The Man Who Brought Arts and Crafts to America: Gustav Stickley

No discussion about the Arts and Crafts movement in America can pass over Gustav Stickley. You may be familiar with the phrase “Stickley Furniture,” but just who was Stickley, and what did he do? One could argue that he, along with his brothers, brought the movement from Europe and disseminated it into American culture. It all began with two trips, in 1895 and 1896, which Stickley took to England and mainland Europe. By the time he visited, the Arts and Crafts movement was established in Europe, led by Englishmen John Ruskin and William Morris. Originally, the movement started as a rejection of the increasing industrialization of England. Instantly, Stickley was captivated and inspired by the movement’s aesthetics of naturalism and craftsmanship, and the overarching social theologies espoused by Ruskin and Morris.

An incredible example of a Stickley design. Gustav Stickley’s (American, Osceola, Wisconsin 1858-1942 Syracuse, New York) Library Table. Oak and Leather. ca. 1906. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image sourced from Artstor.

Stickley had started a furniture company in 1883 with his brothers Albert and Charles, though he branched off in 1898 and, directly swayed by his experiences in Europe, launched his “New Furniture” line two years later. Working with two designers, first Henry Wilkinson and then LaMont A. Warner, Stickley wished to create Arts and Crafts furniture in America. A rebellion against the Victorian era style, which featured ornate, heavy furniture, Stickley’s work was a stark contrast, focusing on the simple craft of the furniture making process. A quick comparison between the chair made in the mid 1870s depicted below, and Stickley’s furniture crafted 25 years later, highlights the differences.

An example of a Victorian era chair. Maker unknown. Armchair, American. Mahogany and Leather. ca. 1875-1880. The Cleveland Museum of Art. Image sourced from Artstor.

His furniture has clean, attractive lines, unadorned shapes, and an emphasis on the individual elements of each piece in a stripped back fashion. Ironically, the reality of the furniture’s creation was slightly different. Stickley’s company relied also on industrialization and factory advances, which the English founders of the Arts and Crafts movement originally revolted against. The mechanisms enabled him to produce for a wider audience and at a more attainable price point.

Gustav Stickley’s Sideboard Table. White Oak, Poplar, and Cast Iron. ca. 1901. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image sourced from Artstor.

Desiring to further spread the ideologies of the Arts and Crafts, Stickley founded The Craftsman, a magazine which over its fifteen years of existence aided in Stickley’s entrenchment in American society. Stickley expanded the magazine’s scope beyond furniture, touching on a plethora of topics such as interior design, architecture, and gardening; extending even into political and social movements too, like environmentalism and women’s rights, all discussed through the lens of the movement’s beliefs. Readers could also purchase architectural plans of Arts and Crafts style houses to follow for construction and, occasionally, Stickley would provide furnishings for their new house. Stickley had moved beyond just a furniture maker, becoming a leading voice of Arts and Crafts in American culture.

One of the Craftsman house designs published in The Craftsman, house design #10. Some interior furniture and light fixtures were supplied by Stickley’s company, Craftsman Workshops. Stickley’s “Dumblane”. 1911. S. Hazen Bond House, exterior view, Washington, D.C.. Image taken in 1989. Image sourced from Artstor.

Unfortunately, World War I, poor decisions in real estate expansion, and changing American tastes led to the collapse of Stickley’s business, The Craftsman Workshops. His brothers, who still held rival furniture companies also specializing in Arts and Crafts pieces, incorporated his company, forming Stickley Associated Cabinetmakers. Though his company was short lived, Stickley’s lasting influence is visible to this day in design and architecture across the country. At ODA, we relish Stickley influenced furniture. His pieces, and the many copies produced over the years, have enduring appeal and their organic simplicity seamlessly blends into modern homes. 

Cathers, David, “Gustav Stickley and the Arts and Crafts Movement”, The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, www.stickleymuseum.org/learn-more/stickley-and-aac.html. 

Obiniski, Monica, “The Arts and Crafts Movement in America”, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, June 2008, www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acam/hd_acam.htm.

Stubblebine, Ray, “Gustav Stickley”, The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, www.stickleymuseum.org/learn-more/gustav-stickley.html.

from the desk of Tess Starshak