The Gentleman And Cabinet-Maker's Director. Being A Large Collection Of The Most Elegant and Useful Designs of Houshold Furniture In The Gothic, Chinese and Modern Taste: Including a great Variety of Book-Cases for Libraries or Private Rooms. Commodes, Library and Writing-Tables, Buroes, Breakfast-Tables, Dressing and China-Tables, China-Cases, Hanging-Shelves, Tea-Chests, Trays, Fire-Screens, Chairs, Settees, Sopha's, Beds, Presses and Cloaths-Chests, Pier-Glass Sconces, Slab Frames, Brackets, Candle-Stands, Clock-Cases, Frets, And Other Ornaments. To Which Is Prefixed, A Short Explanation of the Five Orders of Architecture, and Rules of Perspective; With Proper Directions for executing the most difficult Pieces, the Mouldings being exhibited at large, and the Dimensions of each Design specified: The Whole Comprehended In One Hundred and Sixty Copper-Plates, neatly Engraved, Calculated to improve and refine the present Taste, and suited to the Fancy and Circumstances of Persons in all Degrees of Life. - [Epigraph] - By Thomas Chippendale, Of St. Martin's-Lane, Cabinet-Maker. -

RA Collection: Book

Record number

07/724

Author

Imprint

London,: Printed for the Author, and sold at his House in St. Martin's-Lane., MDCCLIV., Also by T. Osborne, Bookseller, in Gray's-Inn; H. Piers, Bookseller, in Holborn; R. Sayer, Print-seller, in Fleetstreet; J. Swan, near Northumberland-House, in the Strand., At Edinburgh,: by Messrs. Hamilton and Balfour:, And at Dublin,: by Mr. John Smith, on the Blind-Quay.

Physical Description

[2], x, 27, [1] p., engr. dedic., 160 [i.e. 161] pl.; 463 mm. (Folio.)

General Note

There is a bis plate 25. Plate 'CXI' is misnumbered as 'CII'.

[Half-t., t.p., engr. dedic.] - The Preface - The Names Of The Subscribers - [Text] - [Plates].

Responsibility Note

The engraved dedication is signed as made by MDarly. The numbered plates are all signed as designed and drawn by T. Chippendale, and most are signed by their engravers - T. Müller, M. Darly or J.S. Müller.

The work is dedicated by Thomas Chippendale to Hugh, Earl of Northumberland.

The rear pastedown is stamped in green ink, 'Bound By Ex Libris'.

References

ESTC, T129806
J. Sellars, ed., The art of Thomas Chippendale (2000).
C. Gilbert, The life and work of Thomas Chippendale (2 v., 1978).

Summary Note

Most plates carry the publication-date of 1753.

The list of subscribers includes both landowners and cabinet-makers.

A second edition was published in 1755, and a third in 1762 - the latter including some neoclassical designs.

Reproductions

An electronic reproduction was published in 2003 (Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale). A microfilm copy was published in 1986 (Woodbridge CT: Research Publications).

Provenance

Purchased for RA Library in 1884 (see 'Librarian's Report', RA Annual Report for 1884, pp.53, 55).

Binding Note

20th-century half calf, marbled-papered boards; red morocco spine-label lettered 'Chippendale Director', spine lettered 'R.A.' and '1754'.

Subject

Furniture - Designs - Carpentry - Woodwork - Woodworking - Great Britain - History - 18th century - Rococo - Chinoiserie
Pattern books - Manuals - Great Britain - 18th century
Pictorial works - Great Britain - 18th century

Contributors

Thomas Chippendale senior, source artist, draughtsman, publisher
Thomas Osborne, bookseller
H. Piers, bookseller
Robert Sayer, bookseller
John Swan, bookseller
John Smith, bookseller
Matthias Darly, engraver
Johann Sebastian Müller, engraver
Tobias Miller, engraver
Hamilton and Balfour (Edinburgh), bookseller
Ex Libris, binder