Robert Manwaring Book

M

macchips4

Well-known member
    Last fall, at a Historic Deerfield symposium, there was a presentation and disscussion on a group of Manwaring desgin chairs. There was also conciderable referance to The book "The Cabinet and Chairmakers  Real Friend and Companion" by Manwaring.
      I just aquired a 1970 reprint of this book by A.Tiranti of London. At first I was surprised at the small size but I'm also wondering if it is a complete reprint. There are no directions or intructions relating to the construction or measurements of chairs. There are a preface, a plate of the classical orders, a plate showing diagrams to obtain rail and seat angles, and then about 40 plates wood cut designs. No instuctional text.
    Was there, in the original version of 1765, instruction on the application of the included template page or any construction information?
    It does not seem it would be much of a friend and companion, may be I was expecting too much?
    Does anyone have any knowledge relating to these reprints?
Joe
 
Joe, I found this re Robert Manwaring:  "fl London, 1760-c. 1770). English furniture designer and cabinetmaker. He was recorded as working in the Haymarket, London, from 1760 until 1766, but no furniture documented or labelled from his workshop has been identified. In 1760 he contributed 50 designs to Houshold Furniture in Genteel Taste, sponsored by a Society of Upholsterers and Cabinetmakers, and in the same year he published the Carpenter's Compleat Guide to the Whole System of Gothic Railing, which consisted of 14 plates. There followed the Cabinet and Chair-maker's Real Friend and Companion in 1765, with designs for 100 chairs in Gothic, chinoiserie, Rococo and Rustic styles. A second edition, virtually unaltered, appeared in 1775. In 1766 he brought out the Chair-maker's Guide, containing 'upwards of Two Hundered New and Genteel Designs ... for Gothic, Chinese, Ribbon and other chairs'; it includes two plates from William Ince and John Mayhew's Universal System of Household Furniture and at least six from Matthias Darly's New-Book of Chinese, Gothic & Modern Chairs".  This probably doesn't help much. John McAloster

 
    The concern I have is there is no text in this reprint and I'm not sure if that is the way it should be or not. In the latest Deerfield Magazine article Joshua Lane, curator of funiture at Historic Deerfield in Mass., quotes a paragraph by Manwaring, relating to instructions of how to layout the seat rail angles using the diagrams and templates that are in the book. But no text in this edition that I have, which is the 1970 reprint by Tiranti. There were other reprints, one in the 1940's. I obtainrd this book to help me understand the contruction and design of the chairs, to possibly make for my self. and other than the woodblock prints of the chairs there is not much information. I was hoping someone could post some information on the techical instructions that may or may not have been in the reprints.
(Al Breed,..... I Know You were there....Hint)
whew! this is getting wordy!!!
Joe
 
    Yes.I sent an email off to deerfield but I belive they are off for the holidays. I just thought I could get some additional information here.
when I get any information from Mr Lane I will post here. He has been very helpful  many times.
Thanks for the posts
Joe
 
Joe

It was typical of pattern books of that period to offer engravings and to exclude descriptive text.

The Tiranti reprint is like many modern productions, an interpretation rather than a facsimile. You'ld have to refer to an original to determine if any information was cut out. At my best guess, all that might have been cut would be the name of the engraver.

Gary
 
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