An object on loan to us may spend months or even years on view.  But eventually all good things must come to an end.  These objects in time may leave the museum and return to their owners where they will be cherished and enjoyed in a different setting.  Such is the case with the hexagonal library table, a Stickley piece – similar in design to the table originally in the home – that has been on view in the living room of the Log House for the past few years.

We were fortunate to have the table for as long as we did, but soon enough it will be on its way back to Bill and Patsy Porter.  But not to worry.  Thanks to the generosity of Stephen Grey, a “new” hex table has already taken its place.

Wednesday afternoon this newly loaned hexagonal library table arrived at the Farms after a long journey.   Ensuring the safety of an object during travel is always the top priority in these circumstances.  An object in transit can face any number of unpredictable mishaps.  So, to best avoid any bumps and bruises along the way, the table had been generously cushioned with moving blankets, secured in place, and of course, handled with great care.  Upon arrival, handlers carefully unloaded the table onto the porch of the Log House where it was unpacked and examined for damage by the chair of the museum’s collections committee.  Finding none, the table was situated in the living room and interpreted to reflect the documented appearance of the space in 1911.  Fortunately, our precious cargo had been carefully transported and arrived unscathed!

With almost identical dimensions to the previous table, this is an early, rare Stickley hexagonal oak library table from 1901, withthe original leather top.  It was featured in the noted Wadsworth Athenium exhibition, At Home With Gustav Stickley: Arts & Crafts From the Stephen Gray Collection. The exhibition ran from October 11, 2008 to January 4, 2009. The table is illustrated in the exhibition catalog on page 53 and can also be seen behind Mr. Gray in a photo on page 10.

The new hex table is now on view in the Living Room of theLog House.  The previous table has been temporarily relocated to the dining room until its departure from the Farms at the end of the month, offering visitors the rare opportunity to personally compare the construction and design of the two tables.

Library Table #410, c. 1901
Oak, leather
Gustav Stickley
Eastwood NY
30” x 48”

Can you Spot the Differences? is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

You are invited to our Annual GPI Kick-Off Party!  Come to the 25^th Annual Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference a day early and kick off the weekend with an evening of casual fun and entertainment in the Homespun Shops of Biltmore Industries, just steps from GPI.

Join us on Thursday, February 16 for the festivities.  Begin the evening at our welcome table in the Estes-Winn Memorial Automobile Museum (open just for us!), enjoy local beers and wines during cocktail hour, and choose one of two seatings to indulge in a dinner menu that embraces the regional fare.

Author, historian, and art-potter, Rodney Leftwich, will speak on the pottery tradition of Western North Carolina.

But that’s not all! The North Carolina, bluegrass string-band Country Farm, is sure to liven things up even more with toe-tapping performances throughout the evening.

We’ll cap off this enjoyable evening with a fascinating lecture by our featured speaker, well-known author, historian and art potter Rodney Leftwich.  A native of Western North Carolina, Rodney Leftwich is a full-time potter, deeply inspired by the history of North Carolina pottery.  He exhibits his work at GPI each year, has written numerous articles and essays on art pottery, and has personally researched and collected works by the region’s early potters.  His talk, The Pottery Tradition of Western North Carolina, will cover a range of topics including the utilitarian origins of art pottery in the Asheville area, and the works of Walter B. Stephen and Oscar Bachelder.

Your all-inclusive party ticket includes: museum and gallery visit, cocktails, live music, pottery lecture by Rodney Leftwich, dinner and dessert. Tickets are $140 each.

Download the Reservation Form here or check our website for more information.  Advanced reservations are required! So don’t wait!

North Carolina bluegrass string-band, Country Farm, will perform at this year's GPI Kick-Off Party!

Don’t Miss this Pull-Out-the-Stops Good Time! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Then Get Ready for the Second Annual Stickley Design Invitational!

