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David Mathias' Book List
When Senior Editor Robert W. Lang asked me to provide a list of my favorite woodworking books, I quickly agreed thinking it would be an easy assignment. That should have been the first clue that I was in trouble. But I didn't catch on until I was sitting in front of the bookcase trying to cull the herd to a reasonable few. Some readers may have noticed that I am partial to Greene & Greene. Really partial. Unreasonably partial. Alright, obsessed. Consumed. You get the idea. So my first inclination was to simply list all of my books about the brothers and their work. That's not really the spirit of the project, however, so I rejected that idea and decided to include just one. Which, of course, resulted in an increased sentence in front of the bookcase.  In the end, something approaching reason prevailed and I winnowed the candidates to a reasonable few. Those of you who are paying attention will note that Greene & Greene appear more than once. I broke my own edict. The thing about obsession is that it's uncontrollable... Greene & Greene, The Passion and the Legacy by Randell MakinsonThis is the first Greene & Greene book I read. Though I was already very interested in their work, Randell's beautiful book was a knockout punch. I was done for. Fantastic photos and descriptions. Works by Edward Bosley (Greene & Greene) or Bruce Smith (Greene & Greene: Masterworks) could have filled this spot as well but I have a sentimental attachment to "Passion." Even if you don't particularly like Greene & Greene, look through this book for the endless examples of first-rate craftsmanship. Hand Applied Finishes by Jeff JewittThis is another first for me: my first book on finishing. As a home woodworker with a basement shop that has little ventilation, I don't spray. Finishing is done with brushes or rags. Jeff's book (and his web site) has helped me through more than one finishing quandary. His second book ("Great Wood Finishes") is flashier but I return most often to this one. Shop Drawings for Greene & Greene Furniture by Robert W. LangI first "met" Bob some years ago when I was planning to make a Stickley bow arm Morris chair. I'd discovered his Craftsman Plans web site and e-mailed to ask if he had a plan of the chair (I think I got the first set he printed). After that, we stayed in touch off and on. At some point I asked if he'd ever thought about adding a Greene & Greene book to his Shop Drawings series. Though Bob played it close to the vest, he had already thought of it. Fortunately, for all of us, he did more than think. The result is a tremendous resource for anyone who wants to make a G&G piece. The Handplane Book by Garrett HackPure, unadulterated tool porn. Of course, I only read it for the articles. Before I'd ever held a plane that cost more than a McDonald's value meal, I was a fan of this book. Gorgeous and informative are a formidable combination. Hand Tool Essentials from The Editors of Popular WoodworkingThis choice might seem like blatant pandering. I almost left it off of the list for that reason. But if Jack could choose Bobby for Attorney General then I should be safe in including this book. A collection of articles from about a decade of Popular Woodworking, "Hand Tool Essentials" is a fantastic resource. The list of authors reads like a who's who so naturally, the information is top-rate. Though rather well known at this point, David Charlesworth's ruler trick is worth the price of admission. — David Mathias
Monday, March 16, 2009 10:46:43 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00) 
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Greene and Greene Everyday Slide Show
Being inside a truly great house is like being transported to another world. The vision of the architect and the hands of the craftsmen create something that is set apart from the rest of the world. Visiting Gustav Stickley's Craftsman Farms, or Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is an unforgettable experience. But sometimes it all comes apart as you enter a kitchen or bathroom. The magic disappears when you see what looks like a typical room of the period. You're no longer part of a masterpiece, you could be anywhere.  Unless you happen to be touring one of the homes designed by California architects Charles and Henry Greene. In these houses, it is obvious that they didn't go off the clock when it came time to design the rooms that the public would not normally see. I became aware of this the first time I visited the Gamble House. I had driven from Las Vegas on a Saturday morning, and was killing time in the bookstore waiting for the tour to begin. The bookstore is located in what was the garage, and the restroom in the bookstore is in nearly original condition. As I was leaving the restroom, I noticed a very nice medicine cabinet. Now the restroom in the garage is probably one of the last details to be considered in designing a 12,000 square foot house and all of its furniture. But not to the brothers Greene. In our November issue is the third and final installment in a series of articles by David Mathias on the work of Greene and Greene. In August, the series began with an overview, and continued in October with a close look at details and joinery. Our final installment looks at kitchens, baths and doors-the everyday items most architects ignore or gloss over. It's an interesting look, and many of the photos and rooms have not been seen in print until now. The November issue is on its way to subscribers, and should be on newsstands in the next couple weeks. (The Gamble garage restroom cabinet is on page 68) In the meantime, we have on online slideshow of photos we didn't have room for in the magazine. click here to view the PDF slide show(1.08 MB)Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Monday, September 29, 2008 12:12:01 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Greene and Greene from a Woodworker's Perspective
