When you think of famous designers, creators, and makers, you could be forgiven for not thinking of famous cabinet makers as being people who would take the design world by storm.
But actually, a cabinet maker is someone who offers a wide range of services where they can show off their craftsmanship and attention to detail with some of the most stunning furniture pieces around. In other words, they're big - and should be celebrated.
But if you're currently wondering who these famous cabinet makers are, then don't worry. You might not have heard of these successful cabinet makers yet, but after today, you won't forget them in a hurry!
The most famous furniture maker of all? - Thomas Chippendale
To start today's post off, we might as well start with someone that's about as well-known as it's possible to be in this game. We're talking, of course, about Thomas Chippendale.
Chippendale's background
Chippendale was born in Yorkshire in 1718, the son of a carpenter, and it was here that he first learned the importance of a trade.
In fact, in later years, Thomas Chippendale became so well known for his love of furniture, materials, and designs that he created a book packed full of them - The Gentleman and Cabinet-Makers Director - first issued in 1734 and revised and enlarged multiple times thereafter.
This book was THE go-to book in both England and America for any would-be cabinet makers, and his designs were famous worldover. He specialised in cabinet making (obviously), but it was perhaps his dining chairs that gathered him most of his support.
Photo Credit - Metmuseum
Why was he such a famous cabinet maker?
After leaving Yorkshire, Chippendale began operating in London out of his workshop, 'The Chair', where he became known for his furniture designs - desks, chairs, tables, settees, cabinets - you name it, Thomas had a hand in it, and that's perhaps why he is one of the best known furniture makers out there. Because he was so prolific.
You can always tell a Chippendale piece apart from others, because of his distinctive style. The intricate carving, latticework, and quality craftsmanship were the bread and butter of his business. From mahogany bookshelves to large display cabinets, Thomas sold them all because of the quality.
Photo Credit - Metmuseum
It turned out to be a bit of a family business too, because Thomas Chippendale's son, Thomas Chippendale (you'll see a lot of that throughout today's post - apparently sons were often named after their fathers in this period), continued the business after his father's death.
Today, an original Thomas Chippendale with a receipt (he gave out receipts for every furniture piece he sold out of his London shop) is worth a LOT of money. How much? It's difficult to say exactly because of how rare it is to find Chippendale furniture with a receipt nowadays.
Needless to say, though, if you think you might have one hanging around in a family storage unit somewhere, it's probably worth another look!
Goodall & Co
Despite what you'd expect, it wasn't all London based cabinet makers that were making a splash in the furniture world in the 17 and 1800s. Goodall & Co, established by Edward Goodall in the second half of the 19th century, actually operated out of King Street, Manchester, and with brilliant success too.
So much success, that the unique style of chairs, desks, tables, and cabinets sold out of this shop kept the business alive from at least 1850 to 1954. Their workshop eventually developed into a warehouse, showing just how good at the job this Manchester based business was, considering they built furniture on quite a large scale for plenty of clients and customers.
Although not known for a particular style, this business garnered a lot of attention whilst working with different cabinet makers and furniture designers. One such designer was Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo, who has examples of the style of furniture they were working on in Manchester in around 1890 in multiple exhibitions today (the Chicago Art Institute, and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to name just two).
For us, it's furniture businesses like these that deserve recognition as famous cabinet makers because of how successful they were in operating in places outside London.
Sure, you'd expect Chippendale to do well when his shop is in the heart of the capital, but to turn a small company in Manchester into a large furniture business is definitely worth recognition.
Pottier & Stymus
For us, Auguste Pottier and William Stymus are great examples of cabinet makers outside England. Pottier was born in France and emigrated to America in 1847. He had multiple apprenticeships along the way in Paris and New York, with different upholsterers, sculptors, and furniture designers.
It was in 1859, working at a cabinet makers firm in New York City, that he met William Stymus. After their bosses' death, the two took over the firm, and they really made a name for themselves in the furniture world.
They became known as expert furniture makers and decorators and catered mostly to the established and wealthy individuals of the time, showing both the quality of their work and their determination to create furniture that would make them well-respected and sought after. They even supplied furniture for the White House and the Plaza hotel.
The reason they became so well known, though, was their differing styles. They were just as comfortable working on pieces inspired by the Renaissance revival as they were with Modern Gothic. And there are even examples of their cabinet furniture displaying marks of the Egyptian revival.
Their furniture today is very rare, as their signature P & S stamps weren't put on all the furniture they sold, so it's difficult to say for sure what pieces of furniture were actually created by them.
Still, how many cabinet makers can claim to have supplied furniture for the White House? So even if there aren't as many examples of their work around today, they're still some pretty famous cabinet makers.
