McCracken Book Cover

If you appreciate Arts & Crafts furniture, than it’s hard not to get excited about this book — The Manufacture of Arts & Crafts Furniture by Gustav Stickley written by W. Michael McCracken. Mike has written an exceptional book that provides great detail on how the late 19th/early 20th century Arts and Crafts furniture factory produced quality Arts and Crafts furniture that still exists today. Through a clearly exhaustive and meticulous study of the furniture operations of Gustav Stickley, Mike has learned, and shares with us:

  • How Gustav Stickley’s Eastwood factory was set up to produce its furniture
  • The manufacturing process used in Gustav Stickley’s factory
  • How much furniture Gustav Stickley produced and how it compares to the broader furniture market of the day
  • A historical perspective of the multiple finishes used by G. Stickley and other A & C manufacturers
  • One of the most extensive discussions on fuming Arts and Crafts furniture I’ve ever seen

If you’ve ever heard Mike speak at the annual Arts and Crafts Conference in Asheville (he usually leads a small-group discussion on collecting Gustav Stickley furniture), you understand how passionate he is about Arts and Crafts furniture. Once you’ve picked up his book, at least in my case, you may very well be faced with the realization that there is much you have to learn about this topic.

Finally, to both the serious collector who needs to understand how furniture was produced and how to recognize it, and to the builder who is interested in creating authentic Stickley pieces, I recommend you provide a permanent residence for Mike’s book within easy reach of your favorite reading chair because I suspect you’ll be reaching for this book often. Visit the publisher’s website to purchase Mike’s book.