From the Inside Flap
Gustav Stickley so synthesized, romanticized and popularized the Arts and Crafts-style home in his Craftsman magazine that today the term has become synonymous with any home in that style. Stickley used The Craftsman to promote his ideas about domestic architecture. Eventually he published his own house designs--221 numbered designs--with working plans made available to build the houses. In addition to providing plans of those houses appearing in the magazine free to subscribers, his architectural department produced plans for houses on request, for a fee. A total of 254 home designs have been identified, with many more probably waiting to be found. These designs ranged from mansions to mountain camps, and most were built in the rapidly expanding suburbs at the turn of the twentieth century. This book makes all Stickley's known designs available in one place for the first time. Most of the images reproduced here come from The Craftsman magazine and well over half appear here for the first time since they were published almost a hundred years ago. Each house is presented with an exterior illustration to show the reader how Stickley envisioned it, along with floor plans. For houses that have features of interest, additional illustrations and architectural elevation drawings are presented. The most unique features of this book are comparative photographs in color and historical photographs of existing homes built from the plans. Probably thousands of these houses in suburbs and towns across America were built in the early days of the twentieth century and are waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. We are only now realizing the profound effect that Gustav Stickley had on modern design, and this compendium takes a big step toward exploring his impact on popularizing residential home styles in the twentieth century. Ray Stubblebine, a professional photojournalist, is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Craftsman Farms Foundation and editor of the foundation's newsletter. He is a writer and a speaker on the Arts and Crafts movement in America, whose articles and photographs have been published in Style 1900, Old House Journal, Old House Interiors, New Jersey Monthly, New Jersey Design, and the New York Times. He lives in Oradell, New Jersey.
About the Author
Ray Stubblebine is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Craftsman Farms Foundation and editor of the foundation's newsletter. He is a writer and speaker on the Arts and Crafts movement in America, with articles and photographs published in Style 1900, Old House Journal, Old House Interiors, New Jersey Monthly, New Jersey Design, American Bungalow and The New York Times. He has also spoken twice at the Grove Park Inn National Conference on the Arts and Crafts in Asheville, North Carolina.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Gustav Stickley so synthesized, romanticized and popularized the Arts and Crafts-style home that today the style is known generally as "Craftsman." He was so successful in promoting his version of the Arts and Crafts style home that this term has become synonymous with any home in that style. The United States Department of the Interior uses the term "Craftsman" to define the Arts and Crafts style home in the National Register of Historic Places.
Technically, only a house built from the plans he offered through his The Craftsman magazine or designed by his "Craftsman Architectural Department" should be called a "Craftsman Home." While Stickley today is known for his furniture that can command thousands of dollars at auction, a true understanding of his work must include the environment he created for his furniture and other works of the Arts and Crafts movement-the embodiment of his entire philosophy-The Craftsman Home.
Unlike a style based from a design concept, the Arts and Crafts style is derived from a philosophy. Therefore it can have many derivations that often do not appear all that similar. The work of the French "Art Noveau;" the unique cathedral by Gaudi in Barcelona, Spain; the German "Bauhaus" movement, the Austrian "Wiener Werkstadt" and the American Prairie school all have their roots firmly entwined in the worldwide Arts and Crafts Movement started in England in the 1870s through the writings and promotion of men like William Morris and John Ruskin. This philosophy was summarized in the simple edict urged by Morris-surround yourself with nothing that is not useful, and have nothing in your home that is not beautiful. Beauty and practicality should go hand-in-hand.
