The Derby Commode.

J

Jefferson

Active member
Hello all, this I guess is my first post, so be it.

I'm really interested in the Derby Commode by Thomas Seymour. I know Harold Ionson made a series of these, and the one I saw photos of was very nice. But I'm wondering, who else has attempted to build one of these?

TIA

Rick
 
Rick,

Harold is the only one I am aware of who has undertaken the Derby commode which helps to explain why he was the first Cartouche recipient. I am sure there is a longer list of folks who would like to reproduce it someday. Have you read the story on Harold from the first APF?
 
Mark Arnold said:
Rick,

Harold is the only one I am aware of who has undertaken the Derby commode which helps to explain why he was the first Cartouche recipient. I am sure there is a longer list of folks who would like to reproduce it someday. Have you read the story on Harold from the first APF?
Click to expand...

Hello Mark,

Yes I was aware that Mr Ionson was the very first to receive the Cartouche Award. I've also conversed with a few people who knew or had at least met Harold. Everything I've ever heard of the man was positive. I wish I could have visited his shop and talked with him, I'm sure I'd of profited from it.

The Derby Commode is such a wonderful piece, it's a shame more haven't made the attempt. I've been telling myself that someday I'll take up the challenge, but not just yet. :)
 
To read a description of the commode in Salamonsky's book, you wouldn't even know it was the same piece. It is described as English with satinwood drawer fronts and the Penniman painted top is not even mentioned. Unless you can lay your hands on Harold's plans, Verna's (and a grain of salt) may have to do.
 
I have no info on the Derby Commode, but am very interested in information on the Catalog Entry 57 in "The Furniture Masterworks of John and Thomas Seymour". Would be most appreciative if anyone can pass it aling.

thanks
Bob 
 
Bob, I can't help much, I'm currently trying myself to assemble information on the commode. I really need to break down one of these days and acquire a copy of Mussey's book. A friend is going to loan me his copy when I see him in St Louis, Sept 19th. But I'm afraid he'll remember who he loaned it to eventually so I need my own copy.

Can someone explain the rules for picture posting? I don't want to break any rules or guidelines, but I do have pictures of the original and of one Harold made.

Rick
 
I am under the impression that Mr. Ionson has passed from this muddy vestral of decay and taken his secrets with him. If this is sadly so and no one else is available to shed some light on his construction of this piece, I would put the brief brief description Solomonsky provides quite high up in the ranking. I am curious how the extant membership would respond to Solomonsky's comment that "Very few pieces of this type, however, were made by American cabinet makers." The early copyright of this volume is 1931.
 
Fran, as far as how many pieces of this type have been made, I have no idea really. My guess would be not many, especially of the quality of the Seymour piece. But then that can probably be said of many pieces made by Thomas Seymour.

Just to see what's there I ordered a used copy of the Salmoninsky book last night, it'll be interesting to see what's there on the Derby Commode.

I was involved in a discussion a while back with a current student at NBSS, it was my understanding that some of the students and instructors were looking into the Derby and similar Seymour pieces attempting to figure out how they were constructed. I know Harold had a close relationship with the school so i guess one could derive from that that they don't have access to Harolds papers as it pertains to the Derby Commode. If that's indeed true it would strike me as tragic and a genuine waste of near genius.

 
Regarding the Derby commode, Harold's version was not in any way true to the original construction, so if you want to know it was made you should get a look at the original.
Harold's versions were spectacular. I saw them in process several times over the course of their construction, and Harold redesigned just about everything to perfection, being an engineer style woodworker and not wedded to "the old ways" as we would say. His version was the product of very complicated jigs to insure that everything was repeatable and flawless, and one might say he was as interested in the process as much as the product, being an impeccable technician.
I tend not to "improve" pieces in the process of building them, probably being on the opposite end of that spectrum from Harold, but the first step in copying anything should be to examine the original if you can. There were plenty of bad construction decisions made on the old pieces, so you have to decide what you want to keep and what to disregard.-Al Breed
 
Eli Cleveland has started on a commode which I believe is similar.  It is over on the Tommy McDonald, T-Chisel, MLWW, 207 Forum under the play-by-play section.  http://www.tchisel.com/forum/

- John
 
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