Victor Chinnery's book, 'Oak Furniture: A British Tradition', covers the history and development of furniture in oak and kindred materials in the British Isles and New England, dating from the Middle Ages through to 1800.  

The subject matter is broken down into a logical sequence of aspects and is generously illustrated throughout.  The furniture featured includes the finest examples of the period, through to sturdy, workmanlike pieces that modern collectors will find affordable.

The study of oak furniture, though still very much in its infancy, is a rich and varied subject which reflects the social and domestic lives of many generations of our ancestors.

One of the most profound influences on the design and appearance of furniture in the 16th and 17th centuries was the system of rigid demarcations used by the different furniture making trades, an area in which the work of joiners was exceptionally important.  Chinnery explains the techniques and materials used by the different trades, as well as other considerations of vital interest to the modern collector and curator.

The furniture of Connecticut and Massachusetts in the 17th century is also presented as an extension of the range of styles popular in other English provinces at the same time.

Oak Furniture: A British Tradition, by Victor Chinnery.

Oak Furniture: The British Tradition, by Victor Chinnery.  Hardback, 552 pages.  ISBN: 9781851497157.  RRP: £75.00