gustav stickley
"Gustav Stickley is entitled to the distinction of having originated ... the one distinctively American school of design." (from Furniture Styles, 1909).
Mr. Stickley (b.1857 d.1942) was the leader of the American arts and crafts movement at the turn of the century, he pioneered the honesty and simplicity of the mission style of furniture at his Craftsman Workshops.
The workshops also produced cabinet work, rush seats, leather products, metal hardware, lamps and needlework from 1900 to 1916. Gustav's brothers, Leopold and John George, continued the Stickley factories until 1974, when the Audi family bought the L. & J.G. Stickley Company. Today, Gustav Stickley's original designs have been re-issued by that company.
He founded the Craftsman Farms, where his philosophy and lifestyle were practiced and shared. As publisher and editor of the monthly Craftsman Magazine, Stickley showed entire house plans with all the furnishings needed to complete them. Architectural drawings were sent to the readers free of charge. Craftsman homes sprang up around the country. More homes meant the sale of more furniture.
As Americans in the 1 990s have rediscovered the value of home and family, furniture manufacturers have drawn upon the designs of Gustav Stickley and his contemporaries. The prolific reproduction of his designs by today's manufacturers is a testament to his craftsman style and contribution to the industry. His furniture may be seen at major museums through the country.