THE HAND MADE FURNITURE BUSINESS IN SCANDINAVIA AND AMERICA

Churchill Fellowship 2003-Studv by Bruce Burman

Introduction

The purpose ofthis report is to document the result of my 2003 Churchill Fellowship. It comes in two forms: the paper version necessary for makers without access to a computer and for the Trust's records and an electronic version on CD with a number of extra photographs. I was surprised and delighted to leam of the award ofthe Fellowship in February, which provided £7500 for me to study how makers of hand made fumiture sustain their businesses in Denmark, Sweden and America. As a self-employed cabinet maker I know how difficult it is to eam a living in the UK so I wanted to see how my peers abroad coped. I chose Denmark and Sweden because these countries have a long tradition of well designed fumiture making and it was unlikely there would be a language problem. I knew there were a large number of fumiture makers in America.

Tuming a concept that was the basis of my submission to the Tmst into a detailed plan called for a great deal of work. Makers in this country have a forum on the Intemet and through it 1 was able to make contact with a very helpful maker in Sweden who provided me with a list of contacts. Denmark was a tough nut to crack despite the generous help ofa Danish friend. The website ofthe Fumiture Society of America and one for makers in New Hampshire provided an extensive list of contacts. It took 3 months and a great many e-mails and telephone calls to identify suitable and willing subjects for my study and to produce a firm itinerary. In parallel with this work I produced an interview proforma to ensure I asked the same questions ofall the makers.

Once I had decided how I would travei in the 3 countries, making the travel arrangements was reasonably straightforward. I discovered that a Scanrail Pass was a very good deal and would satisfy my travei needs in Scandinavia. To my great surprise, it was possible to use the Swedish Rail website to plan all my joumeys including rural bus trips from my computer at home. Every joumey I planned went like clockwork and I remain shocked at the difference between the British and Swedish rail systems. America is wedded to the car and the best way to experience the country is by road. So I flew between the states I visited and drove around once I was there. It was a wise decision because I was able to go places oniy accessible by car and experienced near ideal condilions and courteous drivers in the 6000 miles I covered. For the record I have included my itinerary at Annex A.

In ali I interviewed 36 makers and spent time with 7 other people associated with the or not eaming their living as 3 fumiture makers, but who never the less contributed business either too famous to formally interview, such as Sam Maloof, James Krenov and Gdte Karisson to the study. All these people gave freely of their time and 1 experienced a real sense of comradeship amongst the community of fijmiture makers. A list with addresses of everyone 1 had the good fortune to meet is at Annex B. In addition to the data I collected at each interview, I made notes recording the impressions made by each maker and his workshop, which I have included in abbreviated form with a snap shot of each person at Annex C. The outcome is a lot of data, a summary of which is at Annex D, some surprises and a number of lessons all of which I will make available to those who contributed and also to the hopeful students setting out to make a living making fumiiure.

On a personal level this was a chance ofa lifetime full of delights, surprises and emotion. I met hopeful inexperienced makers at the start oftheir professional careers, well established makers producing high quality fumiture and a few famous individuals who have inspired countless people like myself all over the world. I experienced the cultures, lifestyles and environments ofthese wonderful people who gave so generously oftheir time. It would be inappropriate to detail how this has affected me. Suffice to say my Fellowship has had a profound effect that will influence all aspects of my life for a very long time to come and I am hugely indebted to the Churchiii Tmst for giving me such a magnificent opportunity.

Denmark

Seven makers in Dermiark agreed to take part in the survey. Compared to Sweden, identilying suitable makers was difficult despite the help ofa Dane and the website ofthe Carpenters Guild. Indeed the President ofthe Guild would not give any help to my project and would only speak to me if he were paid. None ofthe makers I interviewed matched my target audience and I reached the conclusion that the making of

hand made furniture has all but disappeared. A contributing factor is that only fumiture designed by established designers is made which means making one off commissions is not practicable. This may account for the fact that all those whom 1 interviewed were mnning companies involved in batch production or general cabinet work such as kitchens, shop tlttings and joinery. PPM0bler, the largest company I visited, specialising in the chairs designed by Hans Wegner, use highly automated production techniques. The company perhaps typifies the way furniture making has moved in Denmark. It is pioneering techniques with computer-controlled machinery to rough out most chair components, which are held in stock in large quantities. A novel technique is used for bent components, which employs pre-steamed stock compressed in length and stored in sealed plastic wrapping. The material can be used cold up to 2 weeks later. Typically, once assembled an unupholstered chair will take a man-day to be finished.

Furniture showrooms I visited had examples of well-designed fumiture but all were factory made. There may be a few makers of handmade furniture left in Denmark, but despite a considerable effort I was not able to find a single one.

Sweden

Per Brandstedt who thoughtfully provided a list ofhis peers for me to contact made identifying makers in Sweden possible. Despite some not having access to the Intemet, 1 set up interviews with 7 makers, all but one of who turned out to fit the criteria for my Fellowship. In addition, I interviewed a maker renting space in the workshop of Gote Karisson, a former teacher at the Carl Malmsten School and met my namesake the Chief Instructor at the famous Carl Malmsten Centre of Wood Technology in Stockholm. For a bonus, I met Leif Carlsson, a specialist bench maker, whose father made a bench for James Krenov and his encouragement eventually led me to spend some time with James in Fort Bragg.

