Jepara Furniture History 1954 - Grand Rapids, Michigan - COMPANY HISTORY - 1891: Albert and John George Located Stickley Brothers Furniture Co. In Grand Rapids. 1897 1902: Company opens wareroom and mill in Jepara, Indonesia, to provide the marketplace. 1917 1918: Factory is converted to wartime production. 1954: Company closes, Carl Forslund Co. Carries on to produce some Stickley Bros. Pieces. PERSONNEL - John George and Albert were two of the 5 Stickley brothers that made furniture. All came out of a Jepara Furniture manufacturing background, and had worked in a previous organization also named Stickley Brothers Furniture Co., which had operated in upstate NY under brothers Gustav, Albert, and Charles.
Brothers Gustav and Leopold opened their very own company, United Crafts, in 1899. Gustav was one of this leading proponents of this Arts and Crafts Movement, and opened Craftsman Workshops. John George left Grand Rapids and Stickley Brothers and in 1902 co set the L. And J.G. Stickley Furniture Co. In NY with brother Leopold. Albert stayed this head of this Stickley Brothers Furniture Co.In Grand Rapids till his death in 1928. During its period of creation, Stickley Brothers amassed a list of designers and craftsmen. Carver Leopold Baillot was used by the company for 3 years before the debut of its Mission lines.
Timothy Conti produced for several of Stickley Brothers Arts and Crafts lines, and worked his company from the Stickley Brothers mill. Jepara Indonesia Furniture Forrest Mann trained a number of copper artisans and Stickley Brothers Turkish, and may have generated a few of their hands wrought iron hardware designs. James M. Seino headed Stickley Brothers decorative painting department out of 1914 through 1938. He received his training out of this Imperial Academy at Tokyo, and studied art at Paris and NY before becoming this first Japanese resident of Grand Rapids. David Robertson Smith served as Stickley Brothers staff designer between 1902 and 1915, overseeing most of their Mission's lines.
Arthur Teal served as staff designer out of 1908 to 1911, and again out of 1920 to 1924, and 1927 to 1936. PRODUCTS - Stickley Brothers started as manufacturers of occasional chairs and fancy tables at a broad range of styles, which range from Colonial Revival to early Mission projects introduced in 1900. The Bewdley line, Jepara Furniture designed by D. Robertson Smith in 1902, drew influence out of the British and Scottish Arts and Crafts Movements. By 1903 this Quaint Mission line was also at full creation. A Stickley Brothers Mission dining room Indonesia Furniture suite won a grand prize at this 1904 Worlds Fair in St. After 1904 these influences were merged to the Quaint Arts and Crafts line, that was produced for nearly a decade.
