Canadian Furniture Research Bibliography

List of books I have been reading regarding Early Canadian Furniture, check back regularly as I add more to the list.

A Guide to Pre-Confederations Furniture of English Canada Don R. Stewart
At Home in Upper Canada Jeanne Minhinnick
Country Furniture and Accessories from Quebec : Warren I Johnansson
Early days in Upper Canada : letters of John Langton from the backwoods of Upper Canada and the Audit Office of the Province of Canada : John Langton
Early Furniture in Upper Canada Village 1800 - 1837 : Jeanne Minhinnick
Pioneer Days in Upper Canada : Edwin C. Guillet
Pioneer Life Among the Loyalists in Upper Canada : Walter Stevens Herrington
Pioneer Settlements : Edwin C. Guillet
The Early Furniture of Ontario and Atlantic Provinces : Henry and Barbara Dobson
The Pioneer Farmer and Backwoodsman : Edwin C. Guillet
Upper Canada Sketches : Thomas Conant
Village life in Upper Canada : Gary Thomson

Big New Project

The sides of what I am calling the Pickering Bench, the first research piece (also a commission for a customer) for my upcoming book on Canadian Furniture

I recently began work on a large, multi year, woodworking project. I am writing a book about Canadian furniture, focusing on the period of 1775 to 1850, a time of large population growth and land settlement in Canada (specifically in what is now Ontario, though I will be looking at the whole of Canada). This is a huge and varied topic, Canada is a remarkably diverse place, full of different heritages and cultures, it would be impossible to write a book adequately covering everything. As a woodworker (joiner and furniture maker) my focus is on the furniture made by the people who came to this country trying to settle and build a new life.

I hope to have the book published within the next 4 years, I hope to have a completed manuscript in the next 2 to 3 years. This is a new endeavor for me and there is a lot to figure out, both from a subject matter and technical aspect. 

The idea for the book is to provide a look into the early life of people in Canada. What was the landscape and climate like, who came to the country and why, how did they settle, what were there homes like and obviously what furniture was found in these early homes (SPOILER there was a lot of painted red pine). The book will (as of now) three parts, A history of Canada, common furniture construction details of the time period and collection of building projects (tables, chairs, shelves, etc.).

I will be posting content in multiple different locations, sharing slightly different format and info (I'm not holding anything back anywhere). Instagram will be for live updates of what I am working on, as I build the research pieces and go explore the museums, exhibits, furniture and workshops. Ill be on Substack posting longer form writing about what I'm doing and what I'm learning. And here I will be posting longer posts that will emulate the finished text for the book (I also will be posting things like reading list I have for all the texts I'm studying). I'm also posting in multiple places, in multiple ways to practice writing. I will also look into Youtube for some longer form video if I make any. Again I'm new to this process so things may change.

I'm super excited for this project. I am already deeply engaged with the subject matter (probably has something to do with the current conversation about Canadian sovereignty) and I hope others
enjoy what I share, and I welcome any feedback or thoughts.

 

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/mueller_homestead?igsh=MTVnb2xsNmRiOXUwYQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Substack

https://tatteredjeansandsawdust.substack.com/?r=20hshy&utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page

Longing

The snow is still on the ground and spring is coming, the warmth of the sun is growing stronger day by day,

I have been driving between cities lately for work. I could easily jump on the highway and shave 15 minutes off the trip but instead I have been roaming the country roads between home and site. I feel at ease in this mix of farm land and cedar scrub forest, its intimately familiar to me.

Simultaneously to my lovey commute is a geopolitical nightmare that has saddened and frightened me. A talking cheeto with a bad haircut has been bloviating on tariffs, national pride and annexing my country. Ive sat at a dinner table and listened to a grandparent talk about the horrors of a nation taking over her home during the second world war. Hearing the jabbering train wreck speak like this hurts my soul in a way that its truly hard to articulate.

On top of this, my wife is six months pregnant with our first child. A three year odyssey full of heartbreak and continual stress. I cannot wait to catch my breath and stare in to the face of my little boy. 

I feel a longing in my heart for times that were and times to come. This feeling is strengthened by the world around me, the good and the bad. A wave of emotional hit me the other day behind the wheel of my truck. To sit in a quite yard, surrounded by trees and grass and fields. To hear birds singing the new spring songs, to feel the warmth of a fire burning oak, maple and ash. To drink a good beer, talking with the ones I love. The world is nothing like I expected it to be, the naivety of youth paints only with bright colours, but there is still so much to be grateful for and so much I long to enjoy.