Hands Employed Aright: The Furniture Making of Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847)

by Joshua A. Klein

"The tale of Jonathan Fisher is no mere vignette, however. It is one of the richest first-hand accounts of a life, community and artistry of a provincial American villager ever known. Further, nearly the entire material culture of Fisher’s life is extant, complete and cataloged. Given these riches and his own insights, Joshua Klein has been able to almost crawl inside the skin of his subject and let us see Fisher’s world through Fisher’s eyes." -- Donald C. Williams

In “Hands Employed Aright,” Joshua Klein, best known as the founder of Mortise & Tenon magazine, delves deeply into the life off Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847), a minister and furniture maker based in Maine. You could probably add “diarist” to this list, because Fisher kept detailed notes on both his woodworking and ministry, enabling the author to offer a really comprehensive look at the life of a 19th century American craftsman.

The book uses a multi-faceted approach to show Fisher’s furniture and its context, merging history with a conservator’s and furniture-maker’s close examination of the furniture itself. Nor as Fisher’s tool work neglected; the book shows both Fisher’s exacting and more pragmatic standards.

If you enjoy the rigor and infectious enthusiasm of Mortise & Tenon magazine, you will probably be entranced by this book as well.

To read an excerpt, click below.

288 pages. Full color on heavy coated paper. The pages are sewn for durability, hardbound and covered in a full-color dust jacket.

Pages: 336
Binding: HC
Publisher: Lost Art Press