Hands Employed Aright: The Furniture Making of Jonathan Fisher

by Joshua A. Klein

Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847) was the first settled minister of the frontier town of Blue Hill, Maine. Harvard-educated and handy with an axe, Fisher spent his adult life building furniture for his community. Fortunately for us, Fisher recorded every aspect of his life as a woodworker and minister on the frontier.

In this book, author Joshua A. Klein, the founder of Mortise & Tenon Magazine, examines what might be the most complete record of the life of an early 19th-century American craftsman. Using Fisher’s papers, his tools and the surviving furniture, Klein paints a picture of a man of remarkable mechanical genius, seemingly boundless energy and the deepest devotion. It is a portrait that is at times both familiar and completely alien to a modern reader – and one that will likely change your view of furniture making in the early days of the United States.

Genres: Woodwork, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Ben Crews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun history of a pioneer in the realm of furniture making with a little history of New England and a gorgeous catalogue of Fisher's work thrown in.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with all Joshua Klein works the pictures are beautiful and the woodworking technical aspects are very informative. Quick read with more catalog of his works/tools than the biography (but that was the intention from the intro)

[Stephen Fridrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me begin by stating that I thoroughly enjoyed this book for several reasons. I like history, I am an avid woodworker, and the scope and presentation in the book are excellent. Each chapter reveals another aspect of Jonathan Fisher's life and his work. The historical descriptions were very informative. The tools that Jonathan used and his techniques were quite impressive. He has so few tools and he used them to the best level. The simplicity of his methods and techniques are quite surprising to modern methods. Surely there are lessons for present woodworkers. Only the front show side needs refinement. The back side is not as important and Jonathan practiced that to the extreme. Lastly the photographs are beautiful. The descriptions of the individual furniture pieces and tools offers great insight to the man and his methods. Jonathan was a very successful man and an accomplished woodworker. Lastly don't be put off by the price of the book. Trust me that it is certainly worth the cost. You will not be disappointed.