Updates to the Phil Lowe Library

Mark Maleski

Administrator
A short status update on the Phil Lowe library. I'll post additional updates as we have them.

First a bit of background: after Phil's passing in 2021, the effort to scan the extensive library of Phil's drawings was spearheaded by Artie Keenan and Nick Maraldo. SAPFM offered to host the scans for public download, in keeping with our mission to educate the public on period furniture. At this writing, we have received all of the high-resolution scans that were produced through the initial Kickstarter investment - a total of 159 files. However, because these files were uploaded in multiple batches, we've identified a number of duplicates as well as scans that need to be combined to show the multiple elevations of a single piece. Harder than it sounds. Keith Doney has done a tremendous amount of work to analyze and organize this set of files. Still more work remains to sort these files, and I cannot say exactly how many pieces we will have for download when we are finished. It should be somewhere around 60.

Rather than wait until we'd finished analyzing all the files, we wanted to show some results but uploading the scans that are ready. This morning we had 17 downloads. At this writing, we now have 20. Here's what we did today:
  • Re-ordered the downloads roughly by period.
  • "fixed" the Jacobean Sofa download. The original publication had a single elevation, and it wasn't terribly useful. We identified two additional elevations from a later batch and combined the three scans into a single zip file. That's what you'll receive now from that download.
  • Added a new download: "Queen Anne Side Chair (New England) #2"
  • Added a new download: "Queen Anne Low Boy with Ball/Claw Feet"
  • Added a new download: "Chippendale Double Dresser"
We have another 15 scans that are ready to post. It takes a bit of time to get them on the website, but I anticipate we'll get them posted within the next ~week. Will update this thread as we go to let everyone know what's been added.
 
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5 more pieces posted today:
- Baroque Fire Screen / Candle Stand
- Chippendale Side Chair
- Chippendale Looking Glass
- Neoclassical Drum Table
- Hepplewhite Pembroke (Breakfast) Table

That brings us to 25 total pieces posted for download; best estimate is we'll have between 50 and 60 pieces when we are done.
 
5 more pieces posted today:
- Newport Block Front Desk w/ Secretary
- Low Double Bookcase
- Gothic Bookcase
- Ladderback Chair
- Contemporary Side Chair
 
5 more pieces posted today:
- Federal eagle inlay (must see!)
- Baroque Tilt Top Tripod Table
- Neoclassical Table Lamp
- Newport Mantle Clock
- Jeweler's Bench
 
10 pieces posted today:
- Chippendale Game Table
- Chippendale Serpentine Table
- Seymore Night Stand
- Sheraton Sideboard
- Sheraton Upholstered Bench
- Small Boxes
- Vernacular Side Table
- Queen Anne Sofa Table
- Step Table
- Window Cornices

Pace will slow a bit from here; the remaining pieces have multiple scans that need to be combined.
 
3 more files posted:
- Chippendale Ladderback Chair
- Chippendale Arm Chair #2 (this is an owl eye chair...I've made 4 of the side chair version for my dining table, and 2 more yet to build)
- Seymore card table.

There are 3 more pieces to upload, then they'll all be posted!
 
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