The Craftsman Department of Interior Furnishings

1915

Gustav Stickley, The Craftsman

Starting with the July 1915 issue of the Craftsman, advertisements began to appear announcing “a New and Enlarged Edition of our Blue Catalog” expected to be released in September. The catalog would be “especially valuable to our out-of-town patrons and to those friends who visit the Craftsman Building and wish to carry away a record of Craftsman furniture and decorations for future convenience in ordering.” A smaller version of the catalog must have been issued earlier, possibly as early as late 1914 when photographs of these models began to appear in The Craftsman.

While this catalog provides some of the best documentation of Stickley’s later work, the advertisements of this period–including the one for this new, expanded version–are essential to understanding the scope of his final push as his financial situation became more precarious. As the advertising copy noted: “In addition to the interesting new designs of furniture which will be found in this Catalogue, we will be placing upon the market new models from week to week, and will be glad to send sketches on application.”