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Books

Hardcover books approx. 9" x 12" except where noted.
Call (401) 848-5600 to order.  See Ordering/Shipping for more ordering information and printable order form
One or several books (up to 1000 pgs total) can be shipped for $9.80 in a USPS Priority Flat Rate Box anywhere in the US.
Larger book orders will be shipped by UPS with the actual shipping charges applied to your credit card.

book jpg.jpg (40745 bytes) American Furniture of the 18th Century: History, Technique, Structure
 Jeffrey Greene (1996, 312 pgs.)

The evolution of American furniture design and construction techniques over the course of the 18th century.  Signed copies are available exclusively from the Ball & Claw. $45

book moses.jpg (48954 bytes) Master Craftsmen of Newport:
The Townsends and Goddards 
Michael A. Moses (1984. 361 pgs.)

The definitive work on Newport furniture.
Sealed copy from the author, may be leather bound at your expense.  Long out of print and exceptionally rare.  Only a handful remain. $2000

book kugelman.jpg (40600 bytes) Connecticut Valley Furniture: Eliphalet Chapin and His Contemporaries, 1750-1800
T. & A. Kugelman, R. Lionetti (2005, 551 pgs.)

The scholarly and long-awaited work on on this important region.  A stunning  volume that is the product of unprecedented research. Strongest possible buy recommendation. $85  

book sack.jpg (50915 bytes) The New Fine Points of Furniture:
Early American, Good, Better, Best, Superior, Masterpiece
by Albert Sack (1993, 320 pgs.)

A valuable reference that illustrates the levels of quality and desirability of American period furniture. Now out of print and very hard to find. 1 copy: ex-library, excellent, checked out twice. $95

book townsend.jpg (51430 bytes) John Townsend: Newport Cabinetmaker
Morrison H. Hecksher (2005, 225 pgs.)

A landmark reference on the life and work of John Townsend.  The companion book to the 2005 John Townsend show at the MMA. Profusely illustrated and painstakingly researched. Essential for all Newport furniture enthusiasts.  $75

book evans.jpg (50158 bytes) Windsor Chair Making in America:
From Craft Shop to Consumer

Nancy Goyne Evans (2006, 475 pgs.)

A remarkably detailed work studying the craft and business of the American windsor chair-making trade. A massive and enlightening volume built on an unprecedented amount of research. $65

book keno.jpg (40048 bytes) Hidden Treasures: Searching for
Masterpieces of American Furniture

Leigh Keno and Leslie Keno (2000, 304 pgs.)

All the stories behind the discovery of masterpieces of American furniture.  A rare inside look at he upper echelons of the antique business.  Great reading with many Newport pieces in beautiful photos. 7" x 10", $20

book richards.jpg (51352 bytes) New England Furniture at Winterthur: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods
Nancy E. Richards & Nancy Goyne Evans
(1997, 514 pgs.)

An up-to-date and authoritative reference on the the mid-century pieces in the collection. Superb research and in-depth information. $95
book mcintire.jpg (105142 bytes) Samuel McIntire: Carving an American Style
Dean T. Lahikainen (2007, 300 pgs.)

An exhaustively researched and lavishly illustrated reference on this important carver and designer from the curator of American Decorative Art at the Peabody Essex Museum. $75

book phila empire.jpg (75724 bytes) Philadelphia Empire Furniture
Allison, Jonathan A., Christopher, Peter, & John W. Boor (2006, 592 pgs.)

A massive volume with excellent photography throughout.  Obviously the bible on this style as it developed in the city that was the center of the Green Revival movement in the U.S. $110

book scottish.jpg (69169 bytes) Scottish Cabinetmakers in Federal New York
Mary Ann Apicella (2007, 183 pgs.)

A focused work by a collector and researcher in this intriguing field.  The Scottish infusion of design and craftsmanship into American furniture is underappreciated but this excellent reference brings it to the fore. $75

book mad.jpg (87644 bytes) Maine Antique Digest: The Americana Chronicles
30 Years of Stories, Sales, Personalities, & Scandals

Lita Solis-Cohen, editor (2004, 448 pgs., softcover)

If you like the old war stories, this compendium has them all. The stories behind all the most interesting transactions.  Guaranteed to make seasoned veterans out of novice collectors. $19.95

book santore.jpg (63701 bytes) The Windsor Style in America Vols. I & II
Charles Santore (1992, 294 pgs.)

The definitive pictorial work on Windsors and their makers. Over 500 b&w photos and illustrations.  Limited quantity. 10˝" x 10˝", $68

book downs.jpg (46919 bytes) American Furniture:
Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods

Joseph Downs (2001, approx. 500pgs.)

Excellent  reprint of the 1952 Downs Winterthur book.  A must-have book for every furniture collector or enthusiast.  Over 400 b&w photos. $75

book montgomery.jpg (36573 bytes) Federal Furniture: The Federal Period, in the Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum
Charles F. Montgomery (2001, apx. 500 pgs.)

