Suite101 e-Book
Antiques and Collectibles: The Design Periods

Introduction

The articles included in this collection were written over a span of a few years, but the design styles which are their focus appeared in the United States from its infancy in pre-Revolutionary times to the present day. That's a range of nearly 300 years.

Many Americans can look around their homes and recognize family heirlooms from the late 18th century, lovingly preserved and carefully cherished. Others have fallen in love with the Shaker "look", or eagerly sought out the perfect Eames chair or Stickley table at auction to complete their décor. Perhaps you, too, are a collector of vintage furniture but aren't an expert on the period. Maybe you've been collecting for years but don't know anything about the context of design wherein your taste falls.

I've tried to clarify the available Web information and bring together resources for readers, and hope that in some measure these articles will educate the casual collector, and spark the curiosity of the experienced one to learn a little more.

Table of Contents

• The Arts & Crafts Movement
• 18th Century Furniture
• The Bauhaus School, Wiemar, 1919
• The Bauhaus School, Design and Architecture
• Biedermeier: The Comfortable Style
• The End of a Century: Art Nouveau Style
• Enjoy Your Vintage Wicker
• The Marvelous Hoosier Cabinet
• Shaker Furniture, Part I: Faith in Form
• Shaker Furniture, Part II: Faith in Form
• Collecting Mid-Century Modern

Book Review
Antiques and Collectibles: The Design Periods, written by expert Barbara Nicholson Bell, is the perfect reference for 18th through 20th century furniture collectors. It's an invaluable source for students of recent antique history who wish to place furniture and architectural styles within the larger framework of place and time.

Whether your interest lies in how the Industrial Age influenced modern-day office building design, why the World Wars sparked the bold Space Age designs of 1949-1969, or when the Hoosier cabinets revolutionized kitchens, this fascinating book covers all the bases. Bell's language is refreshingly accessible for the historical layman. She writes about the design periods in a direct, jargon-free manner, while maintaining an admirable thoroughness for each design era.

For example, did you know the Shaker sect died off largely due to vows of celibacy and a shortage of orphans... More...

You may download the file at any time but you will need the password to open it.