Many talented and able photographers have published photographs of the work of Charles and Henry Greene. I own most of the books and have spent many hours studying these, as well as images online. I usually feel some frustration because what I really want to see is often missed. I'm one of those guys that lags behind on historic home tours, down on my knees or laying on my back to get a close look at how things go together. The docent gets frustrated, the security guard gets ready to move in, but the other woodworkers understand.  The series of articles by David Mathias on Greene and Greene feature photos that are different than any that I have ever seen. The first article, the August 2008 issue of Popular Woodworking presented an overview of the style. The second article, in the October 2008 issue focuses on the furniture and joinery details. The October issue is due from the printer any time now, and will soon be on its way to subscribers. As was the case in August, we had more photos than we had room for in print, so we are putting the extras online in PDF format.  My favorite thing about these photos is the point of view and attention to detail that comes from having a fellow woodworker behind the camera. Several of the photos are of familiar pieces, but you will see construction details you haven't seen before. Many of the photos are of objects that are rarely if ever seen. This is a rare opportunity to get a closer look at an amazing body of work, through the eyes of someone who knows what you want to see. Click the link below to download the PDF slide show of additional photos. 0810GnGSlides.pdf (1.45 MB)The slide show from the August article is available by clicking here
--Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 9:22:28 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Greene and Greene Fans Get Ready
Last October, David Mathias reported from Pasadena's Craftsman Weekend with photos and first hand accounts of the events. The only criticism we received was that these reports were too late for those who wanted to attend. Consider this as a wake up call, this year's events have been announced, and tickets go on sale in a few days. If you're a fan of the work of Greene & Greene, you'll want to be there. This is also the one hundredth anniversary of the Gamble House, and there are a number of special events taking place to commemorate this milestone.
 (photo above by Darrell Peart)We couldn't keep David here in Ohio, and last March he returned to California, camera in hand to take the photos we're featuring in a special three-part series of articles on Greene and Greene. If you've seen the August issue of Popular Woodworking you've seen part one, along with an online slide show of detail photos we couldn't squeeze into the printed magazine. The second article, coming in the October issue will show details of Greene and Greene furniture that have never been published before. The picture above is one example, and once again additional photos will appear online when the article is published.  David also traveled to several museums, tracking down original pieces of Greene and Greene furniture, such as this table from the Blacker House. If you're wondering how the table extension mechanism works, we'll be showing a photo from below. You can always tell the woodworkers when you visit a museum or old house, they are the ones with dust on their knees and backs from crawling on the floor to get a better look. This article is the next best thing to seeing this amazing furniture in person, and you won't have to worry about setting off an alarm, or having a security guard escort you to the nearest exit. If you'd rather see things in person, or want more information on Greene and Greene, David put together a resource list, which you can download by clicking on this link. GNGWWResource.pdf (48.49 KB)That should keep you busy until the October issue arrives. If you're looking for more, try a search on "Greene and Greene" here on the blog, or on the main Popular Woodworking web site. --Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Monday, August 04, 2008 1:33:30 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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A Preview of the October 2008 Issue of Popular Woodworking
The next issue of Popular Woodworking will be heading into mailboxes in the next two weeks, so we thought we'd give you a quick look at what you can expect inside.
21st-Century Workbench: For at least a year, Senior Editor Robert W. Lang has been working diligently on plans for a new kind of workbench that blends the best of modern and ancient designs. He succeeded beyond my expectations. This bench performs all the workholding tasks for power or hand tools. It's simple to build. It knocks down in less than 10 minutes (we timed it). And it looks great. We were so impressed with the design that we've even made a complete hour-long DVD of the construction process. We'll tell you more about the DVD when the issue comes out.
