Artistry in Wood

 With Nancy J. Farrier

Peter Glass immigrated from Germany to the United States in 1844. A young man of twenty-years-old, Peter already knew about woodworking from his cabinetry apprenticeship in Germany. In Massachusetts, he began working at a piano factory applying veneer to the piano keys.

Peter Glass

In his free time Peter devoted himself to making marquetry furniture, something he loved to do. His elaborate tables won prizes at competitions and fairs. In 1857, Peter moved his family to Wisconsin where he worked, farming his land. He continued to design and build inlaid furniture in his spare time.

Considered by some to be a backwoodsman, no one could argue about Glass’s skill as an artisan. He made small gifts for family, small boxes and worktables. He was best known for the intricate tables he made with well-known American figures done in tiny pieces of inlaid wood.The Milwaukee Art Museum displays one of his workstands made of mahogany, maple, cedar and other types of wood inlay.

In 1864, Glass crafted two large tilt-top tables. One, composed of more than 20,000 pieces of wood, featuring the portraits of political and military heroes, including Zachary Taylor and George Washington. Showcasing the portraits were intricate geometric and floral patterns. Glass also made a table that featured a portrait on President Lincoln.

Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln

When the tables were completed, Glass put them on display. The public could view them for a cost of twenty-five cents. He then sent the works to President and Mrs. Lincoln, who also had other works of his, a sewing set and sewing table he made for Mary Todd Lincoln. The large inlaid tables were never seen by President Lincoln, who was assassinated before Glass’s works arrived.

Have you ever seen any of Peter Glass's marquetry furniture? I love wood boxes and used to have an inlaid wood box made of pieces of wood from Africa. Do you have any thing like that? Do you enjoy wooden boxes? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest and interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Karen Ball of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.