The Arts and Crafts Movement in Americametmuseum.org /toah/hd/acam/hd_acam.htm

Hanging shade, ca. 1899Louis Comfort Tiffany (American, 1848–1933); Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company (American, 1892–1902)Leaded Favrile glass; H. 14 7/8 in. (37.8 cm), Diam. 26 1/4 in. (66.7 cm)Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Williams, in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. de Forest, 1969 (69.150)

Vase, 1899–1910Grueby Faience Company (American, 1894–ca. 1911)Boston, MassachusettsEarthenware; H. 11 in. (27.9 cm), Diam. 6 in. (15.2 cm)Purchase, The Edgar J. Kaufmann Foundation Gift, 1969(69.91.2)

Tall clock, ca. 1900Charles Rohlfs (American, 1853–1936)Oak, copper; 81 x 19 1/8 x 9 in. (205.7 x 48.6 x 22.9 cm)Gift of Roland Rohlfs, 1985 (1985.261)

Linen press, ca. 1904Edna M. Walker (American, 1880–?)Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony, Woodstock, New YorkOak, tulip poplar, brass; 55 x 41 x 18 3/4 in. (139.7 x 104.1 x47.6 cm)Purchase, Friends of the American Wing Fund and Mr. andMrs. Willcox Jr. Gift, 1991 (1991.311.1)

Library table, 1904William Lightfoot Price (American, 1861–1916)Rose Valley, PennsylvaniaWhite oak, stained; 29 1/2 x 66 x 39 1/2 in. (74.9 x 167.6 x 100.3 cm)Sansbury-Mills Fund, 1991 (1991.145)

Brooch, necklace, and hair comb, ca. 1905Florence Koehler (American, 18611944)Pearls, enamel, gold (pin only: sapphire, emeralds); 52.43.1: Overall 2 3/4 x 2 1/2 in. (7 x 6.4 cm); 52.43.2: OverallL. 14 in. (35.6 cm); 52.43.3: Overall H. 4 3/4 in. (12.1 cm)Gift of Emily Crane Chadbourne, 1952 (52.43.1- .3)

Library table, ca. 1906Gustav Stickley (American, 1858–1942); Craftsman WorkshopsSyracuse, New YorkOak, leather; H. 30 in. (76.2 cm), Diam. 55 in. (139.7 cm)Gift of Cyril Farny, in memory of his wife, Phyllis Holt Farny, 1976 (1976.389.1)

Chandelier, 1907–9Charles Sumner Greene (American, 1868–1957) and HenryMather Greene (American, 1870–1954); Made by Emil LangePasadena, CaliforniaMahogany, ebony, and leaded glass; 28 1/2 x 25 1/2 in.(72.4 x 64.8 cm)Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Barton C. English, 1986 (1986.445)

Armchair, ca. 1907–9Charles Sumner Greene (American, 1868–1957) and HenryMather Greene (American, 1870–1954); Made by Peter andJohn Hall's WorkshopPasadena, CaliforniaHonduras mahogany, ebony, fruitwood, silver, copper, andmother-of-pearl; 42 x 24 3/4 x 18 in. (106.7 x 62.9 x 45.7 cm)Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1992 (1992.127)

Tyg , 1908Designed and decorated by Leona Nicholson (American,1875–1966); Newcomb Pottery (American, 1894–1940)

New Orleans, LouisianaPainted and glazed earthenware; H. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. David Lubart Gift, in memory ofKatherine J. Lubart, 1944–1975, 1983 (1983.26)

Embroidered wall hanging , 1910–29Design attributed to Anna Frances Simpson (American,1880–1930)Newcomb College, New Orleans, LouisianaSilk on linen; 35 3/4 x 16 1/2 in. (90.8 x 41.3 cm)Purchase, Barrie A. and Deedee Wigmore Foundation Gift,2004 (2004.334)

Box, ca. 1910–20Marie Zimmermann (American, 1879–1972)

Wood, silver alloy, brass, ivory, amethyst, and semi-precious quartz ; 10 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 8 5/8 in. (26 x 31.8 x 21.9cm)Gift of Jacqueline Loewe Fowler, 2005 (2005.464)

