Settle

1902

The United Crafts

The settle was original to the editorial rooms at the Craftsman Building in Syracuse. As I have previously suggested, the pieces in the Editorial Board were likely created en suite and shared a green finish and elm as the primary wood. A photograph taken in the Log House, probably about 1912 or 1913, shows the settle from essentially the same angle as in the original photograph. While a positive identification of wood is impossible from the image, that it displays no evidence of the medullary rays found in quarter sawn oak–combined with the general smoothness of the grain–support this conclusion. The date assigned to this settle is based on the construction features of the Library Table or Partners’ Desk, in particular the hand-cut dovetails in and chiseled marking system for the drawers.

The identification of the settle that appears in the Editorial Office photos with the one that was later photographed in the Log House at Craftsman Farms is based on the visual similarities of the pieces: the identical upholstering (including the relatively flat cushion, which is not a feature seen in cataloged pieces), the tacking pattern, and the shapes of the arm posts. Contextually, it is useful to note that Stickley brought the table / desk, the cabinet, and the clock to Craftsman Farms from the editorial office, strengthening the case that all of these pieces remained together during Stickley’s tenure at Craftsman Farms. The current location of this settle is unknown.

Natalie Curtis, “The New Log House at Craftsman Farms: An Architectural Development of the Log Cabin,” The Craftsman 21 (November 1911): 196-203

Likely elm with a green finish like the cabinet and the library table or desk.