Tool Test: Random-orbit Sanders: If you own only one sander, it should be a random-orbit tool. But which one? Senior Editor Glen D. Huey tested nine popular brands in our shop here and found one tool that we liked better than all the rest. Here's the best thing: It's definitely not the most expensive in the test.
Details & Joinery of Greene & Greene: Trust me on this – the joinery and level of detail found on Greene & Greene-style pieces is far beyond what is typically done in today's shops. We sent woodworker David Mathias to the West Coast to get inside the casework and under the tables to reveal the inspiring level of work found in these masterpieces. Read the first installment in this series here.
Taming Handplane Tear-out: Battling tear-out is one of the most vexing things about using a handplane. Everyone has an opinion about what reduces it, but not all these strategies work all the time. We investigate.
Layout Tools: Michael Dunbar surveys the 16 tools you need for accurate layout in any shop. With his typical practical approach, Dunbar shows you how you don't have to spend a small fortune to do precision layout work.
Marc Adams on Table Saws: The table saw is the most used (and misused) tool in the American workshop. Marc Adams shows you how to set up and use your machine so you get accurate results without becoming one of the thousands of casualties each year. You can read another installment in Adams's series on safety here.
Arts & Mysteries: Adam Cherubini builds a 17th-century "joynt forme," a type of low seating bench with turned legs. Adam gives you hints on angled mortises and riving your materials using traditional methods.
The Wood Whisperer: Marc Spagnuolo runs a power-tool shop, but he uses hand tools to improve his joinery. He shows you how.
Flexner on Finishing: Bob Flexner takes on the common perception that shellac is best used a sealer when finishing. He shows you how you might be making your finishing harder than it has to be. Read more of Bob's articles here.
— Christopher Schwarz
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Monday, August 04, 2008 11:12:42 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Of Interest to Arts & Crafts Fans
The other day I was e-mailing back and forth with a Japanese guitarist who was kind enough to share some of his arrangements with my son. He mentioned how interesting it was that the internet has made it possible to make friends with people from different parts of the world and different walks of life-all that's needed is a common interest. It reminded me of how fortunate I feel to be part of a growing community. I thought I would share some of the work and websites of people I've met online who share an interest in Arts & Crafts furniture. Some of these I've met in person and the rest I look forward to meeting. A few of these will be familiar to our readers, because they've written articles for Popular Woodworking.
This dining room set, based on the Greene & Greene originals in the Gamble house was made by Darrell Peart. Darrell Peart wrote an article for our November 2007 issue about an unusual table he found while researching his book Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop. In addition to his writing and full-time furnituremaking, Darrell started a Yahoo! discussion group about Greene and Greene furniture. This group is an amazing resource, with an extremely knowledgeable membership. Darrel has just moved to a new shop, and you can take a 360-degree tour of it here.
I met David Mathias when he purchased a set of plans from my website and had some questions about building a bow arm Morris chair. I asked him to send some pictures when he was finished, and I was impressed with his work. David has had two articles published in Popular Woodworking, a Greene & Greene inspired chest in the April 2008 issue and Greene and Greene drawer construction in the February 2007 issue. David maintains a blog and we're in the planning stages of some future articles on Greene and Greene furniture that will appear later this year.
One of my favorite Arts & Crafts designers is Harvey Ellis and my book on Ellis Inlay designs resulted in my acquaintance with Ron Cossner. That's Ron's work in the picture above, and a visit to his website is well worth your time. Look over the furniture and don't forget the furniture polish. Ron works a stone's throw away from Gustav Stickley's original factory, and he is one of the unsung heroes in the revival of interest in Stickley's work. He rescued a lot of important material and made sure it landed in safe hands.
This is a reproduction of one of the Harvey Ellis inlays, made by Mitchell Andrus. Mitch is another accomplished furniture maker, and he was asked to reproduce the piano case at Craftsman Farms in New Jersey. These intricate inlays were originally introduced in 1903, and original versions are a rare and precious commodity as these versions of Craftsman furniture never made it beyond the prototype and sample stage. The addition of the inlays to Craftsman furniture really adds to the beauty and elegance of the work.