The economy is at best fiat al the moment and all the makers I met were finding business hard to find. With one exception, the 7 makers who fitted my criteria of makers of hand made fumiture, relied on some other form of income and in most cases this was provided by their partner. One maker was restricted by the size ofhis basement workshop and concentrated on making small cabinets and boxes whereas another single-mindedly only made what he wanted to and sold exclusively through galleries. As the data sheet reveals, one maker without employing anyone, was unusually successful if tumover is the yardstick and was perhaps one ofthe most successful ofany maker I met.

His success in my judgement was due to a number of factors. Being very well organised with excellent facilities, having a wife who looked after the administration and marketing, and producing a well designed and made product for a niche market in addition to the ability to make other fumiture to commission were factors in his success. The piece he specialised in was a four-sided bookcase and components for it were made at less busy times and stockpiled so that an order could be satisfied quickly. There were other factors at work in his success but 1 return later in the report to the niche market as a successful strategy.

My visit to the Car! Malmsten Centre of Wood Technology and Design served to underline the rigorous standard of training of cabinet makers in Sweden. The Chief Instructor, Leif Burman, showed me the final piece submitted by a student at the end ofhis 3 year course. The quality of workmanship was extraordinary but not exceptional for students from this institution and other colleges such as CapellagSrden. How well prepared they are for running a business is an other matter which I was unable to pursue.

I didn't come across any wood workers guild or association to promote the craft and curiously there appears to be no Swedish magazine suitable for professional cabinet makers. However, Konsthantverkscentrum has a gallery in Stockholm owned by a co-operative of craft workers, including furniture makers. It helps to bring work to the attention ofa wider audience.

My visit to Sweden reinforced tlie long held impression ofa friendly, healthy and very well organised people. They may pay more lax than many of us but the inft^astmcture is excellent and of particular use to me was a superb public transport system that is totally reliable and reasonably priced. On the evidence I saw, there is a market for hand made fumiture and well-organised makers are able to earn a modest living. The quality and design ofthe fumiture I saw was as good as I have encountered anywhere.

America

Conlact with makers in America prior to my visit came about through help from Fine Woodworking magazine, The Furniture Society[32 members e-mailed 17 agree to participate] and the New Hampshire Furniture Masters Association 19 niembers e-mailed 2 agree to participate]. It tumed out that makers who agreed to take part in the study were grouped in Califomia, Texas, Virginia, and the New England states. The best plan 1 could devise entailed flying into San Francisco then subsequently to Austin, Norfolk and Boston from where I eventually retumed lo the UK. Al each ofthese airports I hired a car, which enabled me to see some wonderful parts ofthe US and most importantly made it possible to follow up on recommendations to meet additional makers.

I arranged dates and times lo meet the majority of makers but a few in Califomia preferred to be contacted a few days beforehand. This more relaxed arrangement contributed lo a failure to meel one maker whose telephone was only ever answered by a machine but it had the great advantage of allowing me to meel a number of additional makers. Most oflhe time i found accommodation on the day 1 needed it, apart from days which I knew in advance it would be difficult. A number of makers were kind enough to put me up which was greatly appreciated. On my way South to meet the first maker, 1 took time to visit the Giant Sequoia National Park to pay homage lo the greatest living things on earth. These trees are an awesome sight and the high sierra where they live is very beautiful. My third night was spent close to the Pacific Ocean and i was able to get some exercise walking miles along a sandy beach watching the surfers at play before meeting up with the first maker at Ramona who looked after me so well. This was my introduction to America.

I have described all the meetings that followed and included a snap shot of each individuai. Additional photographs of workshops and scenes that caught my eye are included on the electronic version of this report. The narrative ofthe body ofthe report is therefore less about the detail of my travels but more about impressions and the lessons I learnt from the experience of meeting so many fine cabinet makers. I single out meeting Sam Maloof and seeing at first hand the stunning fumiture he has made because it was an unexpected and truly wonderful experience. It is well known that he is largely self-taught and perhaps because of that was able lo evolve a unique way of making his rocking chairs and other fumiture wilh sculptured joints and lines that fiow wilh such stunning effect. I marvelled at the industry ofthe man. His house alone would be a lifetime's work of most people. Being shown around it by Sam was a very moving experience and brought home to me what an amazing character he is. Most ofall he is a warm generous man who loves to meet new people and to spend 24 hours in his company was a great privilege.

Meeting Garry Knox Bennett was also an unexpected bonus, as was time in conversation with James Krenov, who has inspired so many furniture makers around the world. It would be wrong to assume only the famous impressed, because many makers, working hard lo eam a modest living, left a lasting impression. Indeed, the real purpose of my study was to find out how these makers sustain themselves.

There is a lot of space in America and less pressure on land than in Europe. Perhaps because ofthis I more than once came across whal I would consider to be close to the ideal workshop and domestic setting. Four Americans makers in addition lo the Swede mentioned earlier were in this happy situation and ali of them were among the makers able to sustain themselves exclusively on their business eamings.

Good quality native timber seemed to be readily available and widely used and was similar in price to comparable timber in the UK. However, casual observation led me to conclude that the quality ofthe American timber exported to the UK was much inferior to that available on the domestic market.

