Edward S. Cooke Jr.
The Social Economy of the Preindustrial Joiner in Western Connecticut, 1750–1800

American Furniture 1995

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Bernard Romans, map of Connecticut, 1777. (Courtesy, Beinecke Library, Yale University.)

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Bottom half of a chest-on-chest attributed to Brewster Dayton, Stratford, Connecticut, 1770-1790. Cherry with yellow poplar and oak. H. 44 1/4", W. 40", D. 20". (Courtesy, Middlesex County Historical Society; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Desk-and-bookcase, probably by Ebenezer Hubbell, Stratford, Connecticut, 1760-1780. Cherry with yellow poplar, white pine, yellow pine, and butternut. H. 93 1/4", W. 40", D. 23 1/4". (Courtesy, The Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Chest of drawers, Litchfield, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with white pine. H. 34", W. 35 5/8", D. 19 1/2". (Courtesy, Mattatuck Museum.)

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Detail of the bottom of the chest illustrated in fig. 4.

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

     Chest of drawers, Litchfield, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with white pine and yellow poplar. H. 32 3/8", W. 36 3/8", D. 18 3/4". (Courtesy, Mattatuck Museum.)

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Detail of the bottom of the chest illustrated in fig. 6.

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Chest of drawers signed by Bates How, northwestern Connecticut, 1795. Cherry with white pine. H. 38 1/2", W. 39 3/4", D. 17 1/4". (Courtesy, Yale University Art Gallery, Mabel Brady Garvan Collection.)

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Chest-on-chest signed by Reuben Beeman, Kent, Connecticut, 1795–1805. Cherry with white pine. H. 88 1/2", W. 43". (Courtesy, Christie’s.)

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Fiddleback chair, Stratford, Connecticut, 1760–1800. Maple, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 38 5/8", W. 19", D. 14". (Courtesy, Discovery Museum; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Fiddleback chair, Newtown, Connecticut, 1760–1800. Maple, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 40 1/8", W. 19 1/2", D. 14". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Fiddleback chair, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1760–1800. Maple, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 42 1/8", W. 20 1/2", D. 14". (Courtesy, New Haven Colony Historical Society.) 

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Chest of drawers signed by Brewster Dayton, Stratford, Connecticut, 1784. Cherry with sycamore, yellow poplar, and white pine. H. 86 1/2", W. 39 3/4", D. 20 3/8". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Chest of drawers signed by Brewster Dayton, Stratford, Connecticut, 1784. Cherry with yellow poplar. H. 87", W. 39 3/4", D. 20 1/8". (Private collection; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.)

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Married chest of drawers (top probably by Brewster Dayton; bottom probably by Ebenezer Hubbell), Stratford, Connecticut, 1770–1790. Top: cherry with yellow poplar and white pine; bottom: walnut with cherry and white pine. H. 72 1/4", W. 40 1/2", D. 20 1/8". (Private collection; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.) All of the drawers in the lower section are replacements.

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Desk, probably by Ebenezer Hubbell, Stratford, Connecticut, 1760–1780. Cherry with white pine and yellow poplar. H. 42 5/8", W. 36 3/16", D. 21 3/4". (Courtesy, Discovery Museum; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Desk, probably by Ebenezer Hubbell, Stratford, Connecticut, 1760–1780. Mahogany with white pine and yellow poplar. H. 49 1/2", W. 39 3/4", D. 20". (Private collection; photo, Di Cambio Studio.)

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Joiner’s chair, possibly by Ebenezer Hubbell, Stratford, Connecticut, 1770–1790. Cherry, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 39 3/4", W. 22", D. 17 1/8". (Courtesy, Barry G. Freeman.)

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Chest of drawers signed by Silas Butler, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1755. Cherry with white pine. H. 86", W. 40", D. 20". (Courtesy, Wadsworth Atheneum.)

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Chest of drawers, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1760–1780. Cherry with red oak, white pine, and yellow poplar. H. 80", W. 39 5/8", D. 19 5/8". (Courtesy, The New Haven Colony Historical Society.)

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Great round-top chair, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1750–1770. Maple, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 42 1/4", W. 22 1/2", D. 15". (Courtesy, First Congregational Church, Woodbury; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Crooked-back chair, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 41 1/2", W. 20 1/8", D. 13 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Joiner’s chair, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry, yellow poplar, and ash. H. 38", W. 19 7/8", D. 15 5/8". (Private collection; photo, Cortes and Company.)

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    Tea table, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry. H. 27", top diam.: 33". (Private collection, photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    High-back Windsor armchair, probably by Nicholas Jebine, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1790–1810. Maple, white pine, and red oak. H. 36 1/4", W. 16 1/4", D. 16 9/16". (Courtesy, Yale University Art Gallery, Mabel Brady Garvan Collection.)

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    Desk-and-bookcase, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with white pine and yellow poplar. H. 84", W. 38", D. 20 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Chest of drawers, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with red oak. H. 33 1/4", W. 34 3/8", D. 20 1/2". (Courtesy, Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Chest of drawers, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1790–1810. Cherry with yellow poplar. H. 37", W. 44", D. 18 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.)

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Desk-and-bookcase, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with yellow poplar and red oak. Dimensions not recorded. (Courtesy, Kenneth Hammit.)

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Desk-and-bookcase, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with yellow poplar, white pine, and ash. H. 85 5/8", W. 39 3/4", D. 22". (Private collection; photo, Cortes and Company.)

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    Chest of drawers, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with red oak, yellow poplar, and white pine. H. 90", W. 44", D. 22 3/4". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.)

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Chest-on-chest, Woodbury, Connecticut, 1780–1800. Cherry with yellow poplar and red oak. H. 82 1/2", W. 40 3/4", D. 19 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Edward S. Cooke Jr.)