Mitch has used these in his own work, and has recently made many of the original patterns available online. These inlays are laser cut and preassembled and he also has matching stain stencils available for them. In the original Stickley pieces, the inlay work was done by an outside marquetry company and delivered to the Craftsman workshops in this same form. The inlay and background veneer are applied as a single piece of veneer, saving an incredible amount of time.
Guys like Darrell, David, Ron and Mitch are at the leading edge of Arts and Crafts reproduction work. My hat is off to them for successfully doing the work they do. Visit their sites and be inspired. I'll try to share more posts like this, and of course Popular Woodworking will continue to be the leader in presenting articles on building authentic Arts & Crafts furniture.
--Robert Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Friday, February 29, 2008 3:54:24 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Greene & Greene: Final Report From Pasadena
Popular Woodworking contributor David Mathias wraps up his coverage of Craftsman Weekend in Pasadena, California.Wednesday October 24 I planned my trip to Craftsman Weekend for about a year and a half. That creates a lot of anticipation and expectations. And expectations sometimes lead to disappointment. Not so for this trip. It has exceeded every expectation. By far. About the only way it could be better would be to win the lottery. And I haven’t yet checked my numbers. The success of my trip is due, in no small measure, to my friend Tom Moore. Tom did a lot of legwork to make sure that we were able to maximize the Greene & Greene content of my time in Pasadena. He and his wife Jenny even opened their home to me for several nights. By the way, Tom and I didn’t meet in person until last week. Many times, on my blog and in this space, I’ve mentioned the Greene-style-furniture group on Yahoo. Founded by Darrell Peart, the group includes a who’s who of Greene & Greene luminaries. Tom and I “met” there and became good friends. Spending time with Tom and a number of other guys from the group contributed significantly to the memories. On the Gamble house Details & Joinery tour, today’s main attraction, members of that forum, including Tom, Darrell and Gary Hall, Peter Hall’s grandson, dominated the group. 
David Mathias & Darrell Peart are on the right in the front row. Jim Ipekjian is trying to hide on the left in the back.
A regular tour of the Gamble house is a wonderful experience. For a furniture maker it is also a torment. At every turn there is another beautiful piece, exquisitely crafted. The natural urge of a woodworker is to touch and examine, to try to unlock the secrets of construction and finish. All of these acts are forbidden and for good reason. As Bobbi Mapstone, PR Director for the house, points out, if all 30,000 annual visitors were allowed to touch the furniture it would be damaged. At the very least the finish would wear away. So, no touching. Understandable but torturous. The Details & Joinery tour goes a long way toward relieving our suffering.
Leading the Details & Joinery tours is Jim Ipekjian. Jim is probably the world’s foremost expert on and craftsman of, Greene & Greene furniture. Having now seen some of his pieces, I don’t think I could distinguish them from the originals. As I mentioned in a previous entry, Jim is a generous, friendly man happy to share his knowledge with others. Participants on a D&J tour are not allowed to touch the furniture (or much else). But Jim is. Want to see the undersides of drawers? (I did) Ask Jim to remove it. Want to know how the upstairs hall closet doors open? (It’s really cool) Ask Jim to open one. Want to see the inside of the chiffonier? (We all did) Ask Jim to open it. I don’t think he refused a single request. And there are other ways to unlock secrets. After this tour the floors of the house are spotless – we spent a lot of time sliding around on our backs shining flashlights under the furniture. This is THE tour for Greene & Greene furniture fanatics. I would gladly have paid to stay on that ride for a second round. 
One interesting nugget, among many, from the tour: the indexing pins between the two halves of the dining room table are highly polished ebony. I suspect that only the servants ever saw that detail yet the Greenes and Halls put a lot of effort into it. In a week like I just had, it would be very difficult to choose a favorite moment or event. And I’m not one for making such choices. I don’t have a favorite song or a favorite food. If I were to try to choose a favorite event, however, the last one of the week would certainly be a candidate. I was given special permission to take photographs inside the Gamble house for an upcoming project. It was a privilege I will never forget. My only regret is that I am not a better photographer. We’ve all seen interior photos by Alexander Vertikoff and Marvin Rand, photographers with great talent and experience. I have neither but think that I was able to capture something usable. It was an amazing experience. My sincere thanks to the staff of the Gamble house for the opportunity. 