I came across several societies and associations set up to promote the craft. The websile of Fumiture Society was how 1 made contact with makers for my study and is a very good marketing tool for them. The Society actively promotes the crafl and its annual exhibhion and conference provides an excellent forum for makers and potential clients. The New Hampshire Fumiture Masters Association is a model organisation for promoting fumiture making. The fact that a banker was the driving force behind its creation may be a significant factor in the success the organisation as has had in promoting the craft and helping makers sell their work.

Findings

The makers i interviewed were not selected on any scientific basis and so the data I have reproduced should be assessed with caution. For the purposes of statistical anaiysis, the sample is too small and data is not sufllciently complete. However, I do feel that I interviewed a representative and wide cross section of makers, and some interesting findings do emerge. Although I have retained the data about the Danish firms for the record, I have excluded their data from any ofthe comparisons made in the findings below.

Only 2 of 7 Swedish makers could be said to make a living from their business wilhout the need to supplement income from other business activities, or a partner's income. One ofthe two was earning a significant proportion of whal was a very modest income from restoration work. In both cases, the makers were successful in a niche market, 'fhe disparity in turnover by a factor of 3 [£67,000 and £18,000], makes an average rather meaningless.

The proportion of makers in America earning a living from their business, withoul supplementing iheir income from another source, was 7 oul of 23, a very similar proportion lo Swedish makers. However, 3 of them were contributing to their turnover with such activities as paying apprenticeships, teaching and writing. Three ofthe makers were successful in some form of niche markel and one ofthese was by far the most successful ofany maker 1 interviewed, with a tumover 3 times greater than the most successful Swedish maker.

All the makers who have identified a product for a niche markel found this a successful marketing slralegy and the two most successful makers were the best at exploiting this strategy. In most cases the making process had been refined and components made in batches to be stockpiled. This worked well because components could be made at less busy times, take much less storage space than the finished article and an order could be quickly satisfied.

A reliable melhod of delivering orders is particularly important in America, given the considerable distances involved. Again, the very successful maker wilh a product selling well in a niche market needed a reliable and economic delivery system and he had gone to considerable trouble to achieve this. Another maker had developed a product, which fits into the UPS maximum parcel dimensions as a way of reducing delivery costs.

Some makers had the space for a showroom and exploited the advantage by making smaller items with a price that fell into what mighl be termed the bracket for impulse buying. Even though such a customer might not commission a piece of furniture first time round, ownership oflhe smaller piece may often lead them back for a more substantial order. Photographing every piece of work to leave the workshop is of vital importance in building a portfolio. This can be a very expensive process and leads many makers to do their own photography. Surprisingly, the quality of some portfolios was rather poor and in one case non existent.

All the successful makers in America had their own website and found it useful as a shop window for their work. Some Swedish makers had no presence on the Intemel. Whilst no maker could eslimale the amount of work generated through the Inlemel, al! agreed that a websile was pretty well essential. Many made use of collective sites such as the Furniture Society. Fifteen oul of 30 makers [Danes excluded] had no brochure and it may be that the Intemel is supplanting this method of publicity. Two makers had neither website nor brochure.

The Swedish maker's cooperative with its gallery in Stockholm and the Fumiiure Society and New Hampshire Fumiture Masters Association in America are examples of organisations, which actively promote the craft and sale of hand made furniture. Their contribution is significant. Our own Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers is the nearest equivalent in the UK to these organisaiions, but in reality does very little lo support the individual maker.

Almost all makers have to put up with enquiries that involved varying amounts of work and led to no business. When such enquiries involve some design work most makers receive at besl a notional recompense for their time. This negative aspect of business was most apparenl in Sweden. A small minority of makers separated the design process from the making and charged a design fee, paid before any design work was done. Those with the courage to adopt this strategy found it very successful at eliminating casual enquiries and did not think it turned away potential clients.

The five most successful makers in my opinion had close to the perfect working environment. A spacious workshop with an adjacent home, exceUent machinery and tools and no shortage of timber storage space. Ofthese 5, the 2 most successflil ofall, had partners actively involved in the business, looking after administration and marketing.

Conclusions

There is almost no handmade fumiture business in Denmark. In Sweden, makers are trained to very high standards but only about a third of those I interviewed are able to survive exclusively on their eamings from furniture making. The work I encountered compares favourably with any I have seen on my travels or in the UK. There is a craft cooperative that goes some way lo promole the work of fumiture makers through a gallery in Stockholm.

A third ofthe makers I interviewed in America were able to sustain themselves exclusively on their earnings from making furniture. There is a wider range of fumiture designs in America compared to Sweden but the quality of workmanship is perhaps not as uniformly high, which may be a reflection ofthe very high standard of formal training in Sweden. However, that said, the finest piece of fumiture I came across was made in America. Support for makers through societies and associations is very well organised.

Not surprisingly, the most successful makers were well organised businessmen too and had identified a product for a niche market. They carried a stock of components for the piece, usually made during less busy times, so that orders could be quickly satisfied. The two most successful makers ofail, if size of tumover is the yardstick, had partners actively involved in the business.

The grant of £7500 was sufficient although 1 overspent by some £300 largely on gifts to thank people for their hospitality and on postage and telephone charges. I am hugely indebted to the Churchill Trust for giving me the opportunity to complete this study.

^/iS B G Burman Cabinet Maker

[^ September 2003 Churchill Fellow 2003.

