Good citizen's furniture: the arts and crafts collections at Cheltenham

Abstract

The Arts and Crafts Movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries has had a lasting artistic and philosophical legacy, and continues to have wide aesthetic appeal. Many of its proponents were based in small rural communities in the Cotswolds, and one of the most important Arts and Crafts collections is held at Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museums in Gloucestershire. This new publication is the first to document the exceptional collection of Arts and Crafts furniture held in Cheltenham: from William Morris and his circle right up to present-day craft furniture makers such as Alan Peters. Each item of furniture in the collection is fully catalogued and illustrated alongside its catalogue entry. In addition, three chapters describe the general principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement with particular reference to furniture design, the growth of the movement in the Cotswolds, and the development of the Cheltenham collection. Superb black-and-white photography of the furniture has been specially commissioned for the book, and twelve colour illustrations highlight more intricate features of the objects. Many previously unpublished views of interiors are also included, along with other photographs from the Museum's archive which indicate the range of media represented in the collection. This is a vital source work for anyone interested in this fascinating period in British art and design.