BREAKFAST TABLE
James Woodward (1769 – 1839) and Shop
1819
Norfolk, Virginia
Mahogany, poplar, white pine, sycamore
HOA: 27 5/8”, WOA: 50 ¾”, DOA: 38"
MESDA Purchase Fund (acc. 3813)
In 1818, James Woodward, a Norfolk, Virginia cabinetmaker, loaned an enslaved craftsmen named James $120 to purchase his freedom. In return, James promised “for 12 months next ensuing… he shall… work as a Journeyman Cabinetmaker… until the full value… shall be repaid to him.” The following year Humberston Skipwith of Elm Hill, Mecklenburg County, Virginia purchased a “large Pillow (pillar) & claw Breakfast Table” – now in the MESDA collection – from Woodward’s shop for $45. While we can never be certain if James worked on this table, it was through the construction of furniture like this table that James was able to achieve his freedom.
