras in the 1800’s check out the Parry Mansion in New Hope, PA. The description -"The furnishings of the 8 rooms reflect 125 (1775 – 1900) years of decorative changes experienced by the Parry family. Each room represents a different time period during which the Parry’s occupied the mansion. It was the inspiration of Charles Lamar, noted decorative historian and Interior designer. Since 1966, the New Hope Historical Society has maintained this splendid mansion house museum, the centerpiece of New Hope as a tribute to the American experience."
It’s a wonderful place. I have to say the Victorian era room was the least favorite of me and my wife. Overly ornate, ponderous, dark. I don’t know if I’d make a Victorian piece of furniture even if I wanted to – it’d take too much wood! Part of the appeal of that period I’m sure was the showoff factor – if you could buy one of those monstrosities then you must have been doing pretty well. Hey – kind of reminds me of the SUV! 😉
Verne
This is a wonderful discussion you have started Chris. I like your "throw out the bait" questions.
Wallace Nutting did a lot to set taste and provide early impetus for a slew of fallacious assumptions and he greatly colored our view of the colonial period with his commentary. A classic example of this is in his Furniture Treasury where one of the most famous pictures is that of the large fireplace with mantel, assorted accoutrements and the flintlock rifle with powderhorn hanging in place. It was pointed out to me years ago that he was of the late romantic period and was largely responsible for the colonial revival. In real life, no black poweder firearm would have been stored near flame and in a place where it was difficult to grab when an immediate need arose. His overly romantic portrayal of a "better" time carried over to his somewhat dogmatic pronouncements on furniture. Frankly it is not surprising since he was a Cogregational Preacher (think Puritons, burning witches, executing Quakers)by profession and was used to being an authority figure.
To sum up from my rambling: consider the source and the the backgound of the man who was attempting to set taste and consider that it was only one man’s opinion.
Best regards,
Dave Anderson
Chester, NH
FYI Franklin Gottshall has written books with measured drawings on how to build reproductions of many beautiful and magnificent early American pieces. Gottshall got his start in Nutting’s shop.
By 1830, Empire waist dresses were out of fashion, and the Age of Modesty was beginning. [Empire referred to Napoleon’s empire, which was gone by 1830.] But what would a bunch of men know about fashion history? (grin)
Actually, 1830 was during a pivotal period. The Industrial Revolution and mass production were beginning to take hold. Queen victoria was beginning to set the social standards. The British Empire was beginning its ascendency. And America was turning from viewing France as the nation to emulate to England.
Getting back to furniture … I agree that much of the furniture produced from 1830 to, oh, 1930 was dreck. There were exceptions, but they were in trends outside the mainstream — Shaker and Arts & Crafts, to name two we love. But the bulk of people didn’t lie or buy these styles, they bought mass-produced or hand-made over-embellished, dark-stained Victoriana. Things didn’t start changing until the rise of Art Moderne, the Bauhaus, and other mid-century "modern" styles, well past Nutting.
Great discussion.
Captcha count: 2
Some thoughtful readers might be interested in how this same
theme manifests itself in ugly non-functional neighborhoods. I
would suggest "The Geography of Nowhere" by James Kunstler as
a very though provoking start.
Regardless of if you agree with Kunstler or not I think you’ll
find his food for thought relevant.
Chris
This to me exemplifies the two broad catagories most humans fall into: preterest, or people that believe everything in the past was better and human society (indeed all of creation) is in an inevitable state of decline; and futurist, who believe that humanity is forever evolving upward in all things. I find both veiws to be oversimplistic and without merrit. On the whole, while technology has changed greatly, human beings themselves have changed very little in both behavoir and intellect.
To put this into the realm of woodworking, your views of past or the future have more to do with affection for either old furniture and tools. Also, who can really judge appearence? Different people find different styles appealing, but in the grand scheme of things, none of which can be deemed truely better or worse than any other. As for quality, as Roy Underhill pointed out in one of his books (he was talking about buildings, but the same priciple applies) is the only examples of antique furniture are the ones that were made to a high standard. The crappy ones have long since rotted away. So a true comparrison of quality is impossible to make.
Finally, symetry vs. harmony, is a false debate. The equivelent to "what the definition of is, is". For most people the two are synomonous. Seriously, can anyone truely give a real distinction between the two.
Thanks for putting up with me,
Shannon
For me the challenge has been to build something that will be as beautiful when it’s old as it was when it was new. I think good design should consider how a piece will change over time.
