Jesse William Bair (fl. 1922-1962) was a furniture maker and restorer who lived in Hanover, Pennsylvania. He worked for a number of well-known antique dealers during the mid-twentieth including Joe Kindig, Jr. of York, Pennsylvania and Robert S. Stuart of Philadelphia. After his death his son Richard began donating drawings and patterns of furniture, business … Continue reading Jesse Bair at Winterthur
Woodworking
Low Relief Part II
The wall paneling in the last post comes from a Franciscan monastery in France. This is the text panel describing the paneling. I had a question about the depth of the relief carving. Lower relief panels like the one below range in depth from 3/16" to 5/16", averaging one quarter inch from the upper surface … Continue reading Low Relief Part II
Gothic Low Relief
Gothic low relief wall paneling at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Click an image to see it full size.
“A Red And Yellow Basket”
In the run up towards teaching carving a basket of flowers I wanted to have another look at this English example from ages ago. It’s an ornament from an English looking glass. I carved a pair of side drapes - leaves and buds - and did a few patches to the leaf tips on this … Continue reading “A Red And Yellow Basket”
Every Picture Tells A Story
Just not the whole story. These two photos of the same carved ornament from a high chest of drawers made in Philadelphia c. 1765, were both made by professional photographers more than a decade apart. In the first image the photographer laid the cartouche flat on its back surface, placing the film plane parallel with … Continue reading Every Picture Tells A Story
In Proportion to the Trouble 