Collection: Stickley Brothers (1858-1942)

Gustave Stickley is recognized as the creator of the first truly American furniture style. The Arts and Crafts movement had philosophical underpinnings such as "honesty" and "integrity". This turn of the century movement transferred its ideas to furniture construction. Arts and Crafts furniture originally was only marketed to the wealthy. Stickley brought his pieces to the average American consumer by producing furniture in mass quantity in a factory setting. Stickley's doctrine was a return to primitivism in design. Gustav Stickley set the stage for great modernists to follow him including Charles Eames.

Stickley's earlier pieces are reminiscent of a medieval influence. As his career continued, he concentrated on making his pieces lighter and more functional, as opposed to massive. He always sought to maintain a purity in his pieces.

The Gustave Stickley trestle table exemplifies the Arts and Crafts style and movement. This piece was shown in his 1910 catalogue, no. 637 and is signed with his hallmark on the inside of the leg.

Johnson, Bruce. The Official Identification and Price Guide to Arts and Crafts. New York: House of Collectibles, 1988.

Gray, Stephen. Gustave Stickley after 1909. New York: Turn of ì
the Century Editions, 1990.