The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12


i chairs and benches used by the
Franciscan fathers in the old
missions were Spanish or Mexican and
generally Of the, rudest and erudest
class Here and there a better piece
may be found, as in the confessional
chair of San Miguel Mission, but more
often the chairs are clumsy and crude
ly made, as is one OF the old altar
chairs of San Miguel.
So rude and shabby did it appear
that when, some years ago. Bishop
Montgomery (now Archbishop made
his visitation, the priest removed it
out of doors and put a more modern
chair in its stead. The Bishop, with
that keen appreciation of true senti-
ment for which he is noted. bade the
priest restore the chair to its wc1ted
place. He said he preferred to see and
use chair in which. doubtless, often
had rested the sainted Junipero Sierra,
than the finest of modern chairs.
The chairs and other furniture made
by me are very different from any of
the furniture used in the missions of
California. l never called it by the
mission name and never suggested that
it should be So called. The reason for
the name, however. 1 think is clear.
The old r,lssion architecture is simple,
dignified, frankly adapted to its pur-
pose. and without frills or furbelows of
any kind. That is exactly the fact in
regard to my furniture. There is no
seekil0 for fiashy and cheap adorn
ment. Nothing is stuck on. 1t is SIM
pie, dignifed and frank. And in this
close similarity to the old mission style
you have the reason for the name. Not,
as so many people have imagined, in
that I was copying the old mission
furniture brought over from Spain, or
from Mexico. or made here under the
direction of the padres.
1 have been a furniture maker for
many years and have long wished to
make something of a different class
from that which there was a demand
for. But people were not ready for it.
They were not educated to care for
such simple furniture as that which
had in mind. They wanted snowy,
fashy, ornate stuff. / wanted some
thing distinctly American. The more
l thought about it the more
came to the conclusion that
we, as a nation, were doing nothing
more than initiating the work of other
nations, living in different country,
under different conditions withsan en-
tirely different environment from ours.
We had our limitations OF classic
and empire and Louis XIII and Louis
the magnificent, and Queen Anne and
a score of other styles, but nothing
Nf
American.
1 was assured that furniture, as
everything else, ought to represent
ourselves, our conditions. and that 1t
was better to begin with single style
that was our own and adapted to our
environment, conditions and life, than
all the time be initiating something
else, no matter how excellent that
something else seemed to be In its
own place and time.
Little by little this plain, simple
style evolved itself. Certain prin-
ciples formulated themselves and to
these my American furniture must
conform. First of all 1t must be
honest. There must be no sham
about it. 1t must be what It proposed
and appeared to be. Then 1t must
be adapted to its purpose. 1t must
be plainly and openly chair, or a
table, or a settee. Then 1t must be
structural. It's lines must be simple.
dignified and those best adapted to
the uses to which the made article
was to be placed.
Accordingly 1 made plain, simple,
strong furniture, using plain woods
and feathers, preserving in every case
the original grain and texture OF both
leather and wood, giving them a
change of tone by simple but potent
processes, and at once the whole line
leaped to success. Ny workshops are
increasing its capacity all the time
and now I am contemplating more
than doubling them.
The ideas 1 started with have
grown and multiplied and thousands
now agree with me.
And the more 1 thought upon the