Window f rom J. G. Cross House, Minneapolis,Minnesota, 1911George Grant Elmslie (American, 1871–1952); Purcell, Feickand Elmslie (American, 1909–13)Minneapolis, Minnesota (and later Chicago, Illinois)Leaded glass; 63 x 15 in. (160 x 38.1 cm)Gift of Roger G. Kennedy, 1972 (1972.20.2)

Living room from the Little House, Wayzata, Minnesota, 191214Frank Lloyd Wright (American, 1867–1959)H. 13 ft. 8 in. (4.17 m), L. 46 ft. (14 m), W. 28 ft. (8 53 m)Purchase, Emily Crane Chadbourne Bequest, 1972 (1972.60.1)

Lamp , ca. 1912–15Dirk Van Erp (American, born Netherlands, 1862–1933)San Francisco, CaliforniaCopper, mica; H. 26 in. (66 cm), Diam. 23 in. (58.4 cm)Gift of Charles L. and Jane D. Kaufmann, 1989 (1989.129)

Vase, 1915Sara Galner (American, born Galicia [Ukraine], 1894–1982);Paul Revere Pottery (also known as the "Saturday EveningGirls") (American, 1908–42)Boston, MassachusettsEarthenware; H. 16 in. (40.6 cm), Diam. 9 in. (22.9 cm)Purchase, William Cullen Bryant Fellows Gifts, 2000(2000.31)

Pair of Altar Vases, 1915Arthur J. Stone (American, born England, 1847–1938); Herbert Taylor (American, 1892–1942)Gardner, MassachusettsSilver and gold; 9 3/4 x 8 1/4 in. (24.8 x 21 cm)Purchase, Acquisitions Fund; Page and Otto Marx, Jr. Foundation and Cranshaw Corporation Gifts, 2011(2011.347,.348)

Cup , 1916Arthur John Stone (American, born England, 1847–1938)

Gardner, MassachusettsSilver; 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm), Wt. 119.1 g (3.829 troy ounces)Purchase, Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Goelet Gift, 1990 (1990.49)

The Arts and Crafts movement emerged during the late Victorianperiod in England, the most industrialized country in the world atthat time. Anxieties about industrial life fueled a positiverevaluation of handcraftsmanship and precapitalist forms ofculture and society. Arts and Crafts designers sought to improvestandards of decorative design, believed to have beendebased by mechanization, and to create environments in whichbeautiful and fine workmanship governed. The Arts and Craftsmovement did not promote a particular style, but it did advocatereform as part of its philosophy and instigated a critique ofindustrial labor; as modern machines replaced workers, Arts andCrafts proponents called for an end to the division of labor andadvanced the designer as craftsman.

The British movement derived its philosophical underpinningsfrom two important sources: first, the designer A. W. N. Pugin(18121852), whose early writings promoting the Gothic Revivalpresaged English apprehension about industrialization, andsecond, theorist and art critic John Ruskin (18191900), whoadvocated medieval architecture as a model for honestcraftsmanship and quality materials. Ruskin's persuasive rhetoric influenced the movement's figurehead (and ardentsocialist) William Morris (18341896), who believed that industrialization alienated labor and created a dehumaniz ingdistance between the designer and manufacturer. Morris strove to unite all the arts within the decoration of the home,emphasiz ing nature and simplicity of form.

