The Arts and Crafts Movement in America, 1876-1916

Book excerpt: This volume focuses on the decorative arts of a period that has only recently begun to receive serious attention from museums and collectors. It starts with the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 and continues to America's entry into World War 1 in 1916. In his introduction, Robert Judson Clark defines the Arts and Crafts movement in this country and describes its stylistic periods; he also discusses the European precedents, parallels, and influences. A study of the movement in Chicago and the Midwest is contributed by David Hanks, Assistant Curator of American Decorative Arts, The Art Institute of Chicago. Professor Martin Eidelberg, Department of Art, Rutgers University, writes about American art pottery.