Francois Linke (1855-1946), born in Pankraz, Bohemia, is considered by many as the greatest Parisian cabinetmaker of his day, at a time when the worldwide influence of French fashion was at its height. His exquisitely finished, richly made furniture was produced for potentates and industrial magnates from Paris to New York, London to Buenos Aires, the Far East and the Cameroons. Astonishingly, at the age of seventy and during the depths of the Great Depression, he secured a series of commissions to furnish over one thousand pieces for the King of Egypt. The son of a subsistence gardener, Linke trained under the strict disciplines of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and as a young man, travelled penniless, on foot, via Vienna to Paris in 1876. There he married the daughter of a local innkeeper and started a business in the days before electricity and the motor car, a business that continued, despite the loss of his two sons, through two world wars and the invention of atomic power. His early work is not signed, but can be traced to the great houses such as the New York townhouse of Arabella Huntington. He then gambled all on the Exposition Universelle de Paris, 1900 and was rewarded with not only a Gold Medal but also important private commissions that brought him both fame and fortune. The ancien regime has always been the greatest source of inspiration for artistic design in France and, influenced amongst others by the de Goncourt brothers, the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles were revived to wide popular appeal. During the Second Empire these styles were so eclectic that they became debased. Linke wanted to create a fresh new style and his association with the enigmatic sculptor Leon Message resulted in a highly original series of designs, based on the rococo style fused with the latest fashion in Paris, l'art nouveau. This style, known as le style Linke, was received with critical acclaim at the 1900 exhibition and remains popular today amongst the worldwide clientele for Linke's exquisitely made furniture. The book, with 140,000 words of text and over 700 unique photographs, many previously unpublished and drawn from Linke's own archive and private collections, has ten chapters showing the development of this exacting and prolific man's life work. It traces his early life and apprenticeship and his comfortable family life in Paris, culminating with the award of the Legion d'honneur. Appendices on Metalwork and Wood add to the technical expertise of this book, giving a unique insight into the workings of any designers recorded to date. 266 colour & 48 b/w illustrations

- British Furniture 1820 to 1920 - The Luxury Market is the major work in its field, a stunning achievement and a landmark publication - The first book to properly assess the work of British Furniture makers through the 19th century, among them great names such as Gillows, Maples, Hollands and Morris & Co - In over 600 pages, all lavishly illustrated, the author creates the new and definitive work on this subject - Christopher Payne, a former director of Sotheby's, is an independent furniture historian and well-known author who has appeared on the BBC Antiques Roadshow - for over 30 years British Furniture 1820 to 1920 is the first book on the subject for several decades and the only book ever published to span the century from 1820 through to 1920. It creates a continuum to underline the importance of the late Recency style favoured by George IV, moving through to the first two decades of the 20th century, with a host of ever-changing styles and fashions. Payne illustrates the importance of the revival styles and copies: a fundamental part of the furniture trade that has often previously been ignored. Many of the makers' names are familiar to furniture collectors, such as Gillows, Hollands, Collinson & Lock, Morris & Co. and Maples. However, the importance of others, such as Baldock, Blake, Trollope, Hindley & Wilkinson, Hamptons or Lenygon & Morant - as well as a host of provincial makers - is explained. British Furniture 1820 to 1920 - The Luxury Market is a landmark publication and arguably the first book to properly assess British furniture design through the whole of the Victorian era. It goes further than any book has attempted before by filling in important research particular for the latter half of the century. It shows that what is often termed simply, and once pejoratively, as 'Victorian' is often of an earlier date, commencing in the revered Regency period of the 1820s. Christopher Payne considers each decade, adding important new research and building a huge archive of text and images. The book contains in excess of 1000 color photographs and also an important compendium of makers names and details.

The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal 6/7 is a compendium of articles and notes pertaining to the Museum's permanent collections of antiquities, paintings, sculpture, and works of art. This volume includes an editorial statement by the journal’s editors: Burton B. Fredericksen, curator of Paintings, Jiří Frel, curator of Antiquities, and Gillian Wilson, curator of Decorative Arts. Conservation problems are discussed along with articles written by K. Christiansen, B. B. Fredericksen, S. Holo, G. Wilson, B. L. Shifman, M. Shapiro, J. Frel, D. M. Brinkerhoff, C. C. Vermeule, G. Koch, S. Downey, l. Kilian-Dirlmeier, C. Cardon, F. Brommer, M. A. Del Chiaro, P. Visonà, J. Cody, R. Mellor, D. L. Thompson, E. Langlotz, P. Zazoff, S. Knudsen Morgan, M. Jentoft-Nilsen, and A. Manzoni.

The sheer complexity of the subject of European furniture, ranging through an enormous variety of

Superbly illustrated, this book not only describes the work of

Germany’s economic miracle is a widely-known phenomenon, and the world-leading, innovative products and services associated with German companies are something that others seek to imitate. In The ’Made in Germany’Â’ Champion Brands, Ugesh A. Joseph provides an extensively researched, insightful look at over 200 of Germany’s best brands to see what they stand for, what has made them what they are today, and what might be transferable. The way Germany is branded as a nation carries across into the branding of its companies and services, particularly the global superstar brands - truly world-class in size, performance and reputation. Just as important are the medium-sized and small enterprises, known as the 'Mittelstand'. These innovative and successful enterprises from a wide range of industries and product / service categories are amongst the World market leaders in their own niche and play a huge part in making Germany what it is today. The book also focuses on German industrial entrepreneurship and a selection of innovative and emergent stars. All these companies are supported and encouraged by a sophisticated infrastructure of facilitators, influencers and enhancers - the research, industry, trade and standards organizations, the fairs and exhibitions and all the social and cultural factors that influence, enhance and add positive value to the country's image. Professionals or academics interested in business; entrepreneurship; branding and marketing; product or service development; international trade and business development policy, will find fascinating insights in this book; while those with an interest in Germany from emerging industrial economies will learn something of the secrets of German success.

Magnificent reproduction of 1788 folio of Hepplewhite furnishings. Classic, highly valued work depicts chairs, stools, sofas, sideboards, beds, pedestals, desks, bookcases, tables, chests of drawers, wardrobes, fire screens, and many other items. 128 plates.