Reprint of Montgomery's unrivaled 1966 book on American Federal forms, that includes fascinating  information about the business and craft of furniture making during the period. $75

book schiffer.jpg (29347 bytes) The Mirror Book:
English, American, and European

Herbert F. Schiffer (1983, 256 pgs.)

For too long mirrors were treated as ancillary pieces in furniture references.  688 b&w photos make this a profusely illustrated book on an often overlooked subject. $45

book ball.jpg (49743 bytes) American Shelf and Wall Clocks: A Pictoral History for Collectors, 2nd ed.
Robert W. D. Ball (1999, 271 pgs.)

Many color and b&w photos show the depth and breadth of small wall and shelf clocks made well into the 19th century.  This invaluable collector's guide includes a pricing guide. $69.95

book miller.jpg (33441 bytes) Furniture: World Styles from Classical to Contemporary
Judith Miller (2005, 560 pgs.)

A handsome and massive tome covering furniture styles from all parts of the world, concentrating on 19th and 20th century styles.  Recommended for furniture enthusiasts who need to broaden their horizons.  $60

book sack 1.jpg (74571 bytes) The Fine Points of Furniture: Early American
Albert Sack (2007, 303 pgs., softcover)

A reprint of the classic "good, better, best" by Albert Sack, the book that taught everyone to have a better eye and guided collectors through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.  Retire your well-worn copy and start anew. $29.95

The following are currently unavailable, but we're looking for more...

book seymour.jpg (22463 bytes) The Furniture Masterworks of John & Thomas Seymour
Robert D. Mussey Jr. (2003, 462 pgs.)

The current state of scholarship on Seymour furniture.  Mussey knows this subject inside and out, and has presented it in a way that is in itself a masterwork.  Beautiful, informative, and thoroughly readable. Sorry, unavailable.

book milwaukee.jpg (24200 bytes) American Furniture with Related Decorative Arts 1660-1830: The Milwawkee Art Museum and the Layton Art Collection
Brock W. Jobe et al (1991, 311pgs.)

An informative and well photographed volume on this important American collection, with the insight of noted scholar Brock Jobe and an other leading experts on the subject. Sorry, unavailable.

book venable.jpg (36018 bytes) American Furniture in the Bybee Collection
Charles L. Venable
(1989, 192 pgs.)

An excellent reference on a lesser-known  collection. Beautifully  photographed with examples not published elsewhere in the literature. Sorry, unavailable.

book comstock.jpg (45660 bytes) American Furniture: Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth Century Styles
Helen Comstock
(336 pgs.)

A reprint of the 1962 original. A tried and true general reference covering the whole breadth of American furniture styles from many museum collections.  8˝" x 11", Sorry, unavailable.

 

NEWPORT

Newportraits, Newport Art Museum, (2000, 328 pgs.) $34.95

Newport Through Its Architecture: A History of Styles from Postmedieval to Postmodern, James L. Yarnall, (2005, 297 pgs.) $40

An America’s Cup Treasury: The Lost Levick Photographs, 1893-1937, Gary Jobson, (1999, 159 pgs.) $15

The Catboat Era in Newport, Rhode Island, John M. Leavens, (2005, 182 pgs.) $34.95

RHODE ISLAND

Buildings of Rhode Island, William H. Jordy, (2004, 704 pgs., pub. at $65) $29

Native American Place Names of Rhode Island, R. A. Douglas Lithgow, (reprint of 1909 ed., 72 pgs., 4 x 7 paperback) $9.95

NEW ENGLAND

Curious New England: the Unconventional Travelers’ Guide to Eccentric Destinations, J. Citro & D. Foulds, (2004, 349 pgs., 4 x 7 paperback) $20

Windows on the Past: Four Centuries of New England Homes, Jane C. Nylander with Diane L. Viera, (207 pgs., pub. at $45), $26

Windmills of New England: Their Genius, Madness, History and Future, David Lombardo, (2003, 245 pgs., pub. at  $39.95) $29  

USED AND/OR RARE

The Architectural Heritage of Newport Rhode Island 1640-1915, second edition – revised, Antoinette F. Downing and Vincent J. Scully, Jr., (Clarkson N. Potter Publisher, NY, 1967, 526 pgs.), good condition with dust jacket, some spotting on endpapers, $85  

American Furniture 1620 to the Present, Elizabeth Bidwell Bates and Jonathan L. Fairbanks, (Richard Marek Publishers, NY, 1981, 561 pgs.), excellent condition with dust jacket, $29

American Heritage Three Centuries of American Antiques, 3 volumes in 1, Marshall B. Davidson ed., (Bonanza Books, NY, 1979, 1215 pgs.), good condition with dust jacket. $49

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