Arts & Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest

This magnificent compendium is the first comprehensive exploration of the Arts and Crafts legacy in the Pacific Northwest. It traces the movement from its nineteenth century English beginnings to its flowering in Washington and Oregon through the 1920s and beyond, weaving a tale of idealism and devotion.

Included are public and private architecture, furniture, pottery and tile, metalworking, lighting, leaded and stained glass, jewelry, textiles, basketry and the influence of Native American arts, painting and printmaking, photography, graphic arts, and book design. The inspired handiwork of anonymous amateurs and significant regional artists alike yielded a remarkable variety of progressive architect-designed residences, bungalows for everyone, and all manner of artistic and practical furnishings and accessories.

Beautifully illustrated with photographs and period graphics, this groundbreaking volume is an authoritative reference, a provocative story, and an irresistible treasure trove for Arts and Crafts collectors and enthusiasts everywhere.

"They have told this tale as a regional one, but it can also be read as simply an American one, with more rain and taller trees." John Luke, American Bungalow

"A hefty 398-page reference with hundreds of photographs and period graphics that would appeal to Arts and Crafts aficionados as well as people who love regional history and old homes." Everett Herals

"A comprehensive historic survey...a beautifully designed and illustrated keepsake."  Western Historical Quarterly

"As an indispensible new resource, this book belongs in every design library. Effectively connecting many of the dots that have gone missing from previous works about the American Arts and Crafts movement, it also firmly establishes the important role played by the Northwest region in its well-deserved and proper context. It is destined to enrich the work of present and future scholars, while serving to inform a growing number of collectors and afficionados fascinated with this period."

—Paul Duchscherer, Historian and author of Beyond the Bungalow and Along the Bungalow Lines and the series The Bungalow, Inside the Bungalow, and Outside the Bungalow.

"For too long, the extraordinary history of the Arts and Crafts movement in the Pacific Northwest has been overlooked; finally, this is remedied. Covering everything from bungalows to textiles, ceramics to expositions, fine press printing to painting and photography, Kreisman and Mason have pulled together years of research to produce a monograph that is not only compellingly readable but authoritative, sweeping in scope yet rich in detail and images. Whether you are an enthusiast or a scholar, a collector or a connoisseur, this book is a must for your bookshelf."

—Bruce Smith, Author, with Yoshiko Yamamoto, of The Beautiful Necessity: Decorating with Arts & Crafts and founder of The Tabby and The Arts & Crafts Press

"This book is not only a delight to view, read, and handle--it also shines a revealing light on the history and the ethos of sustainability of the Pacific Northwest."

"This readable and handsome work describes and analyzes an important aspect of the art and culture of the Pacific Northwest during the early twentieth century and serves as a valuable reference for further research.  Scholars, collectors, and interested lay readers will all enjoy and benefit from reading this book."

"Capturing the Pacific Northwest in its definitive artistic moment, this book is a visual delight."

This magnificent compendium is the first comprehensive exploration of the Arts and Crafts legacy in the Pacific Northwest. It traces the movement from its nineteenth-century English beginnings to its flowering in Washington and Oregon through the 1920s and beyond, weaving into a tale of idealism and devotion everything from iconic masterpieces to recent discoveries.
You will meet the architects, artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs in Seattle, Spokane, Portland, and smaller communities throughout the region in their own words in journal entries, letters, articles, and promotional materials of the period. Included are public and private architecture, furniture, pottery and tile, metalwork, lighting, leaded and stained glass, jewelry, textiles, basketry and the influence of Native American arts, painting and printmaking, photography, graphic arts, and book design.
The ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement--a celebration of craftsmanship and the creative process; an appreciation of sound construction, pleasing proportion, grace, and simplicity; and a comfortable rusticity that sees beauty in nature and honors indigenous materials--found fertile ground in Washington and Oregon. The inspired handiwork of anonymous amateurs and significant regional artists alike yielded a remarkable variety of progressive architect-designed residences, bungalows for everyone, and all manner of artistic and practical furnishings and accessories.
Beautifully illustrated with nearly 400 photographs and period graphics, including rare images published here for the first time, this groundbreaking volume is an authoritative reference, a provocative story, and an irresistible treasure trove for Arts and Crafts collectors and enthusiasts everywhere.

Lawrence Kreisman, Hon. AIA Seattle, is program director of Historic Seattle, which produces an annual Bungalow Fair and Arts and Crafts lecture series. He has been recognized for significant work in bringing public attention to the Northwest's architectural heritage and its preservation through courses, tours, exhibits, lectures, articles, books, and program development. His publications include Apartments by Anhalt; The Stimson Legacy: Architecture in the Urban West; and Made to Last: Historic Preservation in Seattle and King County, as well as hundreds of design features in The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest Magazine. Kreisman holds Master's degrees in architecture from the University of Washington and in English literature from the University of Chicago. His lectures and tours on late nineteenth and early twentieth century design and architecture take place throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Glenn Mason, co-owner of Cultural Images, a museum and historical society consulting firm, is an avid enthusiast of the Arts and Crafts movement. While director of the Lane County Museum in Eugene, Oregon, and the Cheney Cowles Museum (now Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture) in Spokane, Washington, he mounted several Arts and Crafts exhibits, researched and spoke on the subject, and helped secure Arts and Crafts collections of regional and national significance.