Distribution:

Director General Winston Churchill Memorial Tmst All Contributors to the Study [Paper or electronic versions as appropriate] Worshipful Company of Fumiture Makers

Annexes:

A. Itinerary-Bmce Burman Churchill Fellowship 2003. B. Address List of Contacts-Bruce Burman Churchill Fellowship 2003. C. Notes on People Confribuling to Bruce Burman Churchill Fellowship 2003. D. Data from Interviews of Makers-Bruce Burman Churchill Fellowship 2003.

Electronic Version: This version in addition to the report and its Annexes contains folders wilh extra photographs. The software requirement is Microsoft Word, Excel and Adobe to open the JPEG files.

CoDvright: The report and accompanying photographs are the property of B G Burman and are made available for the use of individuals and organisations. They may not be reproduced or published wilhout his permission.

ANNEX A TO CHURCHILL REPORT

ITINERARY-BURMAN CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP 2003

Tue 3 June Fit 3563 Easyjet ETA Copenhagen 1620 Stay with Charlotte Bastinsen Wed 4 June am Carsten Louv at Kastmp pm Neils Thysen at Albertslund Thur 5 June Danish Public Holiday-visit Roskilde Fri 6 June Malle Gomisen at Copenhagen South Sat 7 June Sight seeing North Zealand Sun 8 June Train to GOteburg Mon 9 June Admin and sight seeing Tues 10 June Peter Hellqvist at AlingsSs Wed 11 June Mats Gahn at MOlndal Thur 12 June Peter Johnsson at Skara Fri 13 June Dr Hans Alund at Gnesla Sal 14 June Per Brandsledt at Marieslad Sun 15 June Train to Stockholm Mon 16 June am Visit Konsthantverkama Gallery-Carl Marmsten Gallery and

Leif Burman at Cari Marmsten Cenlre of Wood Technology & Design pm ferry to Visby on Gotland

Tue 17 June am Nike Karisson at Hardhem pm GOte Karisson and Klas Hallberg

Wed 18 June Ferry to Oskarshamn Thur 19 June am Toshikatsu Tanaka at Farbo

pm Leif Carlsson at Rosentors Fri 20 June Train to Copenhagen Sat 21 June Sight seeing Copenhagen Sun 22 June Train to Arhus Mon 23 June am Gert Kjeldtoft pm Erik Liballe Tue 24 June pm PP Mobeler Allered Wed 25 June Fit 3562 to Stanstead and frain to Exmouth

Sun 29 June To London Mon 30 June Fit BA0285 to San Francisco Tue 1 July Sequoia National Park Wed 2 July Drive South to Oceanside Thur 3 July John DeGirolamo at Ramona Fri 4 July Drive North to Los Angeles Sal 5 July Sam Maloof at Alia Loma Sun 6 July am Maloof s pm drive Highway I to Santa Cmz Mon 7 July am Dr Mat Werner at Santa Cmz pm James Bacigalupi at Los Gatos Tue 8 July pm Donald Fortescue at Oakland Wed 9 July am Japan Woodworker pm Garry Knox Bennett at Oakland

Drive North to Fort Bragg Thur 10 July am Jeff Shallenberger-Brian Bums-Daniel Stalzer

pm James Krenov and College of Redwoods Fri 11 July am Drive South

pm Michael Cullen al Petaluma Sat 12 July Golden Gale Nafional Recreation Area Sun 13 July As above Mon 14 July Fit COI406/889 Austin via Houslon-lo Wimberiey Tue 15 July Garry Weeks at Wimberiey Wed 16 July Daniel Kagay at Austin Thur 17 July David Peterson at Austin Fri 18 July am Fit C0651/2285 Norfolk via New York

pm drive to Tom Wescott at Belle Haven Sat 19 July Robert Swain at Parksley with Tom Sun 20 July Sailing aboard Tom's yacht Mon 21 July As above Tue 22 July pm Peter Malinoski at Hyattsville Wed 23 July Tim Stewart at Charlotlesville-meet Stephen Clerico from the

Fumiture Society guest ofthe Stewart's for dinner

ANNEX A TO CHURCHILL REPORT

Thur 24 July am John Casteen at Earlysville pm Blaise Gaston at Earlysville

Fri 25 July Michael Creed at Lynchburg Sat 26 July am Fit AA4526 Boston

pm Philip Lowe at Beverly Sun 27 July Whale watching trip from Gloucester Mon 28 July Chris Kovacs al Grolon MA Tue 29 July David Richardson at Fall River MA Wed 30 July Howard Hatch al Conway NH Thur 31 July Garrett Hack at Thetford Center VT Fri I Aug Boston Sal 2 Aug Boston Sun 3 Aug Boston

Mon 4 Aug Boston-holiday begins. Tue 5 Aug NH lakes Wed 6 Aug White Mountains NH Thur 7 Aug As above Fri 8 Aug As above Sat 9 Aug Concord and show al Sunapee Sun 10 Aug am David Lamb at Canterbury NH

pm Shaker Village Mon 11 Aug Boston Tue 12 Aug New York Wed 13 Aug New York Thur 14 Aug New York Fri 15 Aug New York Sal 16 Aug Boston Sun 17 Aug Boston Mon 18 Aug Fit BA0214 London Tue 19 Aug Home

ANNEX C TO CHURHILL REPORT

CONTRIBUTORS TO THE 2003 CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP OF

BRUCE BURMAN

Peter Hellqvist

Peter trained at CappellagSrden and at one stage ofhis career taught cabinet making in Japan. He is something ofan expert on Japanese tools and has a large collection of them. He is a highly skilled cabinet maker and combines this with mature design sense. He is a perfectionist by nature and will go to exfraordinary lengths to achieve the result he seeks. His involvement with the design exchange project between Sweden and Japan demonsfrates how well his skills are appreciated. He is currently rebuilding and enlarging a workshop adjacent to his house. He is also a very good father and family man, generous to a fault.