During this past week I joked that I could never again attend Craftsman Weekend because no subsequent trip could meet the high standard of this one. Of course, given the chance I’d go in a heartbeat. Next year is the Gamble house centennial. Hmmm… --David MathiasThanks again to David for sharing his trip. Look forward to an article by David next spring about the construction of a Greene & Greene style project. --Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Wednesday, October 31, 2007 1:20:10 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Greene & Greene: Craftsman Weekend Days 3, 4 & 5
Popular Woodworking contributor David Mathias continues his reports from the Craftsman Weekend in Pasadena, California.
Pasadena Heritage Craftsman Weekend is a three-day
event. My trip to Pasadena, however, is
a full week. A very busy week. So we built a little downtime into the Sunday schedule. By downtime I mean
taking a driving tour and strolling around the exhibition hall gawking at beautiful examples of
contemporary Arts & Crafts pieces and antiques.
As I mentioned in a previous entry, the exhibition is impressive. Through the good fortune of meeting via the Greene-style-furniture Yahoo group I was able to
spend time with Darrell Peart, Tom Stangeland and
Tim Celeski. Tim designs and makes
outdoor furniture, including the world’s first comfortable Adirondack chair, in various Arts & Crafts styles. Tom Stangeland designs furniture inspired by Greene & Greene but with substantial
interpretation. I spent significant time in his
booth and never tired of looking at the pieces he brought. Darrell Peart’s furniture is more obviously
Greene & Greene, including reproductions. His Gamble dining table is a wonderful achievement. Best of all, these men were very generous with their time and knowledge, and great fun to
hang out with. 
At least two Los Angeles-area museums have Greene & Greene furniture in their permanent collections. The collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art includes roughly a dozen pieces any number of which may be in storage at any given time. We got lucky – there were four pieces on display, all from the Blacker house, when we visited on Monday: the hall table, a hall chair, a living room chair and the dining room chandelier. The hall table is roughly 6' long and 3' deep. It is elegant and appears to be simple but there are, of course, many subtle details. The drawers presage those of the Gamble house and the lifts on the rails are reminiscent of those from the Robinson house. Many consider the Blacker living room chair to be the ultimate Greene
& Greene furniture design. Having
now seen one, I can understand the sentiment even if I don’t agree. Thinking about trying to make that chair
made my head hurt. Seeing Jim
Ipekjian’s faithful reproduction, on Wednesday, made my ego hurt.
Better known for its Greene & Greene collection is the
Huntington Library and Gardens, our Tuesday destination. The G&G
furniture collection is extensive. The
Thorsen dining table, chairs and sideboard are there. The Robinson dining room furniture resides there in a re-creation
of the room itself. The Ford house
server is also there. The highlights, in my
opinion, are the two dining tables. The
Thorsen table includes stunning inlays and a very interesting base including rails
that meet legs at a corner. The Robinson dining table is likely my new
candidate for Charles’ first great piece of furniture. Not coincidentally, the Robinson house marks
the first collaboration between the Greenes and Peter Hall.
Throughout this trip I have felt as though I am leading a
charmed existence. Multiple people,
with no reason to do so, have shown me kindness resulting in some
of the best memories of the trip. Kori
Capaldi, operations manager of the Gamble house, invited me to a reception for a
speaker in the Friends of the Gamble House lecture series. The reception was held at the Gamble
house. So Monday evening I found myself standing at
the front door of the Gamble house, having rung the doorbell, waiting for
someone to answer. I’ll never forget
that feeling. The house changes
character at night. Only a poet could
properly describe the warm glow on the wood from the art glass light
fixtures. 
In another example, Jim
Ipekjian graciously agreed to allow several of us into his shop for a brief
tour. Jim is a charming guy and seeing
his shop was a treat. Scattered about
were a number of pieces in various stages of completion. 
