Furniture: References & Edit History
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Additional Reading
General works
Ole Hanscher, Mobelkunsten (1966; Eng. trans., The Art of Furniture, 1967), is a chronological survey of the art of furniture (with illustrations). George Nakashima, The Soul of a Tree: A Woodworker’s Reflections (1981), is an inspirational commentary of a designer and crafter on the art of furniture making.
Middle East and classical antiquity
A. Lucas, Ancient Egyptian Materials and Industries, 3rd ed. (1948), indispensable; Howard Carter and A.C. Mace, The Tomb of Thut–Ankh–Amen, 3 vol. (1923–27); Gisela H. Richter, The Furniture of the Greeks, Etruscans and Romans (1966), the standard reference work in this area.
Middle Ages
Viollet-le-Duc, Dictionnaire raisonné du mobilier français de l’époque carlovingienne à la Renaissance, 6 vol. (1858–75), an authoritative work.
Renaissance and later
(Italy): George Leland Hunter, Italian Furniture and Interiors, 2 vol. (1918), mostly illustrations; William M. Odom, A History of Italian Furniture from the 4th to the Early 19th Centuries, 2 vol. (1918–19). (Spain): Arthur Byne and Mildred Stapley, Spanish Interiors and Furniture (1921), profusely illustrated with scale drawings and photographs. (Germany): Heinrich Kreisel, Die Kunst des deutschen Möbels, 2 vol. (1968–70), thorough, illustrated history of German furniture. (France): Pierre Verlet, Le Mobilier royal français, 2 vol. (1945–55); Les Meubles français du XVIIIe siecle, 2 vol. (1956), a learned treatise on French furniture. (England and the colonies): Percy Macquoeo and Ralph Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture from the Middle Ages to the Late Georgian Period, 2nd ed., 3 vol. (1954), documented survey of English and American furniture; Ralph Fastenedge, English Furniture Styles from 1500 to 1830 (1962), an excellent elementary introduction to the study of English furniture; Anthony Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture (1968), illustrated study of Chippendale and his contemporaries; Clifford Musgrave, Adam and Hepplewhite and Other NeoClassical Furniture (1966), written by one of the best informed students of the Neoclassical English style of furniture; Charles F. Montgomery, American Furniture (1966), a survey of Federal period furniture. See also Berry B. Tracy, The Federal Furniture and Decorative Arts at Boscobel (1981); Charles Santore, The Windsor Style in America (1981); John T. Kirk, American Furniture and the British Tradition to 1830 (1983).
19th century and modern
R.V. Symonds and B.B. Whineray, Victorian Furniture (1962), with many illustrations; Serge Grandjean, Empire Furniture, 1800 to 1825 (1966); Mikolaus Pevsner, Pioneers of Modern Design from William Morris to Walter Gropius (1960); Jean Cassou, Emile Langue, and Nikolaus Pevsner, Les Sources du vingtieme siecle (1961); John F. Pile, Modern Furniture (1979); Jonathan L. Fairbanks and Elizabeth Bidwell Bates, American Furniture, 1620 to the Present (1981); David A. Hanks, Innovative Furniture in America from 1800 to the Present (1981).
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
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Edward J. Wormley
Products and interior designer. Former Design Director, Dunbar Furniture Corporation of Indiana, New York City.
- Erik Lassen
- Joseph T. Butler
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media replaced. | Sep 13, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: IOPscience - IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering - Design of Furniture Production Monitoring Information System (PDF). | Feb 19, 2025 | ||
| Added cross-reference to Holkham Hall; added metadata. | Dec 02, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Academia - History of Furniture. | Sep 15, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - New World Furniture and Crafts (18th Century). | Aug 01, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Humanities LibreTexts - New World Furniture and Crafts (18th Century). | Aug 01, 2023 | ||
| Added cross-reference. | Mar 23, 2023 | ||
| Removed media. | Dec 14, 2021 | ||
| Add new Web site: Online Museum of Antique Furniture - Museum Furniture. | Jan 14, 2020 | ||
| Media added. | Apr 04, 2017 | ||
| Media added. | Feb 23, 2016 | ||
| Add new Web site: Online Museum Furniture - Styles and Eras. | Aug 10, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: French Heritage - French Furniture History. | Aug 10, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: French Heritage - French Furniture History. | Aug 10, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: Online Museum Furniture - Styles and Eras. | Aug 10, 2015 | ||
| Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Furniture. | Aug 11, 2014 | ||
| Replaced photograph of a cassone. | Aug 31, 2012 | ||
| Media added. | Apr 04, 2012 | ||
| Added image of an early 18th-century Chinese moon-viewing chair. | Dec 14, 2010 | ||
| Added image of a Chinese horseshoe armchair, from the Qing dynasty, late 16th–early 17th century. | Oct 06, 2010 | ||
| In the Mesopotamia section, changed "hetaera" to "hetaira" | Jul 27, 2010 | ||
| Name changed to "the Netherlands" from "The Netherlands." | Jul 27, 2010 | ||
| Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Home and Garden - How to Refinish Furniture. | Sep 01, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: History .com - Furniture. | Aug 03, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: Articles Alley - The Beginning of Small Furniture. | Jul 26, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: Buffalo Architecture and History - Architects, Illustrated Dictionary, Styles. | Feb 20, 2007 | ||
| Added new Web site: Buffalo Architecture and History - Architects, Illustrated Dictionary, Styles. | Feb 20, 2007 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Dec 21, 2006 | ||
| Bibliography revised. | Dec 21, 2006 | ||
| Article revised. | Aug 02, 2002 | ||
| Article revised. | May 29, 2002 | ||
| Article revised. | Jan 18, 2002 | ||
| Article revised. | May 11, 2001 | ||
| Article revised. | Dec 29, 2000 | ||
| Article revised. | Jan 12, 2000 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | May 04, 1999 |