John Townsend: Newport Cabinetmaker

John Townsend (1733–1809) is one of the most revered cabinetmakers of Colonial America. He spent his life in Newport, Rhode Island, leaving a uniquely large body of documented work. This handsome and generously illustrated book—the first publication ever devoted to Townsend—looks at the life and legacy of this extraordinary cabinetmaker.

The book opens with an overview of Newport and a discussion of other important cabinetmakers, including Job and Christopher Townsend, John’s father and uncle. John worked as an apprentice to his father before establishing his own shop when he was twenty-one. The catalogue section of this volume presents new color reproductions, including details of carving and construction and inscriptions and labels, of all thirty-five documented pieces by John Townsend. Comparative works by Christopher, Job, Job Jr., and Edmund Townsend as well as by John Goddard, another significant Newport cabinetmaker of the time, are also featured. Other documentation includes: a genealogical chart of the Townsend and Goddard families; wills and inventories of Christopher and John Townsend; a list of Townsend family furniture; names of John Townsend’s clients; and a list of all documented Newport furniture.

This book is the first to examine the life and work of John Townsend, one of the most revered cabinetmakers of Colonial America. New color photographs of all thirty-five documented Townsend pieces highlight his craftsmanship and distinctive personal style. Also featured are pieces by other members of his family and by his contemporary John Goddard, along with extensive archival materials.

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Morrison Heckscher is Lawrence A. Fleischman Chairman of The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art.