Articles

Origins, Evolution, and Iconography of Stained Glass - The Poor Mans Bible

While we typically associate stained glass with religion, it has been an art form since ancient times, with some of the earliest examples of colored glass beads dating from about 3000 B.C.E. found...

Antique American Furniture, by Region - Part 1

This Thanksgiving, while either recovering from that third piece of pumpkin pie, or perhaps milling about and making room for the first piece, you may be at your great-aunt's, parents' or in-laws' ...

The Long and Wonderful Life of the Peacock Chair

Scrolling social media, one may notice a resurgence of the iconic Peacock Chair. Typically constructed of wicker with a pedestal hourglass form base and broad and tall backrest, it's a chair that's...

Mark Tochilkin and Artist Repression in the Soviet Union

Artist Mark Tochilkin, born in 1958, was born in present day Ukraine, and grew up in the Soviet Union. While he displayed a propensity for art very early on, the Soviet Union was far from being a f...

Utopian Communities and Decorative Arts - Studio Alchimia

While not exactly 'Utopian', Studio Alchimia was a collective of Italian radicals that used design as a means to combat inequality and consumerism in the second half of the 20th century. As a precu...

Utopian Communities and Decorative Arts - Roycroft

The Roycroft Campus, established by Elbert Hubbard in 1897, was the birthplace of the American Arts and Crafts movement as a rebuff to the Industrial Revolution. After visiting England and meeting ...

Utopian Communities and Decorative Arts - The Shakers

One of the earliest and most successful spiritual communities known for their furniture making were the Shakers. While Shaker communities were rigid in their guidelines and way of life, they were a...

Fern Coppedge & The Philadelphia Ten

Fern Coppedge knew from an early age that she was different.  The snowy Pennsylvania landscapes that she is best known for were always, to her, accurate representations of the deep purples, blues, ...

'Revolutionary' Furniture in Early America

It is no surprise trends and styles of furniture follow the behaviors and attitudes of the people who make and use it. Early America was no exception.  With the birth of the Colonies, most fur...

Gustav Stickley & The Birth of American Arts and Crafts

Gustav Stickley, the father of the American Arts & Crafts style, produced furniture and inspired a lifestyle based on his philosophy. First inspired by the British Arts & Crafts movement, G...