After reading Charles H. Hayward’s writings during his tenure as editor of The Woodworker, I think he was of two minds about furniture. While the magazine was filled with plans for up-to-date pieces that would look at home on the set of “Mad Men,” Hayward also took pains to educate readers about old work.
One of the ways he did this was by drawing pieces from the collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum, and all of those drawings will be featured in our upcoming book on The Woodworker magazine.
He also published one-page drawings that showed how a particular form of furniture – tables, beds, chairs – changed during the centuries.
Today we offer a free download of seven of these pages compiled in one pdf. You can download it using the link below.
One of the things you can see from the pdf is why we are so keen on publishing this book. The acid-based paper that these are printed on is deteriorating rapidly.
— Christopher Schwarz
Cris, I have a book by Hayward entitled “Period Furniture Designs”; published by Sterling in 1982. First published in 1956. This has measured drawings of pieces from the 15th to the early 19th centuries, and includes these same plates.
Yup. These plates were reused many times by Evans Brothers, including that book.
I’m still in elementary school when it comes to knowing and recognizing furniture styles. This download is great!
Even though I already have many of Hayward’s books, you can include me among the many loyal subscribers to Lost Art Press’ publications who will buy several copies of this one. I look forward to reading more of Hayward’s editorials and reminiscences as well as his didactics.
Ironically, the limited durability of the paper used in The Woodworker and the Evans Bros. books is due to its being wood-based.
I need to build that “13th-century gothic”…and I can later (I hope) be buried in it.
Don’t forget to take your glue pots with you. 🙂
You might want to read a bit more about ‘Chest burials’, I think most funeral directors would freak out badly at the idea, not to mention the loss of profits.
A serious academic paper:
http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/76160/8/WRRO_76160.pdf
Knowledge about ‘early’ furniture and furnishings has improved dramatically in the last 50 years or so with new finds (Mary Rose) and improved excavation techniques.
I’d suggest something a bit more 5th-6th Century, with lots of iron work, gilding and silvering might be more to Madam’s taste.
awesome. These are invaluable for anyone interested in design.
Thx!
It’ll be great to have such a large portion of Hayward’s work in such a format. Chris, this is a noble cause indeed!
Cheers,
Burbidge.
A poster sized set of these would be sweet shop decoration.