Any one of them would be the crowning achievement of my woodworking
career. Jim was nonchalant about them, even encouraging us to touch and
to open
drawers, etc. I was able to sit in his
reproductions of a Blacker living room chair and a Thorsen dining chair
– about
as close as any living person is likely to come to sitting in an
original. More on Jim in my final entry. One day remains in my trip. So far it has been incredible. When we made the schedule, Wednesday was
expected to be the best day. If that
holds true I think my head might explode. You wouldn’t want to miss that.
— David MathiasDavid's final report from Pasadena will appear on this blog on Wednesday
— Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Monday, October 29, 2007 3:44:19 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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Greene & Greene: Day 2 In Pasadena
Editor's Note: Popular Woodworking contributor David Mathias continues his reports from the Craftsman Weekend in Pasadena, Calif.
Saturday, October 20
I want to choose my words carefully so as not to overstate my thoughts. Today was one of the best days of my life. I think that’s about right. It was one of those days in which everything falls into place perfectly. One of those days that exceeds all expectations.
Before I get to what I did, I should point out what I didn’t do. There is no way to participate in all of the events that are part of Craftsman Weekend. Literally no way. Some of them conflict. I had a choice between the Greene & Greene bus tour and a trip to, and tour of, Sam Maloof’s shop. I chose the bus tour. I’ll wait a moment for those of you swearing at your screens and calling me an idiot. Done? OK. Did I mention that on the bus tour we got to tour the interiors of two Greene & Greene houses? That was the clincher for me. Now that the tour is over I can honestly say that I don’t regret the decision one bit. 
One of the houses we got to tour was designed in 1906 by Greene & Greene for Caroline Deforest. While not as grand as the Ultimate Bungalows, it is a beautiful home, a home in which I could easily imagine living. Because the house is currently for sale (if you have to ask the price…) we were permitted to take photos inside. The Greenes had not yet discovered the ebony peg. Visual interest was created with round-head brass screws, which I initially mistook for round pegs, on many surfaces. The effect is very pleasing. Board and batten cabinets are original and in excellent condition as are original lighting fixtures. The dining room chandelier has been altered (to imitate that in the Duncan-Irwin house) but the wood elements are original. Numerous large windows, a Greene & Greene signature element, provide a feeling of openness despite ceilings that are low by today’s standard.
In the afternoon we had time to browse the exhibition hall. Vendors included antiques dealers and contemporary artisans of every stripe: furniture, pottery, glass, textiles and lighting. If your Arts & Crafts home needs it, it was there. One of the highlights for me was seeing the work of John Hamm. John is a glass artist who makes pieces that look very much like the originals created for the Greenes by Emil Lange. In fact, his work is in multiple Greene & Greene homes, including the fantastic Blacker house. John was a pleasure to speak with. There was one small piece in his booth that I lusted after all weekend. The exhibition was very impressive and very well run. It’s a must-see if you are in Pasadena for Craftsman Weekend.
 The evening event today was the featured house tour and reception, an annual event. This year’s house: The Henry Robinson estate. Built in 1905 by Peter Hall, his first collaboration with the Greenes, the Robinson house is spectacular. Clocking in at 12,000 square feet on several acres at the edge of the arroyo, both the house and the view from it are breathtaking. The house, once the victim of neglect and bad taste, has been lovingly restored by the current owners, who were at the reception and are obviously quite proud of their accomplishment.
Many times I have read that the Greene/Hall collaboration was an important factor in the Greenes’ rapid evolution. Seeing the Robinson house made me understand that claim. The furniture in the Robinson is clearly a leap forward. The dining room furniture in particular is wonderful. (Interestingly, the original furniture is in a recreation of the room in the Huntington Library while reproductions are in the actual dining room.) The dining room table is a precursor to the Gamble dining table. Living room built-ins are also exceptional. The furniture in the home includes details that are different from, though just as beautiful, as those with which we are familiar from the Greenes’ better-known work. One very interesting example is that cloudlifts have been replaced with a dovetail-shaped element providing a similar effect.
I don’t know how the day could have been any better. It’ll be hard to top but I’m open to trying.
