Tracing the Arts and Crafts Movement: Its Translation in America

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of the Arts and Crafts movement's translation and adaptation in America. It traces the movement's historical development, starting from its roots and extending through its influence on American design and culture. The essay discusses the impact of key practitioners such as William Morris, Charles Robert Ashbee, and others, and examines how their ideas shaped American domestic interiors and architecture. It delves into the movement's evolution, including its response to industrialization, its social reforms, and the development of utopian communities. The essay further explores the contributions of various figures and organizations that fostered the Arts and Crafts movement in America, highlighting regional diversity and the evolution of design principles in various crafts, including furniture, metalwork, and pottery. It concludes by examining the legacy of the movement and its lasting influence on American art and design, emphasizing the works of key architects and designers like Bernard Maybeck, Greene, and Greene, who significantly contributed to the movement's development.

Arts and Crafts movement
translate and adapt in
America

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
The art and craft movement is largely influence the design and cultural development of
society in the middle age. This respective movement stared in 1887 and ended with the year of
1940. In America this art and craft largely influence the designs of the building and interest to
large extent. The year of 1912 faces huge financial crisis and after some years its is goes through
huge failure an faces by the modern concept of designing. In the present prevailing era of
modernization the art and craft movement is alive till 1940 and British utility furniture are based
in the design inspired from the art and craft designs 1.
In this particular essay the historical development of art and craft movement from the
beginning of the movement to the its end is also discussed . This essay also defines about the 3
practitioner of the art and craft which related the art and craft movement to large extent. This
practitioner essay also studiers about the development of sited movement with the defining
legacy in the America in its transpiration form adopted in the American domestic interiors
designing and architecture.
MAIN BODY
The Art and Craft Movement is states in America which goes on flourishing in Europe
and north America till the late nineties. This was an international movement related with the
decoration designs and fine arts. This movement also influenced the cultures and art and craft of
Japan in 1920s. This particular movement is developed for the folk style design with themes of
romantic and medieval style. The craftsman are using ancient medieval design based on folk
themes of decorations. This respective movement shin an great influence over the art and craft
designs in Europe till the beginning of modernisation in country and these designs and
frameworks are replaced by modern concepts of infrastructures and designs. This particular
movement was revolutionary for the art and craft cultures in countries. This helps in social
reform and also contributes in economic growth in various nations to large extent. This
modernisation to the art and craft largely influences the craftsman, town planners etc. to large
extent.
This particular art and craft movement of 1860 was inspired from the concepts and
designs of three major practitioners namely Augustus Pugin, William Morris designs and writer
1 Alcorn, Stephen. "DRAWING THE LINE: Reflections on the importance of drawing by
hand in an increasingly digital age." Voices 41. no. 1/2 (2015): 16.
1

John Ruskin. British Isles is the fully contribution part in this art and craft movement where it
was originally get started, later on covered the designs of British Empire and spread up-to the
premises of Europe and North America also. The American art and craft movement is the
successor of art and craft movement of Britain which is linked from the designs William Morris,
Charles Robert Ashbee architects etc. the designs in American art and craft movement are
closely integrated from William Morris work. The Charles Robert Ashbee is an second
generation architect who is having great relation with development of art and craft movement in
North America 2. Charles Francis Annesley Voysey is an architect who inspired the designs of
American infrastructure from his published work in The Studio. The movement of art and craft
in US is having multidirectional view in assessing the various designs related with the societies
of nation. The society of art and craft movement was first developed in city of Boston which is
having an historical evidence of development of English culture. The art and craft movement
took another direction of reforming or reinventing the design and decoration in late or mid of 19th
century in America. This attempts is need of changes in the nineties as this is phase of changed
in economic conditions and as well as beginning to modernisation and changes in industries.
This the major reason to the practitioner or the designer of art and craft design which was
represented in Great exhibition of 1851 which leads to he need of reforming the prevailing
designs in country. The designs in great exhibition seem highly ornate, with ignorant quality of
material and artificial in expression which emerges a want and desires of reformation of
precesses and designs.
As per the thought of the Nikolaus Pevsner an art historian this can be abstracted that the
Britain art and craft affects the large number of social ground but in America this movement
does not develop such socialism in art and craft movement. This is only limited to development
of utopian communities only. Rose valley was founded by William Lightfoot Price in
Pennsylvania who is needed in framing artistic handicraft which involves formation of new
furnishings designs and pottery, metalwork in American market. Another community developed
is Byrdcliffe which developed various woodwork in the society, physically accessible in 1903.
Another organiser of the great exhibition Richard Redgrave's working in developing
secondary report and evaluation about the designs and products that are represented in the
2 Monica Obniski. 2008. The Arts and Crafts Movement in America. [Online].
Available through: <https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/acam/hd_acam.htm>.
[Accessed on 7th October 2017].
2

