Schrimsher Collection Book Available Through the Trust

Longtime Decorative Arts Trust members Kelly and Randy Schrimsher have generously allotted a supply of their new publication, American Classical Furniture, 1810-40: Regional Identities in the Schrimsher Collection, to support the Trust’s Publishing Grants program.

The Schrimshers’ notable collection comprises hundreds of pieces of furniture by some of the most celebrated cabinetmakers from the key centers of Classical furniture production in the United States: Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. This catalogue explores the rich artistic exchanges and rivalries that existed between the four cities including a selection of work by the foremost cabinetmakers of the era, including Duncan Phyfe, Charles-Honoré Lannuier, Isaac Vose, William Hancock, John and Hugh Finlay, Anthony Quervelle, and Joseph Barry.

In addition to the 85 full-page color illustrations of furniture, the book features over 150 additional comparative illustrations of pattern books, architectural designs, historical views, and detailed photos of carving, gilding, and painted surfaces.

The list of authors includes Decorative Arts Trust Executive Director Matthew A. Thurlow as well as current and past members of its Board of Governors and friends in the field: Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley, Christine Thomson, Clark Pearce, Gregory R. Weidman, Kimberly E. Schrimsher, Peter M. Kenny, and Wendy A. Cooper. The project has generated tremendous fanfare and coverage in the press, with articles in Antiques & The Arts Weekly and The Magazine Antiques, and will serve as a leading resource for those interested in early-19th-century material culture and design.

Randy Schrimsher served as the President of the Trust’s Board of Governors from 2011 through 2016. The Schrimshers graciously welcomed Trust members to view some of this exquisite collection in Charleston during the Emerging Scholars Program Fundraiser at the Trust’s Fall 2024 Symposium. Over the past four years they have meticulously restored a c. 1810 property to house a portion of their furniture collection along with complementary lighting, porcelain, sculpture, paintings, and prints. They also opened their Alabama home “virtually” in 2020 with a Bulletin post featuring their synthesis of early-19th-century furniture and studio glass.

The Trust’s Publishing Grants program allocates funding to two separate grant lines: Publishing Grants for First-Time Authors of Book-Length Publications and Publishing Grants for Collections, Exhibitions, and Conferences. Applications for the next round are due March 31, 2025.

Visit our online store to purchase your copy of American Classical Furniture and support this worthy cause today!

Update: Read Maine Antique Digest‘s book review.