Mats Gahrn

Mats is a quiet kind gentle soul who makes pieces with a style all ofhis own from a small highly organised workshop adjacent to his house. He is single minded about making only what he wants to the extent that he goes out in the early hours on a paper round to maintain some financial independence. He cleverly juxtaposes different textures. For example, a door to a small wall hung cabinet has stiles and rails with a conventional planed finish whilst the panel finish is sfraight from the handsaw which is then blackened with bumt tar. His attention to delail is typified by making his own quadrant hinges for boxes which he then guilds. He uses the same contrast with texture and colour for large bowls he hand carves in oak with smooth polished interiors and strongly textured exteriors blackened with bumt tar and set off with a recessed brass band, an arresting combination of colour, form and texture. The vast majority ofhis work is sold through galleries.

Peter Johnsson

A quietly spoken man with a fine sense of humour, Peter is well established and seems to get work without too much effort. He does a lot of restoration and reproduction work. Chairs figure largely in his output. His well-equipped workshop is not very big but has a cellar beneath where he keeps some choice timber and veneers.

Dr Hans Ahnlund

Hans came to cabinet making via university research work and is I believe something ofan authority on badgers. Not formally trained as a maker he has been inspired by James Krenov. Given the very high quality and ingenuity ofhis work, he seemed very modest about his achievements and is perhaps a little under-confident because he is self-taught. He works from a small cellar beneath his house and as a result concentrates on small pieces. A small jewellery cabinet he showed me had panels which used grain patterns arranged to stunning effect so that they appeared like watercoiour impressions of distant rolling hills. I was

ANNEX C TO CHURHILL REPORT

particularly struck by a cabinet suspended in a frame by very fine wooden "straps" glued and wedged al each comer, a highly original solution that was surprisingly strong and rigid. By chance he has evolved a unique method of creating subtle decorative pattems which he kept to himself for many years but thought it was about time be let his peers know about it and agreed I could do Uiis. The technique evolved from attempting to remove dents by steaming which for a very deep dent had foiled. He was forced to plane the surface a little at a time but eventually when he reapplied the steam he found the dent was now raised above the surface. Developing the discovery, he then made the outline ofa key with wire and hammered an impression ofit into a piece of maple and fried the same steaming and planning process and was left with a raised impression ofthe key. He has subsequently used the technique to good effect on a box lid. Hans supplements his income with conservation consultancy work and is particularly interested in the role and effect of forest fu^s.

Per Branstedt

fix )i

Per and Gunilda woric as a very effective team, she being the business manager. Per restored their beautiful wooden 19* century house and in the grounds built a workshop, showroom and storage bam that rival any I have seen on my travels. Per is a tall, energetic, hard working and exfraordinarily prolific maker. Like most Swedish makers he has undergone comprehensive formal fraining. He has lived and taught in Japan and consequently likes and uses Japanese hand tools. The business is highly organised and very successful. Like other successful makers 1 met, he has identified a niche market for a particular product, in his case a four-sided bookcase, and during less busy times stockpiles components so that he can respond to orders very quickly. He also has a range of small items in his showroom that fall into the impulse buying price range and these lead people back to him at a later stage. Per is a charismatic character and he and Gunilda were the most generous and thoughtful hosts.

Nike Karisson

Nike trained at the same establishment as Per Branstedt and later trained as an architect. He is in a partnership mnning a large workshop equipped with modem machinery with no hand benches in evidence. A wide range of cabinet and joinery work is commissioned by a small number of firms in Stockholm. A significant part of Nike's work involves working with the artist Peter Johansson translating his ideas into form. He has designed pieces for IKEA.

Gote Karisson

Gote has a well-equipped workshop, which at the time I visited was being almost doubled in size. He takes a number of students and several makers rent space in the shop. In the I960's he taught at the Carl Malmsten school. Our meeting was brief and conversation had to be through an interpreter most ofthe lime. Despite this limitation he came across as a warm friendly and generous man now in his 80's.

Klas Hallberg

Kari had frained with GOte Karisson and now rents space in his workshop. He chose to train as a cabinet maker after a full career as an English teacher. He kindly acted as my interpreter when 1 met GOte. He is stili finding his feet in the business and exploring how to tap the somewhat seasonal population of Gotland. A quiet, charming and sensitive man, he lives in a tiny little cottage in the walled city of Visby.

ANNEX C TO CHURHILL REPORT

Toshikatsu Tanaka

Toshi rents a workshop with 2 other makers and since he doesn't own the machinery, pays a fee to use it. He was close to completing a tali display cabinet in birch so 1 was able to see the very high quality of workmanship and design at first hand. His portfolio reveals a wide range of commissions all beautifully designed and executed. As a user of some Japanese tools, 1 couldn't resist the temptation to ask Toshi to demonstrate the use of planes and sharpening techniques. A Japanese plane is now firmly on my wish list. A tall lean quiet man generous by nature, he and his partner Karim were wonderful hosts.

