New York State Museum Celebrates Nearly Three Centuries of New York Furniture in Expanded Publication

New York Furniture at the New York State Museum Features 242 Objects Spanning Nearly 300 Years of New York Craftsmanship, Design, and Daily Life

The New York State Museum today announced the release of an expanded edition of New York Furniture at the New York State Museum, documenting nearly three centuries of craftsmanship, design, industry, and everyday life through one of the Museum's most significant decorative arts collections.

First published in 1984, the expanded catalog features color photographs and descriptions of 242 objects from the Museum's collection, nearly doubling the 132 objects featured in the original edition. The publication brings together works by nationally significant New York cabinetmakers and regional craftspeople, as well as furniture produced by Shaker communities, Arts and Crafts manufacturers, and objects used in households across the State. Together, they illuminate New York's central role in the development of American furniture and design while documenting changing styles, craftsmanship, and everyday life across generations.

Jennifer Lemak, Chief Curator of History, said, "The New York State Museum's furniture collection is made of items carefully selected from across the state that document both ordinary life and high-style design. The result is a well-rounded look at the changing standards of living, transforming furniture from an attractive example of a style into historical evidence. I am grateful for John Scherer's dedication to curating, cataloging, and documenting this important collection for researchers and enthusiasts to admire and learn from."

John Scherer, Senior Historian Emeritus and author of New York Furniture at the New York State Museum , said, "From its Dutch beginnings in the colonial period to the post-modern times of the 20th century, New York Furniture at the New York State Museum illustrates the progression of furniture styles that were developed in New York. New York became both the leader in furniture design and production throughout the 19th century, capitalizing on the influx of immigrants to New York, bringing their talents from Europe. The rise of New York Harbor and the Erie Canal contributed to the spread of New York's popular furniture styles, influencing local cabinetmakers throughout New York and the nation."

New York State Museum Director Jennifer Saunders said, "Some of New York's most compelling stories can be told through the objects people made, used, and lived with. This expanded publication reflects the extraordinary knowledge and scholarship of our Museum team, whose work to collect, research, document, and interpret these objects has built an invaluable resource for understanding nearly three centuries of New York craftsmanship, innovation, and everyday life. I'm incredibly proud of the dedication and scholarship that has built this collection over generations."

Among items highlighted in New York Furniture at the New York State Museum are pieces owned by Philip Schuyler and his son-in-law Alexander Hamilton, an Elizabethan Revival sofa that was illustrated in Andrew Jackson Downing's The Architecture of Country Houses, published in 1850, and former Governor DeWitt Clinton's writing armchair. (Items are displayed in the photos above from left to right.)

The New York State Museum's full furniture collection consists of roughly 2,000 items, with the earliest piece dating to 1681, and includes work from cabinetmakers and communities across New York State. The depth of the collection makes it particularly valuable for research, as it documents regional differences in materials, construction, style, and consumption.

The Museum's collection contains work by major New York makers, including Thomas Burling, Michael and Richard Allison, Duncan Phyfe, Joseph Meeks and Sons, Alexander Roux, George Hunzinger, and Léon Marcotte. Later movements are represented through Roycroft, Gustav Stickley, and L. & J. G. Stickley. The 700-plus-piece Wunsch Collection of furniture, paintings, silver, ceramics, and folk art dates mainly from 1700 to 1900, while the Museum's Shaker holdings, collected with members of Shaker communities, showcase furniture alongside tools, manufacturing equipment, photographs, raw materials, and everyday objects.

The New York State Museum will be hosting New York Furniture at the New York State Museum: A Lecture and Book Signing with John L. Scherer on Sunday, December 6, at 2:00 pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore the distinctive furniture traditions that developed in New York from the late 17th through the early 20th centuries, highlighting examples of chairs, case furniture, clocks, and other objects that reveal changing styles, craftsmanship, and the lives of the people who owned and used them. Following the presentation, Scherer will be available for a book signing.

New York Furniture at the New York State Museum is available for purchase on RIT Press's website and will soon be stocked at the Museum's gift shop, which is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

About the New York State Museum

Established in 1836, the New York State Museum is the oldest and largest public museum in the United States. Home to leading scientists, historians, archeologists, and anthropologists, its collections represent the State's rich cultural and natural heritage from the past and present, including a staggering 20+ million artifacts spanning 1.1 billion years ago to today. Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on all state observed holidays, including the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website and subscribe to our newsletter.