The Second Edition of Genteel Household Furniture in the Present Taste, Pt. IV 1760 - 1800

This is the second edition of "Genteel Household Furniture in the Present Taste", published in London in the 1700s by The Society of Upholsterers, Cabinet-Makers, etc. It offers over 350 designs on copper plates. What does it mean to be genteel? This book provided patterns for a burgeoning middle class to emulate the lifestyle of the aristocracy through the acquisition of fashionable furnishings. Yet, these designs also speak to the labor and materials extracted from colonized lands, subtly reminding us that colonial exploitation underpinned the very idea of "taste." The designs range from the practical—beds, bureaus, and bookcases—to the aspirational, like girandoles and chandeliers. It represents a desire for upward mobility, a reaching for an identity shaped by material possessions. Think about how each object serves to perform a certain ideal of domesticity and social standing. Consider the hidden stories these objects tell about class, labor, and the global economy of the 18th century.