Examples and Conspiracy Theories

 

 

The common consensus is that there are no known examples of furniture that were definitively produced by the firm of George Hepplewhite. After leaving the apprentice of Robert Gillow of Lancaster, Lownde's London Directory of 1786 records his shop on Redcross Street, Cripplegate.The influence of the style of George Hepplewhite on English and American furniture beginning in the late eighteenth century cannot be disputed but finding and determining that a particular piece was made by him or his firm has become the search for the holy grail.

The company offering the sideboard pictured above, M.S.Rau Antiques of New Orleans claims that it was "almost certainly crafted by Heplewhite".The evidence of proof can possibly be the almost exact similarity of the urn in the center of the Rau piece and the urn in the center of the sideboard design plate #32 from the Guide. As of yet I have been unable to locate a Heplewhite lithograph that more closely resembles the sideboard in the above photo. Although there are examples of pieces copied from these designs verbatim it in no way determines or implies that they were made by Hepplewhite's firm.

Hepplewhite never put his signature on any of the plates in "The Cabinetmaker and Upholsterer's Guide" or its subsequent revisions, but he did sign ten plates found in Shearer's  "London Book of Prices", 1788. One conspiracy theory is that the designs in the Guide were actually by Alice Hepplewhite and question the existence of George Hepplewhite . Records show a "George Hepplewhite" was born in 1727 in  Ryton Parish, County Durham, England. 
  
Another and somewhat more plausible conspiracy theory is that many of the designs (especially the chairs) in the Guide were copied from designs by James Wyatt (1746- 1814) architect to George III. Wyatt supplied chair designs to the leading cabinet-making firm of Gillows of Lancaster where Hepplewhite apprenticed.  A set of chairs supplied by Wyatt to Appuldurcombe House are very similar to Plate # 5 of the Guide.

The going rate for first and second editions of the Guide are $14,500 and $7,500 respectively and both are extremely rare.

http://www.manhattanrarebooks.com/pages/books/509/george-hepplewhite-alice-hepplewhite/the-cabinet-maker-and-upholsterer-rsquo-s-guide/?soldItem=true

http://www.heritagebookshop.com/details.php?id=64830

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Hepplewhite #70

 

 

 

 

To execute a literal interpretation of one of George Hepplewhite's designs can be a somewhat difficult task. In some instances, especially when drawn in elevation, details are easily determined and sometimes the lithograph is accompanied by a scale reference. This process becomes problematic when attempting one of the designs Hepplewhite chose to portray in perspective, or showing the piece "perpendicular" to the picture. 

Hepplewhite's contemporary, Thomas Sheraton, was truly a master of perspective drawing. The second part of his book "The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book" of 1793 is devoted entirely to perspective drawing explaining complex geometric equations as they pertain to the depiction of furniture and architecture. To quote Mr. Sheraton: "Some of (Hepplewhite's) designs are not without merit,though it is evident that the perspective is, in some instances, erroneous.".

Both Hepplewhite and Sheraton were faced with the certainty and the inevitability that their designs, while attempting to be on the cutting edge of neoclassical design, could someday become obsolete. The phrase "timeless classic" comes to mind.

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George Hepplewhite and his influence in America

 

 

 



 

In 1788 George Hepplewhites's widow Alice had  her late husband's furniture designs published by I. an J. Taylor, No. 56 High Holborn, Borough of Camden, London. I think it is doubtful that she or the publisher realized the importance  that this publication would find in English Society, but also the far reaching influence this book would have on American craftsmen and the Elite Society in the United States.

 

Two significant American cabinetmakers were obviously influenced by this publication: Samuel McIntyre of Salem and John Shaw of Annapolis. Heplewhites book represented the latest style in English furniture design and when McIntyre was to make a large set of chairs for the wealthy whaling merchant Elias Haskett Derby, of course he based his design on plate #2 from "The Cabinetmaker and Upholsterer's Guide"

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/62.16

 

John Shaw built an extremely historically significant piece of furniture for an extremely historic person, notably William Paca, Governor of the state of Maryland and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His serpentine chest was heavily influenced by plate #76  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paca_House_and_Garden

 

Both cabinetmakers put their individual touches on George Hepplewhite's original design. McIntyre chose the addition of relief carving to parts of the back and the front legs while Shaw chose the addition of line inlay, diamond escutcheons, tulip wood line and an oval of marquetry in the apron.

 

I'm sure that there have been many craftsmen (including myself) that were equally influenced by Mr. Hepplewhite's book. I see it as the ultimate compliment to the architect to carefully bring their designs to life. 

 

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