The American Arts and Crafts movement was inextricably linked to the British movement and closely aligned with thework of William Morris and the second generation of architect-designers, including Charles Robert Ashbee (18631942),who toured the United States, and Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (18571941), whose work was known throughimportant publications such as The Studio. British ideals were disseminated in America through journal and newspaperwriting, as well as through societies that sponsored lectures and programs. The U.S. movement was multicentered, withsocieties forming nationwide. Boston, historically linked to English culture, was the first city to feature a Society of Artsand Crafts, founded in June 1897. Chicago's Arts and Crafts Society began at Hull House, one of the first Americansettlement houses for social reform, in October 1897. Numerous societies followed in cities such as Minneapolis andNew York, as well as rural towns, including Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Unlike in England, the undercurrent of socialism of the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States did not spreadmuch beyond the formation of a few Utopian communities. Rose Valley was one of these artistic and social experiments.William Lightfoot Price (18611916), a Philadelphia architect, founded Rose Valley in 1901 near Moylan, Pennsylvania.The Rose Valley shops, like other Arts and Crafts communities, were committed to producing artistic handicraft, whichincluded furnishings (1991.145), pottery, metalwork, and bookbinding. The Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony was anotherUtopian Arts and Crafts community. Outside of Woodstock, New York, Englishman Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead (18541929)and his wife Jane Byrd McCall Whitehead (18611955) founded Byrdcliffe, which was completed and operating by 1903.There craftspeople worked in various media, including woodwork, pottery, textiles, and metalwork. In harmony with theprinciples of the Arts and Crafts movement, Byrdcliffe furniture (1991.311.1) is a study in rectilinearity, simply treatedmaterials, and minimal decoration.

In urban centers, socialist experiments were undertaken on a community level, frequently in the form of educating youngwomen. Ideas of craftwork and simplicity manifested themselves in decorative work, including the metalwork and potteryof the Arts and Crafts movement. Schools and training programs taught quality design, a cornerstone of the Arts andCrafts movement. In Boston, the Saturday Evening Girls Club, established in 1899 as a reading group for immigrant girls,founded the Paul Revere Pottery, which began producing pottery (2000.31) in 1908 and offered the girls the ability to earn

good wages within the community. Newcomb Pottery was formed in New Orleans in the winter of 189495 under theauspices of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College, an educational institution for women. Using local Southern floraand fauna as inspiration, the female designers at Newcomb made pottery (1983.26) and later also produced metalworkand textiles (2004.334).

In addition to pottery, women fashioned jewelry in the Arts and Crafts mode. Stones were chosen for their inherent artisticqualities, resulting in jewelry that promoted truth to materials. Florence Koehler (18611944), a charter member of theChicago Arts and Crafts Society, taught china painting, jewelry, and metalsmithing. After studying jewelry and enamelworkin London, she referenced historic design, especially Renaissance sources (52.43.1- .3). Marie Zimmermann (18791972)began her artistic career as a jewelry designer and later expanded her metalsmithing to include ornamental garden andhome objects. An idiosyncratic designer, Zimmermann studied foreign cultures for inspiration, including Egypt (2005.464),Greece, and China.

Without a singular philosophy, diversity persevered within the Arts and Crafts movement as a mixture of individualsworked in diverse locations. There were regional differences due to the geographical distribution from the East Coast, tothe Midwest, to California. Craftsmen used a wide range of source material to produce handwrought objects. Arthur J.Stone (18471938), a dedicated member of the Boston Society of Arts and Crafts, produced silver objects that wereconservative in design. An Englishman who emigrated to the United States, Stone opened his silver shop in Gardner,Massachusetts, where he initially executed all pieces himself. When the business expanded, he hired additionalcraftsmen to make individual works (1990.49). There were also creative designers with unique vision, such as CharlesRohlfs (18531936), who worked in Buffalo, New York. Rohlfs eschewed industrial production methods, preferring to craftindividual pieces of furniture (1985.261) utiliz ing a myriad of foreign sources, including Moorish, Chinese, andScandinavian design. Gustav Stickley (18581942), founder of The United Crafts (later known as the CraftsmanWorkshops), was a proselytizer of the craftsman ideal. Emulating William Morris's production through guild manufactureof his furniture, Stickley believed that mass-produced furniture was poorly constructed and overly complicated in design.Stickley set out to improve American taste through "craftsman" or "mission" furniture with designs governed by honestconstruction, simple lines, and quality material (1976.389.1). He also published the highly influential The Craftsman(190116), a beacon for the American Arts and Crafts movement.

