Spindled Prairie Settle

The Stickley brothers (of which there were five) were born in Osceola, Wisconsin before the family moved in 1876 to a small town in northeastern Pennsylvania. Gustav, Charles, Leopold (“Lee”), John George, and Albert all entered the furniture industry, periodically working together, learning from one another, and imitating each other’s Arts & Crafts designs. The L. & J. G. Stickley Furniture Company was founded by two of the brothers in Fayetteville, New York around 1902. Ads run in 1905 describe them as “cabinet makers, upholsterers, and leather workers” and their products as “simple furniture built on mission lines.” While the firm’s designs have often been considered derivative of brother Gustav’s Craftsman pieces, their quality remained consistent and their business productive. This Spindled Prairie Settle is considered by many critics and historians to be one of the firm’s finest designs. It was first published in a 1912 supplement to the firm’s 1910 catalogue, “The Work of L. & J. G. Stickley” and this example likely dates to that time. While the leather cushions are not original, they are modeled to replicate the original profiles shown in the catalogue.