Elfe was among the first of the great American furniture makers. Craftsmen love this book for the easy-to-follow patterns; collectors of southern antiques value it for reference.

This vintage volume contains a classic study of Charleston furniture. With over one hundred and forty authentic photographs, this guide catalogues the famous designs of some of the most sought-after furniture in North America. Contents include: “Sources of Furniture”, “English Importations”, “American Importations”, “Other Importations”, “Negro Cabinet-Makers”, “Kinds of Furniture used in Charleston”, “Kinds of Furniture Not Made in Charleston”, “Styles and Influences”, “Schools”, “Labels”, etc. Many vintage books like this are becoming increasingly hard-to-come-by and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, high-quality addition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on Charleston furniture.

Originally published in 1952 but enlarged and revised in 1969, this dictionary became a standard authoritative work of reference. It contains 2,612 entries and over 1,000 illustrations, reproduced from contemporary sources and from drawings by Ronald Escott, Marcelle Barton and Maureen Stafford. The work is divided into 6 sections: the first and second concern the description and design of furniture, the third contains the entries, the fourth gives a list of furniture makers in Britain and North America, section five records books and periodicals on furniture and design and the concluding section sets out in tabular form the periods with the materials used, and types of craftsmen employed from 1100 to 1950.