Another unique characteristic of the Queen Anne period furniture is that although it started in approximately 1745, it is still widely used today. Perhaps the main reason for this is due to Thomas Chippendale, a furniture maker from London England who published a “Directory” of furniture designs that included instructions on furniture making.
His publication was widely used in the Americas, largely because Chippendale himself took out ads in many newspapers and magazines (such as Vogue). Initially, only those who could afford these rather expensive pieces of furniture used his designs. Again, we see that these pieces were less elaborate and their use was primarily functional.
The introduction of the Queen Anne style in America was also encouraged by the Industrial Revolution, which introduced many new types of machinery such as wooden lathes to the manufacturing process. This allowed for the mass production of many Chippendale pieces, commonly called replicas today.
With the Industrial Revolution, we also begin to see the development of a true middle class, which became involved as apprentice artisans in furniture making.
As more pieces were made, a merchant’s class also developed as a means to sell the pieces.
The growth of major cities also played a role as more people could afford to build their own home. Not surprisingly, each of these homes required furniture.
As the apprentice artisans developed their craft and their financial stature rose, another market was also opened up for this group of new buyers.
This process continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In fact, the Queen Anne style is even being produced for homes today. For example, I myself own a Queen Anne replica table. Oddly, I didn’t even know it was a Queen Anne style piece until I started to research this paper.
The amount of information on the Internet is phenomenal. I found a table and antique Queen Anne style table that sells on the internet for $1800.00. Its origin is unknown and most likely is a replica. Typical of these furniture pieces is the dining room table shown below.
The impact of the Queen Anne style has even spread to children today. Here are some pieces of furniture that can be purchased today to form children’s table and chair set.
