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Document 24: Paul D Otter on "Mechanic", "Cabinetmaker",
Craftsman", "Carpenter" 1923
Note to Readers: Layout of
chapters is still in flux. Each chapter's narrative is "in
progress", and, chapter-by-chapter, will be uploaded as parts
are completed. My experience writing books published in paper
only translates so far when it comes to writing an "online"
book. For me, at least, the change in format, especially the
idea of being confronted by a video screen of text and images,
rather than physical pages of text and images, requires learning
anew a host of techniques that applies in traditional
publishing. The saving grace of digitized publishing is,
however, that unlike the paper format, nothing is carved in
stone. With the digitized format, numerous variations in style,
organization, and so forth, can be tried, until arriving at what
seems like a reasonable, fairly attractive set of results.
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Opening paragraphs of chapter III of
Paul D. Otter's Furniture for the Craftsman
1914 and 1923, pages 67 and 68
(I posted this fragment by Otter
4-26-07, but have been thinking about it/him for some
time, largely because his woodworker's manual is so
mysterious.
I also posted his comments about the Morris chair.
Part of the problem with Otter, of course, is that I
can't find biographical material on him, which would
perhaps shed more light on whether he is dead serious,
or is simply a pretentious, but talented charlatan.
Perhaps charlatan is -- as a term to describe him --
much too strong, because throughout hist Furniture
for the Craftsman, Otter speaks authoritatively
about furniture construction, and he does display
definite tastes about furniture, most of which I think I
agree. Once you get over his writing style -- with its
tendency to ramble, rather than to be direct -- and
sometimes tending toward obtusiveness -- in saying that
about over embellishment on Elizabethan furniture, what
does he really mean? Does he like it or not?
Otter's "Preface" states that this
book originally appeared as a series of articles in
The Building Age:
PREFACE
IT is gratifying to realize that the period
in which the series of articles under the
heading: "Cabinet Work for the Carpenter"
occupied frequent space in the columns of
The Building Age, has been
noticeable the period in which taste of the
public has been pressed back into the good
old mould from which so much of our enduring
art was cast. To this subject and homage to
the old masters of furniture building,
deference is paid in the opening chapter,
where a short review is attempted of that
portion of the history of furniture showing
examples best designed to inspire us for the
work to be considered.
Much additional matter has been added to the
original articles and all arranged in the
form of a handbook in order to meet more
general requirements under the title "Furniture
for the Craftsman."
In addition to the
carpenter and the manual training student
there is the day-fagged business man as well
as many others who are likely to find
refreshment from commercial and professional
pressure in the increasing skill of doing
things and in the joy of their
accomplishment.
No attempt is made to dismember or revise
this present edition.
Certain styles, detail and finish, may have
passed in the interim since the articles
appeared in magazine serial, and in the
firs, edition; that however is
inconsequential to the main though:- - Our
times and style tendency. The best remains,
or we will say, the elements. Take the
"Mission" referred to on page 28 -- it is in
little favor in this year 1923. Its
prototype the "Spanish and Italian" are much
in favor, and yet structurally it is like
the "Mission," but more ornate, for the
reason that the "Mission" was influenced by
the Italian, or properly by the Spanish.
The added chapter on Drawing is not a
treatise for the mechanical draftsman, or
the architectural student. Rather is it the
intimate disclosure of long years in
designing room practice.
PAUL D. OTTER
Chicago, April, 1923.
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I will continue to be on the look out
for more background on this guy, and if it looks
worthwhile I will post the information here.)
CHAPTER III: CERTAIN FURNITURE
FORMS VALUE OF SPARE TIME AND OBSERVATION
WHETHER a carpenter
with skill in using wood-working tools,
or the man, who, following another
occupation, knows also the joy of working in
wood, he is ever eager, with creative
desire, to fashion certain furniture for his
own use.
A careful examination of many patterns seen
in the stores, or coming under his
particular attention, would assure him of
his ability to produce work on similar
lines, provided a few suggestions or guiding
points be given.
Assisted by accompanying illustrations which
aim for simplicity of construction, and
unbroken character of outline, is the
purpose of bringing these articles together
for a ready reference, and it is hoped a
fountain of inspiration and suggestion.
A commendable feature of the better patterns
of present-day furniture is the emulating of
the sturdy character and simplicity of
treatment of the old cabinet makers,
and be it said here that our early
American craftsmen created much that we
of the present time are forced to admire.
It is true we have misapplied our efforts
through the medium of modern tools, but
would not the model maker of a furniture
plant of today be staggered should an
apparition of his brother craftsman of
1700 appear and rudely snatch away
the power-driven rip-saw, jointer, band-saw
and back-knife lathe, and insist upon
the modern man using the tools employed in
those days of yore![?] Should such be
true and our twentieth century man begin his
task under the old way, in the light of a
great joke, is it unreasonable to suppose
that long before he converted his log into
boards the thought would come before him, as
he curiously handled and inspected the heavy
jack plane, that his would be no easy
task in dressing his stock[?]; but he sets
to with a will to experience what those "old
fellows" must have had to do before they
could mark a line. While he catches his
breath and wipes the perspiration from his
face, a bright, rational idea comes to his
mind and he says,
"When I get this
stock smoothed up I'll go over my
drawings and leave out some of my
'ginger-bread' work and make my detail
subservient to the construction, an
object for which it is intended,"
and then it dawns upon him
that this must have been the idea of the
mechanic 200 years back, when he
produced the furniture we admire so much
today. He did it in a direct way and
confined his energies to beautifying only
such places and parts as needed it the most.
The literature and history of the times have
been very much directed to old Colonial
landmarks and customs. [Otter acknowledging
the Colonial Revival that was a
driving influence in the 1910s and 1920s in
determining what furniture people used to
furnish their homes of ] This tendency has
consequently created good prices for the few
patterns of furniture that come by chance
into the hands of the dealers and has
created a demand for copies. A number of
factories arekept busy manufacturing with
great faithfulness re-productions of "old
antiques." therefore
The mechanic, not necessarily a cabinet
maker, can do much in furnishing part of his
home with portable or built-in furniture if
he will but observe the chaste, simple lines
of the earlier work-man. During the era
of flashy, overestimated furniture, some
years since, there prevailed an idea among
craftsmen other than furniture workers that
it was a special art and privilege to
perpetuate those styles from which we have
since turned. So it was, and we are glad of
it, for such frailties soon went to pieces
and had their short day.
It will be noticed by the aid of the few
patterns shown that very little intricacy is
attached in laying out necessary draft from
which to work. For the height of seats or
tables refer to any standard piece of
furniture about the house, allowance being
made, of course, where a seat is to be
upholstered, to build the frame less the
thickness of proposed upholstered cushion.
The same applies as to casters on chairs,
couches or tables. ...
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