Furniture Guides

Fake, Fraud, or Genuine? : Identifying Authentic American Antique Furniture. Many great reader reviews and pictures.
by Myrna Kaye

Synopsis
This beautifully illustrated guide to American, British, and continental European furniture allows for easy identification of every type of free-standing furniture from the late Middle Ages to 1940. Hundreds of original photographs and explanatory diagrams combined with surefire clues and savvy hints help the reader sort out fakes, reproductions and genuine finds. Amazon.com review

The Bulfinch Anatomy of Antique Furniture : An Illustrated Guide to Identifying Period, Detail, and Design.  A book on higher end furniture, but a must have for anybody interested in antique furniture.
by Tim Forrest (Contributor), Paul Atterbury (Editor)

Field Guide to American Antique Furniture/a Unique Visual System for Identifying the Style of Virtually Any Piece of American Antique Furniture.   Exactly that.  A visual guide for identifying furniture.  Great for the beginner.
by Joseph Butler, Ray Skibinski (Contributor)

Millers Collecting Furniture : Facts at Your Fingertips
by Christopher Payne Brought to you by the same Millers that bring you the great Millers guides on antiques and art. A Must have for any research library with excellent color pictures and descriptions.

The Encyclopedia of Furniture
by Joseph Aronson A completely revised edition, covering every period and development to the present, the designers and makers, the woods and other materials, the architecture and decoration. 2,000 photographs. Glossary. Bibliography. Index. Review by Amazon.com

The History of Furniture: Twenty-Five Centuries of Style and Design in the Western Tradition
by John Morley
" The entire story of furniture is presented as it never has been before. Written with great verve and in a highly accessible style, The History of Furniture conveys a vast knowledge of history and design with stunning intellectual clarity. In surveying the development of furniture from antiquity to the present day, John Morley focuses on the Western traditions, but he includes the outside influences of China and Japan, India, Egypt, and Africa. His bravura analysis reveals connections between pieces of furniture, such as the direct line from antiquity to a neoclassical French commode, a Biedermeier dressing table, and a twentieth-century bois clair cocktail cabinet. The story is shaped by a conflict between "classical" and "anti-classical," order and fantasy, and includes the wild extravagances of exotic styles. We see how the simple challenge of making a chair to sit on could generate a huge variety of forms, depending not only on changing fashion in interiors, as well as motifs, ornaments, and ideas from the worlds of politics, religion, architecture, and the fine arts. Works by famous designers-Boulle, Chippendale, Riesener, Makintosh, Eames-appear clearly in the context of the stylish ideals of their times, and nearly 700 illustrations are closely integrated into the text. The result is not only an essential reference tool for everyone concerned with collecting, selling, or studying furniture and the decorative arts but also a tour de force of scholarship that will enthrall anyone with the least interest in the traditions of Western culture." description by amazon.com

The New Fine Points of Furniture : Early American, Good, Better, Best, Superior, Masterpiece
by Albert Sack, Deanne Levison. An indispensable guide for collectors and dealers who want to compare and evaluate early American antiques. When Albert Sack's Fine Points of Furniture: Early American--Good, Better, Best was published in 1950, it established a new standard for evaluating American antiques. In his new book, Sack applies this standard to furniture pieces that have appeared on the market in more recent years. Full color and black-and-white photographs.
A guide to comparing and evaluating early American antiques compares furniture similar in form but varying in proportion, craftsmanship, and design and features photographs of chairs, beds, bureaus, clocks, desk, and other items. 20,000 first printing. review by amazon.com

Sourcebook of Modern Furniture
by Jerryll Habegger, Joseph H. Osman (Contributor) Although I'm not big on modern furniture, this book has many raving reviews from readers all over the world.

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