Books from MESDA
NEW TITLE!
WH Cabinetmaker, A Southern Mystery Solved
By Thomas R.J. Newbern and James R. Melchor
The mystery of the “WH” cabinetmaker has been solved. For forty years furniture scholars have puzzled over a compelling group of furniture made during the 1780s and 90s in eastern North Carolina with the initials “WH” prominently—and perplexingly—displayed on their pediments. Who made the furniture? Who or what was “WH”? Many theories were put forward. None solved the mystery. Until now.
A new book, WH Cabinetmaker, A Southern Mystery Solved by Thomas R.J. Newbern and James R. Melchor, answers the riddle of who made the WH furniture and who or what the initials “WH” represent. In the process, Newbern and Melchor reveal the story of the WH Cabinetmaker’s business partners, patrons, and family as well as presenting a new vision for understanding the building and cabinetmaker trades in the lower Roanoke River Basin during the late 18th century.
WH Cabinetmaker is a decorative arts book written as a story. The authors expertly guide the reader through the mystery, which includes a host of characters and a setting that is partially obscured by a two-hundred-year-old mist but illuminated with beautiful color photographs. Anyone with an interest in furniture history will be captivated. Everyone with an interest in the material culture of the early American South will be enthralled.
$59.99; Paperback; 294 pages; 428 photographs, most in color
ISBN 978-0-9796976-3-0
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Southern Perspective: A Sampling from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative ArtsSince 1965 the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) has been instrumental in bringing to light the merits of previously ignored southern craftsmen. In celebration of MESDA's fortieth anniversary, forty objects from the MESDA collection have been selected for this striking catalog that combines informative essays with stunning photography.
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The Furniture of Charleston, 1680-1820By Bradford L. Rauschenberg and John Bivins, Jr.An unprecedented three-volume comparative study that combines a survey of surviving furniture with thorough biographies of the craftsmen to produce the most comprehensive analysis of the early furniture trade in Charleston, South Carolina.2003. Hardcover in slipcase, 1500+ pages; 1400+ photographs and illustrations, many in colorISBN 0-945578-05-9 |
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Quilts, Coverlets, and Counterpanes: Bedcoverings from the MESDA and Old Salem CollectionsBy Paula W. Locklair.
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Henrietta Johnston: "Who greatly helped... by drawing pictures"A catalog of pastel portraits by the earliest identified woman artist in America.1991. Softbound, 72 pages; 48 photographs, 14 in color.ISBN 0-945578-03-2 |
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The Regional Arts of the Early SouthBy John Bivins, Jr., and Forsyth Alexander
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Tennessee SilversmithsBy Benjamin Hubbard Caldwell, Jr.
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