Leif Carlsson

Leif follows his father specialising in making benches for cabinet makers and I met him because Toshi thought I would find the experience rewarding. The quality ofthe benches is such that there are examples in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Wallace Collection in London. He is quite a character with a wonderful sense of humour. His workshop is something ofa museum piece itself very much as his father would have known il with overhead belt driven machinery powered from a single motor. His father made a bench for James Krenov and Leif encouraged me to see him when I reached Fort Bragg.

John DeGirolamo

John is the least experienced ofthe makers I studied, having started as a professional only before we met. He has considerable design skills which come from his previous work in television and a good business sense. This combined with a high standard of workmanship augurs well for the fiiture. His wife Carol looks after the business administration and was one of only two people to have prepared full accounts in advance of my visit. Their property occupies a stunning position and John's workshop would be the envy of many a maker although he will need to upgrade machinery as business develops. If poisonous spiders nesting in the rafters or very high ambient temperatures are troublesome, he can in the pool in no time. He and Carol were thoughtful and generous hosts and set the lone for a wonderfijl visit to the USA.

6 months

Sam Maloof

Sam has been a source of inspiration for me and since I would pass near his home I decided to call on him even though I had failed to establish contact beforehand. I need not have worried for Sam and Beverley made me feel very welcome, inviting me first to lunch and then to stay the night. I had the privilege ofbeing in Sam's company for a whole day. He took me round his shop, demonsfrated his legendary skills at the handsaw, and showed me his wonderful collection of timber. To be surrounded by his fumiture was a very special treat and I discovered even the best photographs do not do justice to it. 1 saw a firmness in the line ofhis rocking chairs and colour and pattern of the grain that was never apparent in photographs.

We looked around his old house, now a museum, where he would often talk of Freda his first wife. They were very close and he misses her greatly. She was an expert on Indian affairs and pottery in particular. Sam has a very large collection of Indian pottery and rugs and he would tell me about them as we came across them, demonsfrating a phenomenal memory for detail. Now in his eighties, he is in very good shape and mentally as sharp as a razor. I studied his hands expecting some ware and tear after a lifetime of hard work but they look fine to me. As he put it, he still puts his hands on everything that leaves his shop.

ANNEX C T O CHURHILL REPORT

I was so pleased to hear from him how the project to move his house and workshop had materialised and that his huge contribution to the business of making fumiture has been recognised. For lunch he was kind enough to take me to a favourite restaurant and to get there he drove me in his Porsche Boxter clearly enjoying every moment ofour sprint down the Freeway-the one that was driven right through his old property. He has left in tmst his business to Beverley, his son and the three craftsmen in his shop. He is working to generate funds to build a gallery on the site where other makers and craftsmen and women will be able to exhibit their work and this like his old house will be part ofthe Foundation and so will always be available.

In my time I have met one or two people in whose company you sense you are in the presence ofa ^ a t person. Sam is such a person. He is generous to a fault with his time and really enjoys meeting new people. I feh very close to him and was troubled when we went around the old house. Somehow I felt I was intmding on a very private space and Sam's grief for Freda was tangible. It was so typical ofhis generous nature that he gave me an inscribed copy ofhis latest book and also one about Freda. I was very sad to leave

Dr Matt Werner

Matt graduated from the College of Redwoods in May 1999 after a career as a soil ecology speciaiist at the University of Santa Cruz. This charming and intelligent man is also a talented musician, wrifing and recording songs about Califomia's people and ecology. He works from his workshop in a converted garage producing a range of beautifully made furniture for private clients and galleries. He enhances some of his work with the restrained use of marquetry.

1 ^

James Bacigalupi

When we met James was in transifion from a 2000 square foot workshop to his garage. Unlil recently he was specialising in ecclesiastical work with a large tumover but turmoil in the Catholic Church has knocked the bottom out ofthis market. He is a multi media craftsman and at the time of my visit was concentrating on a project involving some advanced glass casting techniques.

Donald Fortesauc

Donald emigrated from Australia to settle in Oakland CA where he shares workshop space with a number of craftsmen and women in a former naval yard. He concenfrates on studio work and all his work is sold through galleries but most ofhis time is taken up with teaching. As a Churchill Fellow himself, he and his partner Sandra were generous hosts and a great help in making contact with other makers in the Bay area.

Garry Knox Bennett

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At the fime 1 met Garry and Sylvia they were living above the workshop because their house had been badly damaged by a fire in the roof This had damaged some of Garry's large collection of pieces he has collected over the years from other makers and artists. Garry is a big man with a character to match. His work, invariably with a humorous side to it, is sold exclusively through galleries and is sought after by collectors. He is famously known for a beautifully made cabinet into which he drove a large nail in a prominent position. When 1 visited he was making chairs for an exhibition, one of which had a perfect scale model ofa ladder built into its back. He owns a foundry and designs and makes jewellery. Sylvia manages the business and they stmck me as a happy and effective partnership.

