Making Antique Furniture-Reproductions

Franklin Gottshall

Reviewed by:

Charles L. Driggs

This book could be described as a cross between Margon’s book and Dunbar’s book, with the emphasis on the Margon side. It is a dry read, primarily because a huge amount of information is packed into the pages on construction methods, dimensions, and details. Gottshall presents information on making 40 different items of furniture, generally 18th or early 19th century in form. The one that really caught my attention was the carved shell corner cabinet, as I had never seen anyone else tackle a written explanation of how that is made. Generally good drawings and detailed cut lists, along with the construction sequence explanations, make this a workshop reference for someone who is looking to build a design presented to them. As some of the pieces covered are real tests of skill, this is worth examining by someone looking for a project involving many hours of effort.