Mid 18th Century Illustrated Folio, Thomas Chippendale's the Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director - 1 Book

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Title: The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director: Being a Large Collection of the Most Elegant and Useful Designs of Household Furniture.
… Read more Title: The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director: Being a Large Collection of the Most Elegant and Useful Designs of Household Furniture.
Author: Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779).
Publisher: Printed by J. Haberkorn for the author and others.
Publication date: 1755.
Edition: Second edition (Virtually identical to the 1st ed. issued in 1754).
Description: Fo. Title printed in red and black, engraved dedication, 4pp. list of subscribers, 161 copper-engraved plates (including plate 25 [bis]). Contemporary mottled calf hardcover, gilt, tan morocco lettering-piece gilt, bound and stamp-signed by Riviere.

Measures: 17.5 x 11.75 x 1.75 inches (439 x 278 mm).

Provenance: Ex-Kay and Fred Krehbiel Collection, Hinsdale, Illinois. S. Hafford (18th-century signature on title page); Granville George Leveson-Gowe, second Earl Granville (1815-1891), Leader of the House of Lords (armorial bookplate, note of his historic estate sale 10/3/92); Thomas George Baring, 1st Earl of Northbrook (1826-1904), Viceroy of India (armorial bookplate).

Notes: Second edition of Chippendale's breakthrough furniture design book. The Director was the most extensive pattern book to be created by a craftsperson and the first to have a wider audience outside tradesmen. The immense popularity of the 1754 first edition and subsequent reissues increased commissions for Chippendale's firm and cemented his position as one of the most premier 18th-century cabinetmakers. ESTC T14876.

The pedigree of this specific volume serves as a brilliant map of elite institutional taste across three centuries. It boasts an exceptional double-earl provenance, having occupied the legendary libraries of Earl Granville, the Victorian Leader of the House of Lords, and the Earl of Northbrook, the Viceroy of India. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the book resided in the landmark Hinsdale, Illinois estate of Fred and Kay Krehbiel. The Krehbiels famously collaborated with the historic design firm Colefax and Fowler to preserve and showcase the true spirit of 18th-century English country aesthetic. This copy didn't just document history; it directly informed the curation of one of the finest private collections of Chippendale-period furnishings in modern American history. See less