Can you imagine Sottsass with the wear and tear of daily use? It just wouldn’t look right.
And it’s like the scientists in the 1890s who wanted to close the patent office because everything useful had already been invented.
With that being said however, there is so much to learn from the old stuff, and if we don’t pay attention to it and try to pass it on we’re in danger of loosing the value altogether.
Bob Lang
The natural conclusion of that notion is the abandonment of all the creative arts, since there is no good reason to imagine it’s any easier to be an effective and original painter, author, or composer than furniture designer.
Morris Chair? 1866? The stickley bent-arm morris chair is so elegant. I just spent the last 5 days in one (wrecked my back) and it’s supremely comfortable and solid. Maybe Nutting (nutter!) hadn’t seen everything yet?
Chris, you are going to incite a riot!
Well said.
Although Empire style women’s dresses are not that modest.
When history became popular during that time, copying replaced creativity. And then Queen Victoria was growing up.
Stephen
I present for your consideration some of the original "Danish Modern" pieces to this list of responses to that inane quote:
"Nobody in a hundred years has bought forth anything new except monstrosities, or at least inelegancies, weak shapes, or mongrels."
I would also nominate the Limbert, Greene & Greene, "Asian", and "Frisco" styles of Arts & Craft pieces as valid responses to this quote. In other words, shapes we usually call "organic". And you can do some of these styles in plywood or laminates, as have some of the Danish Modern pieces I’ve seen.
I think mongrels make the best pets. Those purebreds are often overbred, high strung, unhelathy, and just otherwise less convivial.
"Nobody in a hundred years has brought forth anything new except monstrosities, or at least inelegancies, weak shapes, or mongrels.”
In response, I present for your consideration, Mr. Sam Maloof.
(And any number of others, but considering Sam almost covered a hundred years all by himself, he wins the prize)
Chris,
I believe that 1830 mark is or was the line that demarked an antique according to the US customs. This is the place in furniture history where machine tool marks begin to appear, and design begins to be based on what machines and production line labor are capable of rather than the bench built furniture designs of the past. For better or worse the end of an era.
Mike
I will venture a guess that you will get 41 responses to this can ‘o worms. ; )
"Please keep it up, Chris, as these sorts of topics are sorely lacking in todays woodworking magazines. Serious, in depth discussion of where we’ve been and the pursuit of quality in design it absolutely welcome and needed."
This is, by the way, one aspect that characterizes the ascendency of Popular Woodworking and Woodworking magazine, and that characterizes the depravity that Fine Woodworking has sunk to. Following some really bad cookie-cutter advice from business consultants, the new leadership of FWW has completely lost their way – they are running the magazine based on customer interest surveys, and turned down featuring some truly outstanding designs that have been posted on Knots because (in their own words) "Not many readers would build it".
Talk about lack of vision. There’s nothing sadder than a business that throws away the idea of challenging the reader to think in favor of "ultimate jigs" and tool tests.
Keep up the good work.
I think this line is really intriguing:
In Hale’s view, the early builder chose harmony over symmetry. The modern builder reversed that relationship.
Symmetry can certainly be pleasing, but it is not necessarily a synonym for beauty.
I do have to say, coming up with something truly original (and, of course successful/beautiful) is very very hard. It takes some courage too, as most early viewers may well react negatively as we all tend to like what we already know.
Please keep it up, Chris, as these sorts of topics are sorely lacking in todays woodworking magazines. Serious, in depth discussion of where we’ve been and the pursuit of quality in design it absolutely welcome and needed.
Best,
Sean
"Is it likely that anyone can think of anything new and good?"
I suppose I’ll have to read the whole book, but such flagrant appeal to an absolute that one can’t realistically show outside of rhetoric is just asking for trouble!
Neil,
I *knew* that would put a bee in your bonnet.
Chris
Hi Chris:
first off: you said – "What does this have to do with me and my workshop?"
It has everything to do with everybodies work shop. Investigating is what what makes one a better woodworker. It helps define ones work and that research keeps you from becoming one of the crowd.
And 2……… who ever decided that Wallace Nutting was the only eye we would use. SHEESH………we leave alot off the table if that’s the only eye looking. What have we been doing for 50 years spinning our wheels??
This is a topic that demands views from many sides and it won’t be settled, let us in on it.
Neil
Keep it up! Let’s learn what makes the design of old pieces and old houses so pleasing. Why is everything so plain today?