Little is known in regard to authentic London furniture and looking glasses because of scarcities that are striking in comparison with the productions of other large cities in Europe and the British Isles. Of continental cities only Paris was larger during the Georgian era, while Dublin ranked next in size. It has long been the view of F.Lewis Hinckley that a thorough knowledge of Dublin furniture designs is a must in order to understand the source of a great many of the highly sophisticated metropolitan pieces currently found in British and American museums that carry London attributions. Clearly the volume outstrips what known London cabinetmakers could have turned out, while the English hinterland has yet to yield the names of artisans who could have worked at such high levels of design and execution. For collectors of Americana, a knowledge of Dublin designs is highly desirable both for recognizing their influence on the development of American furniture, and for evaluating any Dublin pieces that reach the market mislabeled as American productions.

Provides a selective list of pieces of Georgian furniture, with the main focus on pieces originating from the cabinetworks of Dublin. The author refutes misconceptions about origins of Dublin pieces and offers suggestions for future research.

This antique text contains an illustrated catalogue of furniture from the Queen Anne and early Georgian periods, and includes a wealth of interesting information, historical commentary, and detailed descriptions of the pieces comprised within. A text that will be of considerable value to those with an interest in the furniture of these periods and historical furniture in general, this text makes for a great addition to collections of furniture literature and is not to be missed by the discerning enthusiast. We are proud to republish this antiquarian book now complete with a new introduction on the history of furniture.