The New York Book of Prices for Manufacturing Cabinet and Chair Work 1817

This is a page from "The New York Book of Prices for Manufacturing Cabinet and Chair Work," created by the New-York Society of Cabinet Makers. The page presents four distinct designs, each meticulously framed within rectangles. The dominant visual experience arises from the interplay of lines, both straight and curved, which create a sense of geometric harmony. These aren't merely decorative; they represent a structural language, a formal set of possibilities for cabinet makers. Consider the semiotic value of these designs. Each composition can be seen as a signifier, pointing beyond itself to the larger cultural codes of taste, class, and industrial production. The book serves as a visual grammar, dictating the permissible forms and styles for furniture design. The New-York Society of Cabinet Makers invites us to consider how standardization and aesthetic creativity can co-exist. By distilling furniture design into a set of repeatable patterns, the book participates in a discourse about the relationship between art, labor, and value in the burgeoning industrial economy.