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Texas Handmade Furniture

By Gary Weeks
Posted Mar 04, 2020
Categories: Dining Furniture, Design & Craft, Business & Community

When it first came out in 1975, a friend gave me a copy of Texas Furniture—a book about furniture handmade in Texas before the railroads came. It has served as inspiration ever since.

Cover page of Lonn Taylor's Texas Furniture book, describing furniture made (handmade) in Texas before the railroad's came.
Texas Furniture, Lonn Taylor, J.M. Jahn Rocking Chair

 

Leslie and I became friends with Lonn Taylor, the principle author, and Dedie, his wife. That friendship has been a joy, an education, and a validation.

Lonn was director of the Winedale Historical Center in Texas where some of the furniture in the book resides. He later was a director of portions of the Smithsonian. He used terms like “material culture” and made me feel like we added meaning and value to the world by the work we do. 

IP 1606

Retired to Ft. Davis, Lonn and Dedie were renowned hosts—their dinner guests sat in our chairs.

Williams chairs at Lonn Taylor's house

Lonn's note on the cover page of my book, gives me pause and something to live up to.

An inscription by Lonn Taylor in his Texas Furniture Book:  To Gary Weeks, Texas' finest cabinetmaker.

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