Mathias - Greene & Greene Furniture: Poems of Wood & Light

Greene & Greene Furniture

Poems of Wood & Light

David Mathias

BETTERWAY HOME
CINCINNATI, OHIO
www.popularwoodworking.com

GREENE & GREENE FURNITURE. Copyright 2010 by David Mathias. Printed and bound in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by Popular Woodworking Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First edition.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Mathias, David.
Greene & Greene furniture : poems of wood & light / by David Mathias.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-4403-0299-2 (hardcover : alk. paper)
eISBN 13: 978-1-4403-1112-3
1. Greene & Greene. 2. Arts and crafts movement California. 3. Furniture design California History 20th century. I. Title. II. Title: Greene & Greene furniture : poems of wood & light.
NK2439.G76M38 2010
728.370922794 dc

222010008546

Acquisitions Editor: David Thiel
Senior Editor: Jim Stack
Designer: Brian Roeth
Production Coordinator: Mark Griffin

METRIC CONVERSION CHART

READ THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE

To prevent accidents, keep safety in mind while you work. Use the safety guards installed on power equipment; they are for your protection.

When working on power equipment, keep fingers away from saw blades, wear safety goggles to prevent injuries from flying wood chips and sawdust, wear hearing protection and consider installing a dust vacuum to reduce the amount of airborne sawdust in your woodshop.

Dont wear loose clothing, such as neckties or shirts with loose sleeves, or jewelry, such as rings, necklaces or bracelets, when working on power equipment. Tie back long hair to prevent it from getting caught in your equipment.

People who are sensitive to certain chemicals should check the chemical content of any product before using it.

Due to the variability of local conditions, construction materials, skill levels, etc., neither the author nor Popular Woodworking Books assumes any responsibility for any accidents, injuries, damages or other losses incurred resulting from the material presented in this book.

The authors and editors who compiled this book have tried to make the as accurate and correct as possible. Plans, illustrations, photographs and text have been carefully checked. All instructions, plans and projects should be carefully read, studied and understood before beginning construction.

Prices listed for supplies and equipment were current at the time of publication and are subject to change.

About the Author

David Mathias (pictured at left with the original entry mirror from the Blacker house) recently abandoned computer science for the full-time pursuit of writing and photography. His interests include woodworking which led him to the Arts & Crafts movement in general and Greene & Greene in particular. He has built a number of furniture pieces inspired by the Greenes and Gustav Stickley. Davids magazine articles on Greene & Greene gave him the opportunity to visit and study many Greene & Greene homes including the Gamble, Blacker, Robinson, Ford and Thorsen houses. His photos and articles were the seed for this book. David lives near Vevey, Switzerland, with his wife Patty and sons Dylan and Zachary.

Acknowledgements

Researching and writing this book have been a tremendous privilege and, perhaps, the best experience of my professional life. The work of Charles and Henry Greene has been a great source of pleasure for me, as it has for many others. This project has allowed me to see and to experience many of their houses and much of their furniture. I am happy to say that my sense of awe and wonder never subsided. Every time I enter a Greene & Greene house I experience the same feeling of history, of being in the presence of genius, and I am acutely aware of the privilege being afforded me due to the generosity of others.

Generosity has been a constant throughout the past two years, for no project such as this is possible without the generous assistance of many people. I have wondered often how I came to be the beneficiary of so much kindness from so many but have failed to find an explanation. All I can offer, tongue in cheek, is that the stars must have aligned in my favor. My purpose here is to give my humble thanks to all who have given their assistance, opened their homes to me, and shared their knowledge and experiences. I sincerely hope that the accounting is complete but offer apologies to anyone I neglect to mention. Any such omission is due only to the large numbers and my addled brain, certainly not to any lack of gratitude.

For many reasons, I am very grateful to the staff of the Gamble house. Because of its significance in the Greene & Greene canon and because it stands today nearly as it did a century ago, the Gamble house must figure prominently in almost any book on this subject. The time I have been afforded in the Gamble house (a place to which I often refer as the cathedral or the happiest place on Earth) has been substantial and enlightening. Kori Capaldi has been very accommodating in allowing me as much time as I needed for study and photography. She has also become a good friend. Anne Mallek has helped greatly with approving use of photographs. In addition, she had the Thorsen living room table uncrated so that I could photograph it. Bobbi Mapstone has been very supportive in allowing access to the house. Finally, Ted Bosley has been exceptionally helpful. He has done everything from coordinate contacts with homeowners to answer numerous questions and provide encouragement. And, of course, he graciously agreed to write the foreword. I will never understand why Ted gave so much of himself, but this book is much improved because he did.