JefT Sha lien berger

JefT had recently withdrawn from a business partnership making fumiture in San Francisco to complete a second year at the College of Redwoods. He was renting space in a workshop in Fort Bragg and using lime before the course started to renovate his new home there. His input to my study was therefore ofan historical nature.

Daniel Stalzer

Daniel trained at the College of Redwoods and is a skilled cabinet maker. He now specialises in making chairs from green timber from a workshop in his garden. During my slay he gave a demonsfration to students on a summer course at the College of Redwoods. The demonstration included splitting green limber with wedges, steam bending and shaping components with a drawknife. He showed real talent for communicating his skills and had his audience soaking up every word. He plans to divide his time between chair making and teaching the craft. This personable and talented man was very generous with his time and hospitality.

James Krenov

It was with some frepidation that I went to see this intemationally famous teacher of cabinet making who has inspired countless makers all over the world. He has a reputation that includes very strong opinions and for not mincing his words. Now in his 80's James is a small man with strong hands, which show the effect of many years of hard work. He and his wife live in a small wooden bungalow in peaceful wooded surroundings where he welcomed me to his rather modest workshop. With the College of Redwoods on his

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doorstep, he has no need for big machinery. Nearing compietion in the workshop was a beautiful small cabinet so typical ofhis style.

Our conversation ranged over many things and at one point he had a lot to say about the lack of taste in American society. He attributes this to the absence of a fraditional upbringing in houses where examples ofthe tumiture and artefacts of past generations were part ofthe household and would pass from one generation to the next. He felt my report should not avoid this issue, since it affects the ability of people to make informed choices. To what degree this infiuences the business of handmade fumiture is difficult to evaluate. In my Fellowship I have seen only a very small part ofthe fumiture making scene which has included some ofthe best contemporary fumiture one could hope to find, as well as less impressive work.

He kindly gave me details of Pritam & Eames, a gallery at East Hampton he thought I should visit during my visit to New York[the great blackout scuppered my attempt to reach them]. Regrettably, I was unable to make use ofhis offer to introduce me to other makers elsewhere in the US because of my tight schedule.

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Michael Cullen

Michael is a quiet man with a gentle refined sense of humour. He trained with David Powell, a craftsman celebrated in America for his connections with Edward Bamsely's workshop. 1 sensed that perhaps this training gives him the self-confidence in his ability and a clear idea of where he is going. His workshop was thoughtfully laid out and equipped in the main with well-restored older industrial standard machinery. He takes one apprentice for a year at $750 per month. On view in the shop was a chess

table, which spoke volumes ofhis very high standard of workmanship. Michael is one of the few makers I encountered who separates out the design work for a commission and is paid for it before work begins on the piece. This has the considerable merit ofall but eliminating casual enquiries. He writes on a regular basis for Woodwork.

Garry Weeks

First trained as a lawyer, Garry came to fumiture making via carpentry and building work. The latter must have been a great help when he tumed his hand to building a house, workshop and showroom about 4 years ago. He is another very successful maker who has identified a niche market and produced a well-made product, which he makes very efficiently, stockpiling components so that orders can be fulfilled quickly. He has refined the making process over time and arranged the layout of machinery to facilitate the making process. In his case it is a rocking chair, which it seems every mother to be in America has need of He makes a range of fumiture but the rocker contributes most to his tumover. To make use ofthe off cuts from the rocker, he has developed a side table. Emphasising the family nature of the business, each product in his range of fumiture is given a family name. Garry and Lesley, who looks after the administration ofthe business, made me very welcome in their home.

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Daniel Kagav

Daniel operates from a large rented shop with space for timber storage and a spray shop. He has made a wide range of fumiture and fitted a number of kitchens. Given the choice, he would prefer to deal with corporate ralher than private clients. His refined yet adventurous design sense combines wood well with other materials, particularly stone. Some ofhis work features in a number of books and he has had prestigious commissions for public buildings. He and Charlotte, a legal document editor for the Legislature in Austin, were wonderfully generous hosts.

David Peterson

David retired as a business executive having first trained as a mechanical engineer with experience in product development. His woodworking skills are self-taught and he works from a double garage extended to twice its original size. Although he has made a variety of fumiture, he has recently completed a large commission for a new church. He takes on 2 apprentices a year on a no fee basis and inciudes in their fraining a grounding in the business aspects of fumiture making. He makes model steam engines as a diversion.

Tom Wescott

From an early stage in our correspondence Tom encouraged me to take time out to sail with him in Chesapeake Bay, which was not an invitation 1 found difficult to accept. And so it was that I took a mini break al Tom's spacious estate, where you can walk nearly a mile before you find a road. Tom and Jean were wonderful hosts making me feel really at home and spoiling me with Tom's fantastic cooking. To cap it all I had a lovely sail in the Bay anchoring ovemight in a creek beside the home of his friend Terry who had sailed with us.

His workshop is a good size with office and design facilities above. A separate bam has a forge to cater for Tom's new interest in hand forged work and a large area for limber storage. Much ofhis output has been fitted work. His painted furniture I saw in the house used subtle colours very effectively. Work is hard to come by at the moment and he would like to move away from private clients and deal with corporations and galleries. He recognises that he has neglected marketing his work which will not now be easy without a portfolio of pervious work.

Architectural design work provides another source of income. He co-founded a local artisans guild and during my stay generously invited many ofhis artistic friends for me to meet over supper.

