Book Reviews
“Mysteries of vintage pieces solved by veteran columnist.”
– Robert Reed, Antique & Collectible News Service
"Fred Taylor
understands you’re probably not a rocket scientist. As such, he doesn’t
treat you like one. He also knows it’s unlikely you have a degree in
furniture construction or furniture styles. Chances are good you’re
just an average person who likes antiques and wouldn’t mind knowing a
little more about furniture. As such, Taylor has just the book for you.
The popular Antique Week columnist recently published “HOW TO BE A
FURNITURE DETECTIVE”.
This is no
oversized, overbearing treatise that reads like a doctoral thesis. Instead
Taylor takes a refreshing approach that’s more like two old friends
talking over a cup of coffee. The book is basic, but it doesn’t treat the
reader like an idiot. Taylor patiently paces through the fundamentals of
understanding antique furniture. He begins by explaining the tools needed
to be an antique detective. Then, point by point, he leads the reader
through the process of examining a piece of furniture so that it reveals
essential clues regarding age and condition. For anyone wanting an
easy-reading book to teach them a thing or two about judging the age and
makeup of piece of furniture, this title is perfect." – Don Johnson,
Antique Week
"When friends
interested in learning about antique furniture ask me to recommend a good
basic book on the subject, I’ve been hard pressed to answer. Many of the
books out there lump furniture in with other subjects, or assume that the
reader already knows what distinguishes true period furniture from the
“merely old.”
Fortunately, Fred
Taylor, a respected longtime furniture restorer, collector and writer on
the subject has authored a new book “HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE.”
Although furniture joints and tool marks can make for dry subjects, Taylor
treats his readers to an entertaining writing style, plenty of full color
and black and white photos, and solid information gained from his years of
experience.
There is an overview
of styles, a full color page showing common wood grains and a helpful
section on antique glass and mirrors. As an added plus, the book is
published in paperback, keeping the cost down and making it light enough
to carry along to antique malls, tag sales and auctions. In short it’s a
valuable resource beginning furniture sleuths will find well worth
investigating." – Sarah Campbell Drury, Busy Bee Trader, American
Society of Appraisers
How
to be a Furniture Detective will help you discover the following:
How
to determine the basic style of a piece