 |
Experience the Life
: Trades
: Cabinetmaker at Colonial Williamsburg
An apprentice learns the trade of cabinetmaking
from an experienced cabinetmaker.
Click image to enlarge |
- Fine furniture built by cabinetmakers in colonial cities
- By mid 18th century, only one-third of furniture imported
- Virginians preferred "plain and neat" style of furniture
- Best tidewater construction respected the "nature"
of wood
Fine furniture represented trappings of status
Cabinetmakers in colonial Virginia produced fine furniture, but
neither England nor the colonies could support full-time furniture
producers until the last half of the 17th century. Only then did
an adequate number of people have the leisure to enjoy the material
trappings that reflected their new status. By the mid-18th century,
only one-third of stylish Virginia furniture appears to have come
from England. This percentage diminished as patriotic Virginians
increasingly honored attempts to boycott English goods as the Revolution
neared.
Specialized tools required for furniture making found
only in cities
Furniture was produced all over the Virginia colony, but only in
the cities could cabinetmaking reach its full potential, as cities
served as focal points for the surrounding agricultural inland customers.
The most specialized tools and knowledge could only be sustained
in the cities. In the tidewater area of Virginia, the best furniture
respected the wood's nature to shrink in width but not in length,
to a degree rarely seen in any other colonial furniture. The most
sophisticated British technology was used to work with the wood's
movement, which helped furniture constructed in tidewater shops
adjust to inland environments.
First documented cabinetmaker in Williamsburg appeared
in 1722
The earliest documented cabinetmaker in Williamsburg was Peter
Scott, who first appears in the records in 1722. Scott was a member
of Williamsburg's City Council and operated a shop until 1775. Seven
masters operated individual shops in Williamsburg by that time.
One of the largest and most progressive of these shops had been
established by a Scot, Anthony Hay, by 1751. Among Hay's numerous
employees were a Virginia-born apprentice, a London-trained journeyman
cabinetmaker, a skilled slave cabinetmaker, and a master carver
from London. Their customers included fellow Virginians, master
tradesmen, merchants, and planters, the established middle class
and above. These customers were interested in the "Modern Taste"
of French, Chinese, or Gothic mode, now coined "Chippendale"
after one of the leading published proponents of the style.
The bright sunshine reflecting off the snow is a welcome sight
in Anthony Hay's Cabinetmaking Shop, as the craftsmen work by the
natural light coming in through the windows.
Click image to enlarge |
Virginians preferred elegant and neatly constructed
furniture
Virginians preferred "plain but neat" furniture, modestly
elegant and neatly constructed. Ornamentation on furniture was used
to emphasize the stature of a person or the importance of the social
occasion in which the piece was used. The Hay shop produced a ceremonial
chair for Virginia's governor and three more chairs for masters
of Masonic lodges in Virginia. The Virginia cabinetmaker's most
impressive productions for households were tea and china tables
used for entertaining guests. Much of Colonial Williamsburg's antique
furniture can be seen at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.
Art of cabinetmaking takes place today in Hay's Cabinet
Shop
Williamsburg's reconstructed cabinet shop, on the site of Hay's
business, is open to the public. Today's craftsmen explain the cabinetmaking
trade to visitors as they produce furniture with the tools and designs
of Hay's era. Today the shop also practices the trade of harpsichord
making, documented as part of the shops offerings in 1767. This
was a unique service from a colonial Virginia shop; harpsichords
were typically English imports in the South.
Listen to a Behind the Scenes Interview:
At the master's bench:teaching 18th-century technique and artistry
Mack Headley discusses why sometimes the old-fashioned way is the best way to create subtle and sophisticated furniture pieces.
(AAC, 3.3Mb) Enhanced |
(MP3, 3Mb) |
View transcript
Listen to a Behind the Scenes Interview:
A fourth-generation cabinetmaker
Mack Headley talks about the sophisticated artistry of 18th-century cabinetmaking.
(AAC, 3.2Mb) Enhanced |
(MP3, 2.9Mb) |
View transcript
This interview is part of an ongoing series of podcasts available on the Colonial Williamsburg site.
Learn more. |
For further reading:
| |
)
)
)
)
Historic Triangle