Peter Malinoski

Peter is an arts graduate and self-taught woodworker working from the cellar of his house. His output is largely painted studio work all finished with a high gloss acrylic paint. Practically everything he makes is from poplar because he finds it takes the paint well. He uses colour cleverly and has developed some interesting finishes. He finds it difficult to break into the Washington market, which he feels is too conservative for his work.

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Tim Stewart

Tim works from his garage in a beautiful wooded setting. At the moment more than half his tumover comes from web site design. Fumiture I saw in his home showed Innovative contemporary design solutions and interesting use of metal and wood. He expresses a wish to push the design boundaries which 1 think he does well. He and his wife Jennifer kindly invited me to dinner and thoughtfully invited Stephen Clerico from the Fumiture Society.

John Casteen

John built his own workshop last year. His output is somewhat restricted by child minding duties whilst his wife completes her studies for a PhD. He sometimes works a midnight to 2am shift to catch up and currently employs someone to try to meet demand for his work. A sensitive, intelligent man who writes poetiy for relaxation, he has been much influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. He honed his skills working for Blaise Gaston whom he felt I should visit.

Blaise Gaston

Before concenfrating on making fumiture Blaise ran a large joinery company and the sale ofhis interests in this company enabled him to build a beautiful house and excellent 3-storey workshop on a secluded woodland site. The top level ofthe shop houses office and design space, the middle the main working area, with timber and some heavy machinery below: probably the best set up of any I have seen on my travels. Blaise is a well-established maker who can number John Makepeace amongst the collectors ofhis work and who was invited to make a bird for the White House Christmas tree. Like other successfijl makers he has developed a product to fill a niche market, in his case a stunning glass topped coffee table, the dimensions of which slay within the maximum that can be shipped by UPS. Even an established maker like Blaise is feeling the pinch ofthe current downlum in the market.

Michael Creed

Michael Creed retains a wicked sense of humour and optimism in the face of many difficuhies. His work reflects his humour and he has a style all ofhis own. I particularly liked amongst many things he made, a cigar humidor that looks exactly like an oversized half-smoked cigar. Shortly before my visit he received his first commission in 2 years. During the difficult times he tumed his hand to fijmiture repair and restoration and has been inundated with work. He built his workshop in a mock gothic style that I feel one day should be given the status ofa National Monument.

Philip Lowe

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Philip runs a large well appointed workshop geared up for a variety of courses at what is known as The Fumiture Insfitute of Massachusetts. He stmck me as a we 11-organ ised businessman and a talented maker with excellent carving skills. His has to his credit a long list of prestigious commissions and restoration projects. Much ofhis work is inspired by the well-known ISc English designers and makers, a style many New Englanders appreciate. To my surprise and delight I saw an Alan Peters sideboard in the shop for attention.

Chris Kovacs

Chris gave up his PhD studies to take up fumiture making and built his own workshop next to his house on an attractive wooded site. He is one of only a few makers I have come across in my fravels who has built his own bench. Largely self-taught, he worked for an experienced maker nearby whom he will consult. Most ofhis business is sub-contracted cabinet and kitchen work.

David Richardson

Trained first as an artist, David is keen to marry his painting talents to fumiture making. Most ofthe work undertaken by him and the makers he employs is however restoration work. He occasionally makes reproductions. The very large workshop is located in an enormous I9c mill. David is a kind and friendly man who gave generously of his time.

Howard Hatch

A graduate ofthe School for American Craftsman at Rochester Institute of Technology, Howard works from a 3-storey workshop set in beautiful woodland overlooking mountains of New Hampshire. Since his divorce he lives in the lop storey. He was hospitable and generous with his time. Like many other makers he is feeling the effects ofthe slow down in the economy. Most ofhis work is made to commission but I went to see an expanding table, a fine example of his work at a gallery of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen. Surprisingly, some ofthe work in the gallery by other makers was amateurish and poorly made. Howard, as with a number of successful makers, has identified a niche market in his case for custom made billiard tables.

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Garrett Hack

On a 25 acre site, Garrett cleared trees to build his house, workshop and bams. A keen gardener he is practically self-sufficient in vegetables. He is a tall, lean, energetic man with a passion for hand tools. He has an impressive collection of planes and is the author of 2 excellent books on hand tools. He teaches woodwork and is a regular confributor lo Fine Woodworking. Somehow he finds time to make high quality fumiture to commission. Garrett probably has created the best working environment of workshop and home that 1 have seen on my travels.

David Lamb

A chance meeting led me to David's workshop on the doorstep ofthe Canterbury Shaker Village. He is close to finishing an extension to the shop made from a mill building, which roughly triples the original area. Space will be needed for his growing collection of old machinery. In the shop was a beautifully made four-poster bed, very finely carved, which he reckoned had taken about 500 hours to make. Carving is a largely self-taught skill and quite the best I have encountered both in execution and design. His portfolio Includes a wide range of fijmiture much influenced by the colonial style derived from Hepplewhite, Sheraton and Chippendale and he has not been immune to influence from the Shakers. He makes very effective use of contrasting woods. This accomplished craftsman has a full order book. David is a founder member ofthe New Hampshire Fumiture Masters Association, an organisation set up by a merchant banker, which does sterling work to promote the craft and one which makers elsewhere should study.fthere is a description ofthe Associafion elsewhere in the report]

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