We are proud to announce the second annual Stickley Design Invitational will be held on Saturday March, 31^st.  This annual program offers talented teens the opportunity to test their skills, build resumes, and interact with architects, interior designers, design professionals, and other students who share their interest and proclivity for architecture and design.  It is a fun, yet intense, full-day design challenge in which students must use both their talent for design and their understanding of Mr. Stickley’s aesthetic to creatively solve a design problem.

Last year’s students were presented with the task of designing a café for the Craftsman Farms campus on the foundation of an abandoned garage.  It was to be designed as a place where our visitors could take some time to relax and enjoy a light refreshment after a tour or special event.  Each student had to produce a three-dimensional model representing their design for the café — and the results were remarkable!  The winners of the Invitational proposed designs that were not only visually interesting, but also respected Stickley’s original vision for Craftsman Farms.

This year’s participants will be presented with a new design problem, one that will be revealed only upon their arrival the morning of the Invitational.  They will have the day to design a solution and create a three-dimensional model.  A distinguished panel of judges- to include architects, interior designers, and design professionals will be on hand to offer encouragement as well as to evaluate the finished projects.  All the necessary materials are provided.  Participating students are encouraged, but not required, to do some preliminary research on Stickley and Craftsman Farms.  Cash prizes will be awarded to the two students with the best designs.

We are now accepting applications!  If you are a high school student, or know one, with a particular interest in architecture and/or interior design, be sure to submit an application to the Stickley Design Invitational.  Download the 2012 Design Invitational Application here or on our website.  To be considered, each application must be completed in full and include a teacher’s recommendation.  Applications may be submitted in person at the administrative office of the Stickley Museum, by fax to 973.540.1167 or regular mail to: Attention: Invitational, Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, 2352 Route 10 West, Morris Plains, NJ 07950.  Questions? Call the administrative office at 973.540.0311.

The Stickley Design Invitational was launched during our centennial year with funding from the Robert Busch School of Design at Kean University, H|AI Architects, and by Gustav Stickley’s great-granddaughter, Cindy McGinn and Great-grandson, Louis G. Glesmann, III, who share the passion and vision of their great-grandfather toward creative design for everyday life.

Are You a High School Student with a Passion for Architecture or Design? is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Together we made it happen!

Thanks to your gifts and the gifts of hundreds of generous supporters like you, we met our December goals and were awarded the $7,500 challenge grant!  Overall 2011 annual fund donations totaled $94,000 in support of educational programs, building care and maintenance, and the day-to-day operations of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms.

 Your 2011 support:

•  Helped protect and preserve a National Historic Landmark;
• Introduced thousands of children to a world of history and culture;
• Gave visitors with limited mobility opportunities new ways to participate;
• Offered emerging scholars an opportunity to present original research;
• Produced original research;
• Developed an all-day symposium;
• Brought visiting scholars;
• Created the Stickley Design Invitational for talented teens;
• Welcomed bus tours from senior centers;
• Piloted an artist’s residency program;
• Sustained a high-quality cultural resource;
• Helped us receive the New Jersey Historical Commission’s 2011 Award of Recognition!

 We couldn’t have done it without you!

 Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

Thank you! Our Challenge Grant Was a Success! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Did you think everything gets quiet here when winter comes and we are only open on weekends?  You’d be surprised! Yes, of course we are still open for group tours and scout programs — but the Log House has been bustling with activity all week.  Volunteers are busily decorating for our annual Holiday Open House, taking place on the first two weekends in December.   During this event, the Log House will be decked out for the holidays in period style and with a focus on Stickley’s own ideas.  Utilizing holiday greens, pinecones, and the home’s forest palette, the decorations will bring nature indoors and spotlight the Arts and Crafts movement’s emphasis on finding beauty in simplicity and in simple materials.

For Stickley, a rich family life was a key part of his Arts and Crafts ideas, and this event addresses his values by providing a peek into Christmas preparations that would have been typical for a family like the Stickleys, including blending Victorian traditions — like making treat-bearing cornucopia and giving handmade gifts–with more modern trends. One vignette imagines Mrs. Stickley preparing to wrap a kimono, a fashionable gift–as was anything related to Japanese culture–for ladies at the time. The Christmas tree itself is a blend of Victorian and modern times, as it is wrapped with a short string of electric lights, which were the latest thing and quite expensive, but in a nod to custom, the tree also includes candles, which were traditional and still the most popular method for lighting a Christmas tree.

