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Duration: 20 min., 34 sec.

Arts & Crafts, Mission, and Craftsman.

Do you know the differences? I did not. But after this session, I am now able to tell apart them apart on my own – somewhat, as many of the nuances escape me. Bob Lang did a terrific job covering the period – he is a walking encyclopedia about this movement, popular with many woodworkers. He “…got into this…” in the 1970s, has written books about it, and talks about it authoritatively; and he researched all 16 years of The Craftsman magazine, while working on his Interiors book.

What was striking: I learned that the style is almost unrecognizable today, from its origins in 19th century England. Although many of the names associated with the movement were familiar to me, I learned about the top designers or the time, starting with Gustav Stickley and his brothers. Bob did a terrific job illustrating the differences between Arts & Crafts, Mission, and Craftsman pieces – I hope I remember all the information, for I would like to design and make some pieces in one of these styles at some time in the (near?) future.

My hope is that this edited version of Bob Lang’s session will give you a sense of his depth of knowledge about the Arts & Crafts style. And that my editing reflects the true spirit of his presentation – all shortcomings in the video are my own.

If you get a chance, plan to attend one of the Woodworking in America conferences.

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