Publications, including The Craftsman, House Beautiful, and Ladies Home Journal, disseminated ideas about design andinteriors. The ideal home that emerged had an open-planned interior shaped by a color palette that reflected the naturalenvironment. Articles and illustrations presented decorating suggestions, including the use of colors, type of furniture,and decorative accessories, such as rugs and pottery. Period sources embraced Grueby Pottery for its innovativeinterpretation of nature and craftsmanship. Founded by William Grueby (18671925), the pottery was known for naturallyshaped vessels with matte green glaze (69.91.2). In addition to pottery, lighting was also an important element thatcontributed to the ideal Arts and Crafts interior. The copper electric table lamp (1989.129) was the archetypal objectcrafted by the Dirk Van Erp Studio. Additionally, a Native American undercurrent developed during the Arts and Craftsmovement, as evidenced by fashionable Indian-style baskets and textiles featured in Arts and Crafts exhibitions andpublications. Many collected baskets to display in their Indian corners, which may have inspired Louis Comfort Tiffany(18481933) to design a hanging shade in an Indian basket motif (69.150).

Frank Lloyd Wright (18671959) shaped a new way of living through his completely designed environments,encompassing architecture and all elements of interiors. He ushered in a style of architecture that became known as thePrairie School, characterized by low-pitched roofs, open interiors, and horizontal lines that reflected the prairielandscape. This architecture, which utilized natural materials such as wood, clay, and stone, sparked a revolutionaryshift in the American interior (1972.60.1). Wright's "organic" architecture was indebted to nature. However, plain surfaceswith minimal decorative embellishments were suited to incorporating the machine, resulting in furniture with intenserectilinearity and natural surfaces. In addition to Wright, popular Prairie School architects William Gray Purcell (18801965)and George Grant Elmslie (18711952) directed offices in Minneapolis and Chicago. Purcell, Feick and Elmslie (as thefirm was known between 1910 and 1913 with the addition of George Feick Jr. [18811945]) remodeled the J. G. CrossHouse in Minneapolis in 1911 (1972.20.2). The firm specialized in residences with artistic interiors (especially for amiddle-class clientele, although they certainly worked for wealthy patrons as well) using organic decorative elements.Like Wright and Purcell, Feick and Elmslie, Charles Sumner Greene (18681957) and Henry Mather Greene (18701954),California architect-designers of the period, were interested in domestic architecture incorporating the interior as a totalwork of art. The brothers Greene initially worked in all the popular revival styles, but after examining English andAmerican design periodicals and Charles Greene's formative trip abroad, their style shifted by the early 1900s. Theyfashioned a distinctive style, heavily influenced by Asian design, that reached its zenith with the bungalow, the

quintessential Arts and Crafts architectural form, characterized by broad overhanging eaves, articulated woodwork, andan open plan. For the Blacker House (1907) in Pasadena, Greene and Greene used Japanese design to meticulouslycraft elements in their comprehensive schemes, inside and out (1986.445; 1992.127).

The rise of urban centers and the inevitability of technology presaged the end of the Arts and Crafts movement. Thesearch for nature and an idealist medieval era was no longer a valid approach to living. By the 1920s, machine-agemodernity and the pursuit of a national identity had captured the attention of designers and consumers, bringing an endto the handcrafted nature of the Arts and Crafts movement in America.

Monica ObniskiIndependent Scholar

Citation

Obniski, Monica. "The Arts and Crafts Movement inAmerica". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: TheMetropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–.http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acam/hd_acam.htm(June 2008)

Further Reading

Boris, Eileen Art and Labor: Ruskin, Morris, and theCraftsman Ideal in America. Philadelphia: Temple UniversityPress, 1986.

Clark, Robert Judson, ed. The Arts and Crafts Movement inAmerica, 1876–1916. Princeton: Princeton University Press,1972.

Kaplan, Wendy "The Art That Is Life": The Arts and CraftsMovement in America, 1875–1920.. Boston: Bullfinch Press,1987.

Related exhibitions and online features

These related Museum Bulletin or Journalarticles may or may not represent the mostcurrent scholarship.

Heckscher, Morrison H. "Outstanding RecentAccessions. 19th-Century Architecture for the AmericanWing: Sullivan and Wright." The Metropolitan Museum ofArt Bulletin, v. 30, no. 5 (June–July, 1972).JSTOR | PDF