While celebrating the holidays, the Holiday Open House is also meant to provide respite during a hectic time of the year. On the porch of the Log House visitors will be invited to relax and enjoy hot cider and cookies, perhaps take a minute to work on a jigsaw puzzle or send holiday greeting to a friend.

 Join us for the Holiday Open House December 3-4 and 10-11 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Or come for a sneak peek at the holiday décor during our annual trunk show, which opens at 11 a.m. on Black Friday, November 25.

What’s Behind the Closed Doors? is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Oil lamp as it appeared in "the Craftsman" magazine 100 years ago.

One of the rare objects on view right now is the Grueby oil lamp that we believe was original to the Log House. The oil lamp must have been a favorite of Gustav Stickley. It appears in several times in The Craftsman magazine photos of the Log House (see one photo above), and is shown in more than one location. The vase base was donated to the Stickley Museum in 2007 by Stickley great-granddaughter Barbara Fuldner, but it has not been on view until now.

It is now fully restored to its original appearance, thanks to later donations of a burner, font, brass lampshade supports, glass chimney, and a wicker lampshade. Sometimes called Japanese brown wicker and sometimes called Japanese split bamboo, lampshades such as this one were made in Japan and sold by Stickley. They are shown in Chips from the Craftsman Workshop from 1906. The shade is lined with Habutai silk, just as it was in Stickley’s day. This newer lining is stained with tea to give it the original appearance.

The brass font and Bradley & Hubbard duplex burner are real treasures. Stickley seemed to like these burners which feature two wicks. A talented craftsman made the brass shade-holder (the wire frame that sits on the burner and holds the shade in place) for us based on an original one found at Crab Tree Farm in Illinois.

Both this original oil lamp and the reproduction oil lamp are on view at this time and they make for an interesting comparison.

Oil lamp on table as it appears today

2007.02.01 Grueby Lamp Base
Grueby Faience Company oil lamp base believed to be original to Craftsman Farms.
c.1910
Gift of Barbara Fuldner

2011.17 Lampshade and Burner
Split bamboo shade, imported from Japan.
Bradley & Hubbard Duplex Burner
c. 1907
Gift of Bettina and Joe Gleason

Original Oil Lamp on View is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

What great news! Saturday’s gala raised over $100,000 for the day-to-day operations of the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Many thanks to photographer Mike Peters for these gala images of some of the wonderful people who made that success possible.

Catch the Spark Gala: Oh What a Night! is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

Dr. Jonathan Clancy will speak at our Forging Ahead Forum on Saturday, October 15 at Mountain Lakes Community Church. His talk, entitled Forging a Useable Past: Scholars, Scholarship, and the Arts and Crafts, will consider the potential for scholarship to inform the present as it illuminates the past. His presentation will include information about the Emerging Scholars Symposium. This annual conference, launched in 2011, is devoted to the work of up-and-coming scholars and is a collaboration between Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms. Clancy will discuss the objectives of the conference and its direction for 2012.

Dr. Jonathan Clancy is Director of the American Fine and Decorative Arts Program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. His publications include The Beauty of Common Things: American Art Pottery from the Two Red Roses Foundation (2008), Warman’s Rookwood Pottery (2008), and numerous articles in journals such as Modern Craft, The Journal of Design History, and Style 1900. His recent work has spanned a variety of subjects including: John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark, Martin Johnson Heade’s early career, and Gustav Stickley’s metal wares. At present, he is directing a cataloging project for the paintings at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, Rhode Island.

Dr. Jonathan Clancy to Speak About Arts & Crafts Scholarship is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

The piano lamp is back in place, bringing a warm glow to the living room. It had been removed as part of a massive structural engineering project begun in January of 2011 but was returned to its rightful place today.

