At least three times a day, as I meander through our store, I marvel at the inherent beauty of those pieces of furniture designed and made so long ago. Now, keep in mind, I’m not talking about 200 years ago. Things changed big time in the late 1950’s. That’s when the post war machine began to gear up to meet the insatiable demand of a rapidly growing and prosperous nation. Ultimately, from that point, there was no turning back!
Joinery techniques had to be reduced to the lowest common denominator. Simplicity for speed’s sake and streamlining costs began to rule the day and inevitably, by the mid 60's, caused the beginning of the end for craftsmanship. What once took two guys a weeks to create, eventually, could be made, shipped and returned for defects in just two to three days. The new "slap and ship" furniture is sure to leave a gapping hole in a long stretch of world history. How many cultures' heritage will be without a link to the past…that is, without having to climb one of those mounds at the landfill?
Perhaps we will learn to compensate with stories? Stories that will leapfrog over an historic black hole and recall the craftsman of old? Or perhaps, we’ll have to craft new stories as time passes and the memory grows dim as we leave another two year old piece out on the lawn for the local frat house member's next great find?
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