Leave it to Jeff Burks to turn up a bunch of images of early trestle tables that I haven’t seen before.
As you’ll see from the gallery below, these trestle tables are of the old variety – two independent horses that are topped by a large board, suitable for carving up your meal (or your unliked saint).
Most of the horses have three legs, though there are some that have interesting feet that are flat on the floor. Also interesting is how many trestles have decorative panels between the legs.
One warning before you start browsing these images: A few are a bit on the graphic side. If you ever wondered about why these tables were covered by tablecloths when people ate at them, this set of images should help you answer that question.
As always, thanks to Jeff Burks for the original source material here. His research and publishing here speeds our efforts at Lost Art Press.
For the last two years, Peter Follansbee and I have been having a conversation about trestle tables – or rather, we’ve been talking about two different forms of furniture that seem to share the same name.
The term “trestle” is first recorded in the English language about 1400 (“Richard Cœur de Lion” c1330-1450): “They sette tresteles, & layde a borde”). These early references and the paintings from the same period indicate a “trestle table” is actually two or more freestanding stools that are then covered by a board to make a table. It is early knock-down furniture.
Sometime in the last few hundred years, that form has mostly disappeared as a dining table, and the name “trestle table” now belongs to a permanent table where two end assemblies are joined by a long stretcher. The top is joined to the base. Something more like this:
This is basically the form of table that I have at my home, and I love it. It is remarkably lightweight, strong as heck and requires little material to build (the materials for the base cost me $30). I have no desire to replace this table, and I don’t think it could be improved in any way. I even like where my youngest daughter burned through the finish with some nail polish remover the week after I completed the project.
But I need to build another “trestle table” for an upcoming class on the form at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking that starts Monday, July 8. During this class, we’ll spend a day learning about trestle tables from the 1400s to the present so that each student can design a table that suits their minds and materials.
Me, I’m going to build a table like the one shown being dismantled by apes in the early 16th century Flemish painted glass window quarry at the top of this blog entry. The “trestles” are built much like an early sawbench. The top of each trestle is fairly thick, and the legs are tenoned into that thick piece. Each trestle has three legs that are splayed for stability – it looks more like a Windsor chair or perhaps a Roman workbench if you squint your eyes a bit.
I don’t expect any of the other students in the class to follow me down this dark path, so I’ll be loading my laptop with tons of photos of later trestle tables, from the Shakers to George Nakashima.
If you would like to blow off your job and join us next week, there are a few spots open in the class. Click here for details. Otherwise, stay tuned here and to my blog at Popular Woodworking next week as we build a bunch of different tables – all that share the name “trestle.”
— Christopher Schwarz
A trestle from the wreck of the Mary Rose, a 16th-century English ship.15th-century French A-trestles.15th-century German trestles.Another 15th-century trestle.
I haven’t abandoned my “Furniture of Necessity” book. Suzanne “the Saucy Indexer” Ellison, simply won’t allow it.
While my days are spent in teak and mahogany making campaign furniture, Suzanne has been feeding me a steady diet of vernacular forms that I browse late at night when I’m too pooped to work in the shop.
Her latest missive is an exhibition book from 1982 for an exhibit titled “Common Furniture” at the Stable Court Exhibition Galleries. The book is a gold mine.
My favorite piece – one I should build for the book – is a Welsh stick chair that I haven’t seen before. I fell hard for Welsh stick chairs thanks to the late John Brown. This particular example isn’t in his book, though some similar chairs are.
From the exhibition book:
Welsh, probably 18th century, second half, Ht. 32 in.
Hewn elm seat, whittled ash legs and splats, the armbow cut from a naturally curved elm branch. The seat and upper frame betray traces of three paint layers – red, light and dark green. At one time there were two (or possibly 3) rear legs. Rugged chairs of this type are commonly found in Wales, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Ireland (where they are today quaintly called ‘famine’ chairs) and could fairly be described as a native ‘Celtic’ pattern. No documented or dated examples are known and they probably developed independently of the Windsor chair tradition, being produced well into the 19th century. This one was acquired in the Cwm Tudu area of Cardiganshire.
