I am at the beginning of learning about the Arts & Crafts movement, and i have to write an essay with the title, "Compare and contrast the principal elements of the Arts & Crafts style."

I'm lost!

Can someone point me in the right direction, ie, what are the principal elements of the Arts & Crafts movement?

This is probably a stupid question, but i really am struggling!

I have been researching on the usual places, wikipedia etc, but its so confusing!

Thanks!

There's no simple answer - this question pops up semi-regularly here. When I did essays I used to read read read and then start throwing away references that didn't seem to fit a pattern. The rest I would read again and start making a list of key words or themes, and then add notes under the themes. Eventually it will all start to fit it place. If you're just beginning to learn about A&C don't expect a quick fix that explains everything in a few paragraphs or pages. Even the history section posted here is incomplete. Keep surfing/reading and good luck.

Stonecat is correct in that there is no easy answer to your essay topic. Some comparisons can be made with the busy designs of the Victorian age and the simplicity of the A&C Movement. Copare the mechanization of the Industrial age and the obvious handmade quality of the Movement.
I suggest you find a few strong points of the Movement and discuss how these were different from the previous designs of the timeframe of the Movement.

Fred

Good Morning Friend,
I suggest that you look up one thread to the Arts and Crafts History and this may give you some insight for your essay. Feel free to use any part of the history as you have my permission to do so as I am the writer of the history as I researched in order to write it without infringing on anyone's copyrights.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

It's always tough to be thrown into the middle of something like this with tight deadlines and information scattered everywhere.

First of all Wikipedia is not a good resource for any sort of serious research. It just gives you a general overview of the facts with very little in depth information. No wonder you are having problems.

Go to your local large bookstore like Barns & Noble or Borders. Books and magazines on American Arts & Crafts have become quite a fad lately. Ten years ago, there wasn't much out there. Look through everything you can get your hands on and plan to spend a couple of hours. See if your local library carries any of these books and/or magazines and ask the librarian for help. The library might not have them because most of these books are new and would eat up a good portion of their budget.

The problem with doing a paper like this is that the interest in A & C is fairly young compared to the research done on Impressionism, Victorian, Cubism, Art Nouveau, Art Deco and so forth. Think about your audience. Who you are writing this paper for? Is it for a class in American History, Art History, Architecture, History of Decorative Arts, or English (writing)? That will give you a clue on what kind of questions to ask yourself to narrow down your research.

Here is a hint: the A & C in the US really started to mature around 1900 and began to die out by 1915. A lot of the companies went out of business because the "taste" of the American public changed. They went broke. Those that survived were the companies that were able to switch gears and make their products in a different style.

Architecture:
That would include Bungalows(promoted by Gustave Stickley in Syracuse, NY); 4-Squares(variation of a center hall colonial); Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie style homes started in Chicago,IL; Green and Green mansions built in California; etc. Variations of this style such as Tudor residential houses were designed until around 1925 while the popular 4-square two-story style home was built until 1930. So you really have a narrow time frame to work with for your research.

Metal work:
Roycroft, Heinz, Tiffany Studios, Dick Van Erp, etc.

Furniture:
Gustave Stickely and all of his brothers, Limbert, Shop of the Crafters, and too many others to list.

Pottery:
Fulper, Marblehead, Newcomb, Pewabic, Rookwood, Teco, Roseville--every region of the US had their own A & C pottery studios--there were lots of them.

A & C is famous for architecture, furniture, tile, pottery, lamps, metalwork (platters, bowls, vases, desk sets), carpets (oriental type rugs), wallpaper, linens (table runners, pillows, curtains, etc.)and paintings. They all were variations of the same philosophy which you can find out once you research William Morris (the father of English Arts & Crafts) and Gustave Stickely who published his own magazine. (Look up Stickely and you should find some good quotes for your paper.)

Check out a book called the " The Official Identification and Price Guide to American Arts and Crafts" by David Rago and Bruce Johnson. It gives a consise, accurate overview of the movement which should be an excellent resource for your paper.

Good luck.

Bev.

{added link to recommended book}