|
Below is an excerpt from the Stickley catalog that gives
a historical account of this fine company. For more information on
Stickley, please visit their web
site at www.Stickley.com.
In 1900 Leopold Stickley and his younger brother, John George bought
a furniture factory in Fayetteville, New York, and incorporated it four
years later as L. & J.G. Stickley. Their first furniture line,
handcrafted Mission Oak, was a new aesthetic one — which stressed
function and unadorned beauty over the ornateness of the Victorian era.
In 1916, changing public taste ended the first Mission era, and Leopold
Stickley inaugurated his Cherry Valley Collection: classic American
designs made of solid cherry wood that was abundant in the Adirondack
region.
Considered by many experts as America's most distinctive cherry line,
Stickley furniture was recognized for its authentic designs, integrity
of construction and incomparable finish. In 1956 Leopold Stickley was
honored as "The Revered Dean of Cabinetmakers whose art and
craftsmanship have contributed mightily to American home life", by
House Beautiful, House & Garden, National Geographic, The New
Yorker, and Fortune Magazine, among others. At the time of Leopold's
death in 1957, L. & J.G. Stickley was one of the most recognized and
admired furniture companies in the nation.
By the early 1970's, the workforce at Stickley had dwindled to 22
full-time employees, production was limited and the company was on the
verge of closing. A new era began for Stickley when Alfred and Aminy
Audi bought the company and started nurturing it back to health. Today
Stickley is a thriving company with more than 1300 employees who have a
deep appreciation for Stickley's heritage and pride in its product.
Located in Fayetteville, New York, since 1900, the factory was moved to
its present location in nearby Manlius, New York, in 1985. Today the new
factory has more than 400,000 square feet of efficient production space.
Now, in addition to the historic Mission Collection, the craftsmen and
craftswomen of Stickley proudly produce Traditional 18th Century pieces,
select pieces from the Williamsburg Reserve Collection (as a result of
an exclusive licensing agreement with The Colonial Williamsburg
Foundation), 21st Century, Metropolitan, French Collection, and Stickley
Fine Upholstery Collections. Within each collection, Stickley offers
additional Collector's and Commemorative pieces, all of which are signed
and dated by a Stickley cabinetmaker.
Authentic designs, integrity of construction and commitment to
craftsmanship is The Stickley Difference. Furniture rooted in the past,
designed for the present, and destined for
the future…Uniquely American.
|