Member and friend Michael Lehr purchased it from someone who originally bought it 20-30 years ago in New Jersey. “It might be the one from The Farms, but I am not sure.”Michael says, “I knew when I purchased it, there were only two or three known examples. If I didn’t arrange for The Farms to have this one, they would probably never get one.” So he donated it to The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms nearly nine years ago.

The chandelier had been neglected over the decades and was missing its canopy and chain, and was also missing any lighting components (oil font). The patina was in poor condition with corrosion on copper as well as an overall dullness. The iron hooks and banding were rusty. The material used for the panels had been replaced with a paper material that did not allow any light through the cut-outs. There were not very many lengths of the small decorative chain hanging around the fixture. And of course, it was a bit out of shape and no longer really round. The chandelier was sent to Aurora Studios in the fall of 2002 for a complete restoration. The good news was that the patina could be restored. Often, original patinas are either long gone (sometimes polished) or irreversibly damaged. Dawn Hopkins and Michael Adams of Aurora Studios were able to remove the corrosion, enhance the original patina and restore the iron work. The main problem was the missing canopy. Because the fixture hung from around log, the curve appeared to be accommodated with what they referred to as a “can” with a more typical Gustav canopy attached to it. They visited the Farms and did some profile measurements to properly fit the canopy to the log and then fabricated a canopy with a similar “can” shape.

They had one rather fuzzy photograph of the original piano fixture for reference. Fortunately, there were other references to use to fabricate the proper chain the fixture hung from and the small decorative chain around the perimeter of the fixture. They replicated the original Gustav hardware that attaches the chain to the canopy and also made new panels of mica to finish the main body of the fixture.

There was one more delay in the Farms receiving the fixture. It languished at the studio for some time waiting for an original oil font to be found. Although there were many people looking for one, it did not materialize. The decision was made for the studio to fabricate a hammered wiring assembly that would mimic a font with the glass hurricane. At last, when the lamp was ready, Board member Dave Rudd picked it up from the studio and then drove more than four hours to personally assure its safe delivery to the Museum, where it was installed in the winter of 2009.

During the recent structural repairs on the staircase and foundation the lamp was removed and carefully stored in the collection room. After nine months it has now been reinstalled in its place of honor over the piano where it graces the living room with its cozy glow.

If you’d like to learn more about it, be sure to be here on Sunday, October 16, when Dawn Hopkins and Michael Adams will be here to answer questions and demonstrate their craft as part of Catch the Spark weekend.

Piano Lamp is Back in Place is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms

A rare 1902 tall case clock which was original to the Log House is now on view in the Log House living room. This very same clock was pictured in historic photos of the Log House that were printed in The Craftsman magazine. After the Stickley family left Craftsman Farms, the clock was among the items purchased by the Farny family. It has been in their family ever since. Farny descendent, Peter Wood, has graciously loaned it to the Stickley Museum as part of the centennial celebration.

Very few of this model clocks were ever made and only a handful of them are known to exist today. This one still has a perfect original surface as well as the original fabric in its back door.

The clock is a cottagey design, with beautiful proportions and a gentle tapering case design. It is constructed of quarter sawn white oak and has a chamfered board back. In the soft light of the Log House living room, you can see the gentle waviness of the vintage glass in the front door.

Its brass clock face is positioned a bit lower than one would expect to allow the average person to look directly at the face (and admire its handsome copper numbers!) The numbers are held in place by copper wires that are attached to the number backs, threaded through the brass face, and bent in place behind the face.

The movement is a “Seth Thomas trapezoidal movement” (referring to the shape of the movements plates) and has a firm deliberate tick tock—loud enough to be heard throughout the living room. It chimes on the hour and half hour, with a deep beautiful resonating gong sound.

It’s a joy to see it standing where it stood 100 years ago!

Original Clock Returns to Craftsman Farms is a post from The Stickley Museum At Craftsman Farms