The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-18
Mission Furniture Fad.

one OF the best results of the pres
emf. day desire for the newest thing in
the way of hOusefurnishings Is the
style OF furniture which has now come
10 be known as mission" In the forms
we knew it now it is less than seven
years old. and though it was first de-
signed and made in this city, It's popu-
lar1ty is so great that mission furni-
ture is now made by all the large
concerns throughout the country The
chlef characteristics of the style are
severity Of old line and simplicity of
construction, and for its usefulness and
strength resembles nothing quite so
much as the furniture made in the days
long ago. when glue and nails were
not depended on to hold legs and arms
together. nor when upholstery could
hide bad joints. From the simple be-
g1nn1ngs of chairs and tables the orig
maj designer has now worked out
more than 200 articles for the house
hold, many of which show the infu-
ences of British Renaissance created nv
William Morris. Walter Crane and 9TH
er workers in the same line
IL IS generally supposed the term
mission furniture arose from the fact
that the articles made under that
generic title were copies of the chairs
ana tables used in the old monster
les Of Mexico and Lower California
The origin. however, Is from a some
what different source. About eight
years ago the creator of mission fur
n1ture" received a chair sent to him nv
one OF his agents in San Francisco.
winch had been designed by a Boston
architect who had gone to San Fran
cisco for his health, and. while there,
mad received a commission to draw
the plans for furniture for a Sweden
borgian church. Instead of using pews
for the use of the congregation, the
designer filled their places with sub
stantial chairs of a simple design, and
through miScalculation there were a
rev more of them than the church
would accommodate. The chairs were
put on sale, and the San Francisco
agent of the New York designer see
ing them, bought one and sent it East.
from that one chair the New York
designer evolved the style of furniture
which now is almost as well known to
the average householder as is the ia
m1llar Morris chair
mission furniture" in It's early forms
was decidedly angular in form and of
heavy construction, a style that still is
popular with manufacture of the ma
chime made variety. The original de-
s1gner, however, has lightened the
forms of all his pieces on the princf.
pie, as he puts it, of the modern steel
construction or of open plumbing
work. In spite of the changes in de-
sign the earlier forms have never lost
their popularity
In addition to chairs and tables.
mission furniture" now includes side
boards, plate racks. muffin stands hat
racks hall boxes. wood boxes, desks,
library tables, folding chairs and
lounglng chairs for out-of-door use.
Dedsteads corded in the time fash
lon, screens, pipe racks-in a word
everything that is used in a household
where comfort with beauty is of first
Importance. By existing standards of
cost this furniture is not expensive. al
though some of it. specially designed,
mas cost $500. A piece Of that value
Is now in the summer home of mil
lionaire at Babylon. L. 1.