David Mathias
Thanks David, we are looking forward to more. — Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Tuesday, October 23, 2007 3:11:15 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Greene & Greene: Report From Pasadena
As I mentioned last week one of our authors, David Mathias, is spending a week in California immersing himself in all things Greene & Greene. Here is the first of several reports from David:
Friday Oct. 19
I grew up in Wilmington, Del. Wilmington is located roughly 30 minutes from Philadelphia and two hours from both New York and Washington, D.C. Therefore, I’ve had the opportunity to visit Washington’s wonderful monuments and museums many times. On the last occasion, we visited the Lincoln Memorial. Though I had been there before, I was struck with a strong sense of history and being in the presence of greatness. Today at the 16th Annual Craftsman Weekend, I felt the same way.
It was an incredible day. As a member of the Greene-style-furniture Yahoo group, I regularly interact with Greene & Greene fans from around the country. My friend Tom Moore and I had volunteered to help several of the group’s members set up their booths for the Exhibition that is part of Pasadena Heritage’s Craftsman Weekend. That’s how I met Darrell Peart, Tom Stangeland and Tim Celeski and got to see, carry and help assemble some of their very beautiful furniture. It is, by far, the most fun I’ve ever had helping people move. 
Exterior of the Gamble House
And from there the day only got better. Our next stop was the Gamble House. Arriving at the Gamble House is an almost surreal experience. As the Greene brothers best-known work, and a museum that is regularly open to the public, it is an iconic structure. But to approach in person a building that I’ve spent so much time studying in pictures is odd. I don’t know a better way to say it. Though I had been there once before, I was awed.
The interior of the Gamble House is a stunning achievement. During the standard, one-hour tour you can only begin to glimpse all there is to see. I suspect that I could spend several days just in the entry hall and still not notice all of the details. Subtlety is everywhere. As is wood. On much of the first floor, nearly every surface is wood. Teak and mahogany are everywhere. The desire to touch the beautifully finished surfaces is almost overwhelming, though doing is strictly prohibited (except when climbing the stairs). Sensory overload is a given. The attention to detail is almost insane. One example: The shape of the dining room table is mirrored in the shape of the dining room chandelier and repeated in switch plates in the room. It also appears in inlays in the master bedroom.
Exterior of the Irwin House Many casual fans don’t realize that in the Park Place neighborhood you can’t turn around without stumbling on a Greene & Greene home. Our last official event of the day was a walking tour of the area where we saw about a dozen more of their houses and were able to go inside two that are lesser known. The docent for the tour stressed the rapid evolution of the Greenes’ style. Seeing so many homes in rapid succession makes it obvious. The curve of their creative genius was very steep. Highlights included the James Culbertson house (the first name is included to distinguish it from the Culbertson sisters’ house – the Greenes had many repeat clients and personal referrals), the Duncan-Irwin house (a personal favorite – I resisted the urge to knock on the door and ask for an interior tour) and Charles Greene’s own house, which also served as something of an architectural laboratory for Charles.  Exterior gate and clinker brick wall at the Van Rossem House
David will be sending us more reports and photos this week, including some rarely seen interior details. Check back here, or subscribe to the updates in the upper left corner of the page. — Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Monday, October 22, 2007 3:07:26 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Greene & Greene Fans: This is Your Holiday Weekend
Fans of Greene & Greene furniture often refer to a trip to Pasadena as a pilgrimage. Pasadena (and the nearby Huntington Museum) is home to the majority of original Greene & Greene work that can be seen by the public. This coming weekend, Pasadena Heritage, a community organization, is hosting an event that to a Greene & Greene fan is like the Super Bowl, New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras combined. The 16th Annual Craftsman Weekend is the one opportunity to see things that are normally kept behind closed doors. If I thought I could get away with it, I'd hop on a plane and go. One of our authors, David Mathias has done just that, and he promises to fill us in on what he sees this weekend.
The picture above is a reproduction that David made of the Gamble House entry table, featured in our February 2007 issue. That issue also featured a second Greene & Greene project, an adaptation of the Thorsen House side table based on drawings from my book "Shop Drawings for Greene & Greene Furniture." David is also working on a Greene & Greene-inspired bench that will be featured in our February 2008 issue.
