Not sure how many of you do American period furniture builds but I have spent a small fortune buying out-of-print and coffee table art books on period furniture. One great resource for old pieces is the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMoA) in New York. They tend to be pretty generous with online material including some detailed photographs along with offering some of their publications for free:icon_thum.
The book on American furniture of the early colonial period is one of the most helpful for builders. It has additional details about materials and some additional dimensions that this type of book usually does not include. For example: specific type of wood for each element of a mixed wood piece or dimension of turning squares for table legs. Very handy if you're reproducing or designing a period piece.
Here are a couple of their period furniture books that are online or pdf:
American Kasten: The Dutch-Style Cupboards of New York and New Jersey, 1650–1800
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...upboards_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey_1650_1800#
American Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Early Colonial Period [the online preview is the entire book!]
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...th_Century?Tag=&title=furniture&author=gruber safford&pt=0&tc=0&dept=0&fmt=0
American Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Late Colonial Period. Vol. II, The Queen Anne and Chippendale Styles
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...d_Vol_II_The_Queen_Anne_a?Tag=&title=american furniture&author=&pt=0&tc=0&dept=0&fmt=0
Baltimore Federal Furniture in The American Wing
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...ture_in_the_American_Wing?Tag=&title=american furniture&author=&pt=0&tc=0&dept=0&fmt=0
The book on American furniture of the early colonial period is one of the most helpful for builders. It has additional details about materials and some additional dimensions that this type of book usually does not include. For example: specific type of wood for each element of a mixed wood piece or dimension of turning squares for table legs. Very handy if you're reproducing or designing a period piece.
Here are a couple of their period furniture books that are online or pdf:
American Kasten: The Dutch-Style Cupboards of New York and New Jersey, 1650–1800
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...upboards_of_New_York_and_New_Jersey_1650_1800#
American Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Early Colonial Period [the online preview is the entire book!]
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...th_Century?Tag=&title=furniture&author=gruber safford&pt=0&tc=0&dept=0&fmt=0
American Furniture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Late Colonial Period. Vol. II, The Queen Anne and Chippendale Styles
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...d_Vol_II_The_Queen_Anne_a?Tag=&title=american furniture&author=&pt=0&tc=0&dept=0&fmt=0
Baltimore Federal Furniture in The American Wing
http://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpub...ture_in_the_American_Wing?Tag=&title=american furniture&author=&pt=0&tc=0&dept=0&fmt=0