April, 1911 
Fig. 7—A tea-kettle stand 
Fig. 8—A Sheraton chair 
directions for his elaborate draperies for beds. Pier glasses, 
mirrors and girandoles were carved in a great variety of 
designs. Many indications of the approaching Sheraton 
style appear among his models. 
In all probability Thomas Sheraton, a journeyman 
cabinet-maker, who settled in London about 1790, made 
even less furniture than Chippendale. From the time he 
arrived in London until his death in 1806 he seems to have 
devoted all his time to writing practical books on furniture 
and issuing designs. It is interesting, too, to notice that he 
claimed very few of the models. He says that his Cabinet- 
Maker and Upholsterer’s Drawing-Book is “intended to ex- 
hibit the present taste of furniture and at the same time 
to give the workman some assistance in the manufacture of 
it.’ Moreover, he continues: ‘I have made it my business 
to apply to the best workmen in different shops to obtain 
their assistance in the explanation of such pieces as they 
have been most acquainted with. And, in general, my re- 
quest has been complied with, from the generous motive of 
making the book as generally useful as possible.” ‘Thus, 
the most fashionable furniture of the day appears in 
Sheraton’s books. In his early publications the designs are 
chiefly in the Louis XVI style, while in his Cabinet Dic- 
tionary, published in 1803 and Cabinet-Maker, Upholsterer 
and General Artist's Encyclopaedia, published in 1804-06, 
the Empire style appears in full glory. 
Fig. 11—A shield-back chair sold for $330 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
129 
Fig. 9—A Sheraton chair Fig. 10—A Sheraton leather chair 
He is particularly fond of carving and gives many grace- 
ful designs and motives for the splats and banisters of 
chairs and the posts of beds. He is also extremely fond 
of inlaid furniture and painted furniture and liked the new 
fashion of inlaying with brass. Satinwood he greatly ad- 
mired, especially of a fine straw color, and thought zebra 
wood and tulip wood beautiful for cross-banding. His 
drawing-room furniture was of white and gold, painted and 
japanned, of satinwood or of rosewood. Mahogany he 
used only for dining-room, bedroom and library furniture 
and for chairs with carved and open backs. A typical chair 
of Sheraton’s early period appears in Fig. 8. Here we 
have one of his favorite square backs, the two central posts 
forming a round arch, the square top of which rises above 
the top rail of the chair. The slender, delicate and elegant 
urn of the Louis XVI period is surmounted by three 
feathers, and is carved with graceful drapery in low relief. 
A chair of a later period appears in Fig. 9. Here we 
see the square lattice-work back, the reeded legs and the 
twisted stumps that support the arms. The patera, or 
rosette, hides the joining of the side posts and back and the 
legs in the front. Diagonal stretchers connect the legs. Of 
still later period is the chair Fig. 10. This is much in the 
style of what he calls the Herculaneum, intended for ‘‘rooms 
fitted up in the antique taste.’”’ He also recommends them 
for music-rooms. 
Fig. 12—A dining table sold for $600 
