Mission Style Furniture
Encyclopedia
Mission furniture is a style of furniture that originated in the late 19th Century. It traces its origins to a chair made by A.J. Forbes around 1894 for San Francisco's Swedenborgian Church
. The term mission furniture was first popularized by Joseph P. McHugh of New York, a furniture manufacturer and retailer who copied these chairs and offered a line of stylistically related furnishings by 1898. The word mission references the Spanish missions throughout colonial California
, though the design of most Mission Style furniture owed little to the original furnishings of these missions. The style became increasingly popular following the Pan-American Exposition
in Buffalo
in 1901. The style was popularly associated with the American Arts and Crafts
movement.
). People were looking for relief after the excesses of Victorian times and the influx of mass-produced furniture from the Industrial Revolution. The furniture maker Gustav Stickley
produced Arts and Crafts
furniture often referred to as being in the Mission Style, though Stickley dismissed the term as misleading. This was plain oak furniture that was upright, solid, and suggestive of entirely handcrafted work, though in the case of Stickley and his competitors, was constructed within a factory by both machine and handworking techniques.
, L. & J.G. Stickley, Stickley Brothers, Charles Limbert
, Grand Rapids Bookcase and Chair Company (Lifetime), The Shop of the Crafters and Ford Johnson.
Swedenborgian Church
There are many organizations that are classified as a Swedenborgian Church. These organizations are Christian churches who understand the Bible in the light of the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.-Denominations in the United States:...
. The term mission furniture was first popularized by Joseph P. McHugh of New York, a furniture manufacturer and retailer who copied these chairs and offered a line of stylistically related furnishings by 1898. The word mission references the Spanish missions throughout colonial California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, though the design of most Mission Style furniture owed little to the original furnishings of these missions. The style became increasingly popular following the Pan-American Exposition
Pan-American Exposition
The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is present day Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Ave. to Elmwood Ave and northward to Great Arrow...
in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in 1901. The style was popularly associated with the American Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
movement.
Design philosophy
Mission Style is a design that emphasizes simple horizontal and vertical lines and flat panels that accentuate the grain of the wood (usually oakOak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
). People were looking for relief after the excesses of Victorian times and the influx of mass-produced furniture from the Industrial Revolution. The furniture maker Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley was a manufacturer of furniture and the leading proselytizer for the American Arts and Crafts movement, an extension of the British Arts and Crafts movement.-Biography:...
produced Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
furniture often referred to as being in the Mission Style, though Stickley dismissed the term as misleading. This was plain oak furniture that was upright, solid, and suggestive of entirely handcrafted work, though in the case of Stickley and his competitors, was constructed within a factory by both machine and handworking techniques.
Influential people and companies
Many designers and companies played an important role in the development of the design over the years. Gustav StickleyGustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley was a manufacturer of furniture and the leading proselytizer for the American Arts and Crafts movement, an extension of the British Arts and Crafts movement.-Biography:...
, L. & J.G. Stickley, Stickley Brothers, Charles Limbert
Charles Limbert
Charles P. Limbert was founder of the Limbert Furniture Company and a contemporary of Gustav Stickley, although the two most likely didn't know each other....
, Grand Rapids Bookcase and Chair Company (Lifetime), The Shop of the Crafters and Ford Johnson.
See also
- Craftsman FurnitureCraftsman Furniture"Craftsman Furniture" refers to the Arts and Crafts Movement style furniture of Gustav Stickley's 'Craftsman Workshops.'-History:Stickley began making American Craftsman furniture in 1900, though he did not change the name of his firm to the Craftsman Workshops until 1903. It was sometimes...
- Mission Revival Style architectureMission Revival Style architectureThe Mission Revival Style was an architectural movement that began in the late 19th century for a colonial style's revivalism and reinterpretation, which drew inspiration from the late 18th and early 19th century Spanish missions in California....
- Arts and Crafts MovementArts and Crafts movementArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...