Focus on Furniture Series

September 20 │ October 17 │ November 22
5:30-7:00 pm

Series price: $30 for CHS and Windsor Historical Society members, $40 for non-members (individual program pricing below)

Join us this Fall as we highlight our nationally-renowned furniture collection through a series of programs designed to help you learn about the rich legacy of furniture in Connecticut, how to begin collecting furniture, and techniques from centuries past in a hands-on demonstration. Discounted series tickets are available for online advance purchase. Individual program tickets will be sold at the door. For more information, call (860) 236-5621 x289 or email Jenny Steadman.

The Heritage of Windsor Cabinet Makers Comes to Life
Friday, September 20 │ 5:30-7:00 pm │ refreshments provided
$10 CHS and Windsor Historical Society members │ $15 non-members

Christina Keyser Vida, Curator of Collections and Interpretation of the Windsor Historical Society, will share the history of cabinet-making in Windsor, Connecticut. Vida will bring that story up to the present day with the restoration of the Strong-Howard House which will re-open October 5.

From Marketplace to Living Room:
Tips for Beginners and Experienced Collectors on Building a Collection to Live with and Love (and Actually Sit On)
Thursday, October 17 │ 5:30-7:00 pm │ refreshments provided
$20 CHS members │ $25 non-members

Dr. Philip D. Zimmerman, nationally recognized authority on early American furniture, will offer practical tips for beginners and seasoned collectors on selecting pieces that you can live with and treasure. For less than the price of contemporary mass-market sofa and loveseat combo, Zimmerman can show you how to furnish your home with beautiful, well-made antiques that will fit your budget and have quality and style that lasts.

Hands-On Demonstration:
The Complex Joinery and Designs of Eliphalet Chapin
Friday, November 22 │ 5:30-7:00 pm │ refreshments provided
$10 CHS members │ $15 non-members

Will Neptune, winner of the 2013 Cartouche award from the Society of American Period Furniture Makers, will discuss and demonstrate construction techniques that were unique to East Windsor Cabinetmaker Eliphalet Chapin in the late 1700s. The apparent simplicity of Chapin's furniture designs belied his extensive use of simple and complex geometry to achieve the graceful final pieces that continue to inspire today's furniture craftspeople.

Thanks to our generous series sponsors, Nathan Liverant and Sons Antiques, LLC and Connecticut Humanities, and our program sponsors, Windsor Federal Savings and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers.