Yesterday was monumental. In the afternoon, a freight truck delivered my first book, Hands Employed Aright, hot off the presses from Lost Art Press.
When I signed a book contract with Chris four years ago, I had no idea how deep this research would take me. In the course of the project, I was the recipient of two generous grants from the Society of American Period Furniture Makers and the Early American Industries Association, traveled to Winterthur to spend a week reviewing my research with Charles Hummel, was granted many hours on several occasions to examine museums’ period objects, and was given sage council from friends, colleagues, and mentors the whole way through. It’s not hyperbole to say this research has changed my life. My time with Jonathan Fisher was the primary inspiration for Mortise & Tenon Magazine. In fact, I think of this book as an extended version of everything M&T seeks to do. If you like M&T and wish there was even more of it, this book is for you.
Seeing this book in real life, I cannot even express how delighted I am with how it turned out. Chris, Kara, Linda, and many others have poured themselves into this project to make it the best it could be. For those of you familiar with Lost Art Press, you know they bend over backwards to guarantee high-quality printing that lasts generations. I am honored to have worked with this team on a project so dear to my heart.
I’m pinching myself to announce that “Hands Employed Aright” is now available for purchase in our store. (And, yes, I will sign every copy sold in our store.)
Additionally, we are doing one run of posters of the artwork depicting Fisher in his workshop created by Jessica Roux (shown above). This illustration features many of Fisher’s tools and furniture in the barn that he once worked. Roux and I had several rounds of back and forth to get the details just right.
We are taking orders for this 18” x 22” poster printed on 100 lb matte paper in our store here. The poster begins shipping the last week of August.
Before you go, here are several more images of the book for your viewing pleasure…
