Gustav Stickley
Born	March 9, 1858 Osceola, Wisconsin
Died	April 21, 1942 Syracuse, New York

Gustav Stickley (March 9, 1858–April 21, 1942) was a furniture maker and architect as well as the leading spokesperson for the American Arts and Crafts movement. Image File history File links Gustav Stickley File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. ... March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 1858 is a common year starting on Friday. ... April 21 is the 111th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (112th in leap years). ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect is a person involved in the art of planning, designing and overseeing the construction of buildings, or more generally, the designer of a scheme or plan. ... The Arts and Crafts movement was a reformist movement, at first inspired by the writings of John Ruskin, that was at its height between approximately 1880–1910. ...

In 1901, Stickley founded The Craftsman, a periodical which began by expounding the philosophy of the English Arts & Crafts movement but which matured into the voice of the American movement. He worked with architect Harvey Ellis to design house plans for the magazine, which published 221 such plans over the next fifteen years. He also established the Craftsman Home Builders Club in 1903 to spread his ideas about domestic organic architecture. 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1903 has the latest occurring solstices and equinoxes for 400 years, because the Gregorian calendar hasnt had a leap year for seven years or a century leap year since 1600. ... Organic architecture is a branch of architecture which promotes harmony between man and nature through design so well integrated with its site that buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition. ...

These ideas had an enormous influence on Frank Lloyd Wright. Stickley believed that: Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was one of the most prominent architects of the first half of the 20th century. ...

• A house ought to be constructed in harmony with its landscape, with special attention paid to selecting local materials;
• An open floor plan would encourage family interaction and eliminate unnecessary barriers;
• Built-in bookcases and benches were practical and ensured that the house would not be completely reliant on furniture from outside;
• Exposed structural elements, light fixtures, and hardware are all considered to be decorative; and
• Artificial light should be kept to a minimum, so large groupings of windows were necessary to bring in light.

Between 1900 and 1916 a style of furniture featuring "...a severely plain and rectilinear style which was visually enriched only be expressed structural features and the warm tones of the wood..." gained popularity in the U.S. This furniture, referred to as "mission oak," was an "...American manifestation of the Arts and Crafts movement..." (Cathers, Furniture of the American Arts and Crafts Movement). 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... The Arts and Crafts movement was a reformist movement, at first inspired by the writings of John Ruskin, that was at its height between approximately 1880–1910. ...

Stickley began making furniture in the mission oak style with the founding of the Craftsman Workshops in Syracuse, New York in 1904. His furniture was all handmade rather than machinemade, crafted to be simple and useful; it was primarily built from native American oak, joinery was exposed, upholstery was carried out with natural materials (canvas and leather), wood could be varnished but never painted, and there were no unnecessary lines. Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse Syracuse is an American city in Central New York. ... 1904 is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Oakland International Airport is located in Oakland, California and serves the San Francisco Bay Area metro region. ... Joinery is the part of woodworking that involves the joining together of parts of wood. ... Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. ...

A display of original "mission oak" dining room furniture at Mission San Juan Capistrano in Southern California.

He moved his headquarters to New York City in 1905 and planned to establish a boarding school for boys in Morris Plains, New Jersey (what is now Parsippany, New Jersey). Craftsman Farms was designed to be self-sufficient, with vegetable gardens, orchards, dairy cows and chickens. The main house there is constructed from chestnut logs and stone found on the property, and exemplifies Stickley's building philosophy. As he wrote in The Craftsman: Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2580x1720, 825 KB)Father Jose Muts dining room at Mission San Juan Capistrano. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2580x1720, 825 KB)Father Jose Muts dining room at Mission San Juan Capistrano. ... Pond inside Mission San Juan Capistrano Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano was founded on November 1, 1776 by Father Junipero Serra, the seventh mission in the California mission chain. ... Southern California Los Angeles, rush hour on the Harbor Freeway San Diego Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal, is an informal name for the southern one-third of the state of California. ... Midtown Manhattan, looking north from the Empire State Building, 2005 New York City (officially named the City of New York) is the most populous city in the United States, and is at the center of international finance, politics, communications, music, fashion, and culture. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Morris Plains is a borough located in Morris County, New Jersey. ... Parsippany-Troy Hills Township is a township located in Morris County, New Jersey. ... Chestnut is also used to describe a certain colour of coat in horses that resembles the colour of the chestnut nut. ...

"There are elements of intrinsic beauty in the simplification of a house built on the log cabin idea. First, there is the bare beauty of the logs themselves with their long lines and firm curves. Then there is the open charm felt of the structural features which are not hidden under plaster and ornament, but are clearly revealed, a charm felt in Japanese architecture....The quiet rhythmic monotone of the wall of logs fills one with the rustic peace of a secluded nook in the woods." [1]

Although initially conceived of as a clubhouse for students, financial troubles forced Stickley to live there with his family instead. The planned boarding school never became a reality.

Stickley was a poor businessman and the American public began to reject his simple furniture in favor of revival styles; in 1915 he filed for bankruptcy, stopping publication of The Craftsman in 1916 and selling Craftsman Farms in 1917. 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... 1916 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January-February January 1 -The first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. ... 1917 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ...

In recent years, Stickley style has become popular once more. In 1988, Barbara Streisand paid $363,000 for a Stickley sideboard from Craftsman Farms; magazines such as Style 1900 and American Bungalow cater to those interested in the Arts and Crafts movement. 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Barbra Streisand on the cover of her album Higher Ground Barbra Streisand (born April 24, American singer and film actress, producer, and director. ... The Arts and Crafts movement was a reformist movement, at first inspired by the writings of John Ruskin, that was at its height between approximately 1880–1910. ...

Gustav's brothers Leopold (Lee), Albert, Charles and John George Stickley were also important figures in the Arts and Crafts movement.

References

• Cathers, David M. (1981). Furniture of the American Arts and Crafts Movement. The New American Library, Inc. ISBN 045303974.
• Cathers, David M. (2003). Gustav Stickley. Phaidon Press. ISBN 0714840300.
• Hewitt, Mark Alan. (2001). Gustav Stickley's Craftsman Farms: The Quest for an Arts and Crafts Utopia. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0815606893.
• Smith, Mary Ann. (1992). Gustav Stickley: The Craftsman. Dover Publications. ISBN 0486272109.

See also

• Arts and Crafts movement

The Arts and Crafts movement was a reformist movement, at first inspired by the writings of John Ruskin, that was at its height between approximately 1880–1910. ...

External links

• Gustav Stickley (1858-1942)
• Biography from the Arts and Crafts movement website
• "Gustav Stickley and the Craftsman Home"
• The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms
• Findagrave: Gustav Stickley
• Craftsman Style