One of the highlights of the weekend will be a "Behind the Velvet Ropes" Tour of the Gamble House, hosted by Jim Ipekjian. Jim has been working on repairing and reproducing Greene & Greene furniture and original homes for nearly 30 years, and is probably the most knowledgeable person in the world on original construction details. We featured Jim and his work in our December 2006 issue.
Other makers of Greene & Greene-style furniture will be displaying their work Saturday and Sunday, including Thomas Stangeland and Darrell Peart. Darrel made the table shown above, featured in our November 2007 issue. In addition to the article, there are additional photos and other information online.
To those of you in Southern California who are able to attend, have a great weekend, and let us know what you saw by leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail. For the rest of us, we will have to wait for David's reports from the field. Sign up for free updates to the blog (in the upper left hand corner of the page) and we'll let you know when those are posted.
— Bob Lang
Read other entries by Robert W. Lang
Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:54:39 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Gamble House Drawers
 One of the best parts of my job is meeting talented woodworkers, getting to know them and seeing some amazing work. I first met David Mathias by e-Mail. He got in touch with me through my website with some questions about a bow arm Morris chair he was building. He shared some pictures of the finished chair, and I was impressed. After I landed here at Popular Woodworking, I kept running into him at the Greene & Greene group on Yahoo!
This is a pretty interesting group, started by furnituremaker Darrell Peart, author of "Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop" If you're a fan of Greene and Greene, you'll want to get the book, and be sure to check out the rest of Darrell's website, furnituremaker.com
David's table turned our very well, so well in fact that I encouraged him to write about it for the magazine. Here's a brief excerpt from the article, along with some pictures that we didn't have room for in the magazine. Be sure to check out the February issue for the entire story.
 The dominant feature of this table is the finger-jointed drawers, as shown above. Greene & Greene finger joints share little more than the name with more common versions. There are two major differences: First, the fingers are quite large. Where fingers in a typical joint are about 1⁄4", here they are variable in size ranging from 15⁄16" to 1 1⁄4". More important, the fingers stand proud of the adjoining surface and are decorated with ebony pegs. The result is beautiful, unusual and challenging joinery. The drawers hang from ebony runners attached to the tops of the drawer sides with mating receivers attached to the underside of the tabletop. The top edges of the drawer fronts are also capped with solid ebony.
Due to the variation of finger sizes on the drawers, it wasn’t obvious how to best cut the joints. I considered a table saw jig but couldn’t think of a design that would give accurate, repeatable results for fingers with sizes 1 7⁄32", 1 1⁄4", 15⁄16" and 1 3⁄32" from top to bottom. Ultimately, I settled on using the router table.
 Ebony pegs are synonymous with Greene & Greene designs. In some cases the pegs are functional – hiding a screw or pin that reinforces a joint. In other instances they are purely decorative. While this table includes both types, the pegs in the drawers are functional; each conceals a screw that strengthens the joint.
Virtually all edges on Greene & Greene furniture are rounded, sometimes heavily.To round the drawer fingers I needed to work the edges without affecting the fit of mating surfaces. The pegs are also slightly rounded, or pillowed, on the exposed end. This effect is critical to achieving the right look. Gaps will result from rounding too much at the corners. In addition to pillowing it is important to polish the face of the peg to a warm glow.
 Ebony caps on the sides of the drawer overhang the drawer and serve to hang the drawers from above. The runners meet ebony caps on the fronts with a half dovetail. Caps and runners are attached with brass “pins” giving a striking contrast in materials. The caps and runners are attached to the drawers with 1" x #6 solid-brass screws. Part of each screw head is removed giving the appearance of a brass pin.
It is important that all countersinks are the same depth so that the “pins” have a consistent diameter. At the drill press, set the depth of the countersink so that the entire slot in the screw head is above the surface of the runner.
I considered several options for trimming the screw heads – nervous work since correcting any mistakes would be difficult – and I settled on the router table . . .
Congratulations to David for his superb workmanship and for an excellent first article for Popular Woodworking.
Robert Lang
Thursday, January 04, 2007 4:18:09 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
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