Four Centuries of Massachusetts Furniture

Perhaps no state holds a more prominent place in the history of furniture-making than Massachusetts. From the early products of Pilgrims and Puritans to the studio furniture of today, the Bay State has achieved a remarkable record, with an output exceeding fifty million pieces, from grand objects in walnut or mahogany to decorative items made of less expensive painted woods or wicker. In this lecture, Brock Jobe, professor of American decorative arts at the Winterthur Program in American Material Culture, highlights the creativity of Massachusetts craftsmen over four centuries, while paying special attention to the array of ornamented furniture fashioned by seventeenth-century artisans. Reception to follow lecture.