Lent by Crispin.
— Christopher Schwarz
P.S. The title of this post is the name of a great song by Rhett Miller, the lead singer of the Old 97s.
One of the most essential pieces of woodwork provided by joiners was the coffin – it’s a topic I’ve been doing research on for the “Furniture of Necessity” book. Coffin-making is a fascinating trade with special jigs and construction techniques that have to match the local mores.
As part of the research into coffins, I’m planning on having a coffin party with a bunch of woodworkers where we will all make our own personal vessel – and each will have bookshelves in them until we buy the farm.
It’s interesting to me how even children’s books on woodworking from the 19th century made note of the sometimes-morbid part of the job.
Below is the text from “Was soll ich werden? : ein lehrreiches Bilderbuch von Lothar Meggendorfer.” Text by von Franz Bonn München : Braun & Schneider, 1888. Translation by the ever-sturdy Jeff Burks.
All ‘s let our furniture, table and bench,
the chair, the box and the cabinet,
We thank the cabinetmaker’s diligence,
He knows how to make everything well.
He built us the cradle,
In which we beheld the light of the world –
He once carpentered us the chest,
That we will wear for eternal rest!
As promised, here is a quick update on the books we are working on at Lost Art Press.
“By Hand & By Eye” by George Walker and Jim Tolpin
Layout artist Linda Watts has just finished her part of the book – with a couple loose ends. Tonight, Megan Fitzpatrick and I are going to review her layouts and make sure everything looks good before we do the final copy editing and send it to the authors for their approval. I hope to have this book to the printer in about three weeks.
“To Make as Perfectly as Possible: Roubo on Marquetry” by Don Williams, Michele Pietryka-Pagán and Philippe LaFargue
This project has been keeping us up late at night. I have a bit of editing to do on the last chapter. Don is taking some additional photography. And book designer Wesley Tanner is now laying out pages. We are running behind schedule, but we are all doing everything we can to get this book to the printer in February.
“Windsor Chairs: A Foundation” by Peter Galbert
Peter has completed his first draft of the chapters. He is revising the first draft and drawing the illustrations for the book. I’ve read through most of the chapters. As a chairmaker, I am very excited about this book. Peter is a gifted craftsman and has many methods that are new to me. We hope to have this book ready for Christmas.
“Saws: Construction, Tuning & Use” (Tentative Title) by Andrew Lunn
Andrew has been plugging away on this book. His first draft is mostly complete and it is pretty mind-blowing. I don’t know when this one will be done, but work continues.
“Build a 17th-century Chest” (Tentative Title) by Peter Follansbee
Peter is building chests – they look great – for this book. No word yet on when he’ll be done.
“Virtuoso: The Tool Chest of H.O. Studley” by Don Williams
Don and the photography team will make a return visit to the chest in March. Don has been researching Studley’s masonic history. No release date yet.
“Furniture of Necessity” by Christopher Schwarz
I’ve written three chapters now. But I have put all my personal writing projects on hold until I get Roubo and “By Hand & By Eye” to the printer.
“Campaign Furniture” by Christopher Schwarz
Ditto. I’m designing the second campaign chest for the book, which I’ll begin building next month. But progress is slow because… see above.
“Super-secret LAP book” by Cannot Say
I’ve hinted at this book for some time. This is a project we have been working on since the day we started this company. Things are finally coming together on this title, thanks to a computer script written by shop assistant Ty Black. This allowed us to process thousands of images automatically, shortening our timeline by at least two years. We are shooting to announce this book sometime this summer and publish it in late 2013 or early 2014. Don’t bother asking more about this book because we’ve all sworn a blood oath.
There are other projects still in the pipeline, but these are the ones we are actively working on.