William Savery
Perhaps there's something in the name - because we have another William now. Savery was a cabinet maker working out of his workshop in Philadelphia. Of all his styles, it was his Queen Anne and Chippendale styles that made him famous.
He was just as comfortable making a simple chair as he was with elaborate cabinets using his signature elaborate carving style. Bookshelves, lowboys, highboys, and chest-of-drawers for storage were also big sellers for this cabinet maker.
It was his inspiration from the Queen Anne style that made him stand out amongst designers. Working as a carpenter, furniture designer, and cabinet maker made him stand out as an expert in the field.
To this day, his furniture is sought after. Very few retain the paper labels he shipped with them though, although it is believed that Benjamin Franklin, an early customer of his, kept two pieces that are still in the Franklin family today.
Either way, there's no denying that William Savery's success was noted at the time, and still is to this day.
Thomas Affleck
For us, Thomas Affleck, born in 1745 in Scotland, is the perfect example of how Chippendale's infamous furniture designs were passed on to more than just his son, because Affleck was known for his Chippendale style above all others. That shows just how important the style was during the 18th and 19th centuries.
After leaving Scotland and training in England (likely in or around London given his keen knowledge and expertise at recreating the Chippendale styles), Affleck moved to Philadelphia, and became a famous cabinet maker in his own right.
Just like his inspiration before him, he specialised in chairs, carving intricate details into all his furniture, and his items were always sold quickly whenever stocked in his shop in Philadelphia.
Photo Credit - Metmuseum
One other interesting fact about Affleck is that he was meticulous about keeping records and account books, with invaluable details of his range of items saved to this day. Whether a simple chair or a complex storage piece for a high-end client, Affleck recorded them all. Workshops and items may not survive, but his records did, and that's how we know he was so prolific in Philadelphia.
Items from his shop remain, having survived the centuries, and after his death his son, Lewis G. Affleck, continued the business for a while.
The aforementioned items, including chairs and cabinets, are shown at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (to name just one place where Affleck's work is shown) and can still be admired today - showing just how influential Thomas Affleck was.
William Richardson
Back to Yorkshire now, but this time in Leeds, William Richardson began his company, W. Richardson, in 1875. They were listed as upholsterers and cabinet makers, and they operated between the period of 1875 and the early 1930s.
They were quite famous in Leeds, but it was W. Richardson who made their name as a skilled upholsterer and cabinet maker who also produced outstanding decorative chairs. After the workshops were established, his two sons, William and Thomas, helped expand, eventually operating out of multiple workshops in Leeds.
For a time, Leeds was THE location to visit for chairs, cabinets, and upholstery, thanks to W. Richardson. Unfortunately, this established family would later cease trading at some period in the 1930s, despite their continued success.
That doesn't stop them from going down in history as some of the most famous and successful cabinet makers around.
Benjamin Randolph
Of all the cabinet makers we've covered today, perhaps it is Randolph that can truly stand toe to toe with Chippendale. Why? Because this cabinet maker has an interesting relationship with history - and more specifically, Thomas Jefferson.
You see, it was on Randolph's lap desk that Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence.
After becoming established as a furniture designer in 1767, Randolph eventually worked with the then president to design a lap desk in 1776.
He was known, besides this, for his Chippendale inspired furniture again, which is often the case for many of the famous furniture makers on today's list.
Who is more famous then? Chippendale or Randolph? It's hard to say, but there's no denying that both have their name stamped firmly in history.
Why does it all matter?
If you've read today's post and thought 'Yeah, that's interesting, but so what?' then we'd just like to clarify a few things.
The reason it's so important to know who these famous designers are is because A) they're a huge part of design history, but B) because you might own a piece.
To find out more about the different markers and identifying signatures each of these famous cabinet makers used, all you need to do is a quick search online. If it turns out you have a piece of their infamous furniture with the markings and/or receipts to prove it... Well, you could have a genuine, invaluable piece of history in your possession - and that's pretty exciting.
Away from that, though, you might just find it helpful to know who these famous designers were so you can look out for their pieces in museums and art galleries, or think about how your furniture at home may have been influenced by them.
With furniture - whether it's cabinets, chairs, bookshelves, or tables - it's always good to think about how history has played its part in creating it.
That's why knowing these famous faces in furniture is important, so they can be recognised, even today, for their contributions. And boy oh boy, did this bunch contribute a LOT!
The blog post The Most Famous Cabinet Makers was first published to http://www.homesdirect365.co.uk
from Homes Direct 365 | Blog - Feed https://www.homesdirect365.co.uk/blog/2022/02/famous-cabinet-makers/
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