exhibition. Another designs that are representing in the art and craft in country are redesigned in
the 19th century in large numbers. Some of the events that are organised in same veins of action
like Industrie and Kunst of 1852, Gottfried Semper's Wissenschaft, Ralph Wornum's Analysis of
Ornament in 1856 and Wyatt's Industrial Arts of the Nineteenth Century of 1853.
Developing history of art and Craft movement in America: The designs of Morris was
famous and was copied in the products and manufacturings of conventional industrial approaches
and methods. The work representation of Morris is to craft and domestic decoration art in
country but these designs are neglecting as his work was popular in the upper and middle classes
of society by end of nineties. The house designs and domestic architecture interests was
dominating designs of Morris in America. The Hull House is is developed in October year of
1897 which leads to the social reforms in Chicago which was one of the first American
Settlement houses. The Art and Craft in Chicago started with the development of Hull House in
nation. This leads to huge changes and reformation in the designs of structure and handicraft
work in American art and craft movement 3. These defines are followed in both urban societies
of America like Minneapolis and New York as well as in the rural areas of the nation like
Massachusetts and Deerfield.
In urban cities of America the newer socialist experiments are leading and encouraging
the education of young women. The Crafted work also empower the women to develop
independently in society and engaged themselves in decorative work creating the art and craft in
pottery and metal work. Various schools are providing training to the people in order top bring
higher quality in designs.
3 McDonald, Gay. "The modern American home as soft power: Finland, MoMA and the
‘American home 1953’exhibition." Journal of Design History 23. no. 4 (2010): 387-
408.
3

At the end of nineties the art and craft work is present almost every where. This largely
influences the paintings, sculpture designs, present in various illustration and book making. Art
and craft is presiding in paintings, photography, domestic and decorative art designs. The
domestic decorative designs involves the furniture, glass designs, embroideries, fabric, leather
work, wooden work in homes, various laces and weaving and rugs. In addition to this the designs
and principles of art and craft are also being utilised in designs of jewellery, any kind of metal
work, ceramics etc. By the 19th century almost all thing are the reflection of the fashion of art and
crafts and all the objects are hand made with ethnicity and beautiful crafted designs. These new
designs in every segment of work like house deigns, fashion industry, architecture, furniture etc.
developed a new direction for the art and craft movement in America 4. Along with pottery
designs the Women in country are also engaged in designing the jewellery by using techniques
4 Clark, Robert Judson, ed. The Arts and Crafts Movement in Americ, 1876–1916.
Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1972.
4
Illustration 1: Paul Revere Pottery , 2017
Source 1: Paul Revere pottery. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/2000.31/>. [Accessed on 7th
October 2017].

of art and craft in action which provides a new direction to fashion industry. Women are using
different stones in their fashioned up jewellery in order to showcase their intrinsic artistic work
which provides and reality, naturalistic view and beauty to the product.5
Between the 1888 to 1996 the art and craft exhibition society has been organises around
11 exhibition in order to promote the art in work and various designs. The Paul Revere Pottery
was established in 18908 who provides chances to girls immigrant earn more wages who are the
part of reading group of Saturday evening Girls club in Boston city established in 1899.
Newcomb Pottery was developed by Women of education institution of H. Sophie Newcomb
Memorial College in New Orleans which is inspired from local flora and fauna of the natural
environment, later they are involved in producing textile designs and metal work. America is
also engaged in developing new initiative in work of craftsman and architecture in order to
enhance the art and craft in society. The various association like Omega Workshops, Arts and
Crafts Exhibition Society and Design in Industries Association are working under the actions and
regulations of old guard. This is engaged in extracting the commercial benefits and funds by
working in collaboration and integration with the other manufactures who are developing art and
craft through purist handwork. The art and craft is developing with huge diversity in action and
designs. There are many propel who are working in the diverse location of America which
develops diversity in the work of art and craft designs. The America is also expressing regional
diversity in art and craft designs starting from the East Coast to the California. Arthur J. Stone is
an member of art and craft movement of Boston society which follows an conservative designs
in his work. He works on the silver products inspired from the various arts and craft design. An
emigrated Englishmen form the us opened a shop in Gardener an Massachusetts which is having
large variety of design in silver work with stones which are originated from his individual ideas.
After the expansion of business he is needing another persons to work as per demand. So. Then
hired a new craftsman in his work. Sticklesy largely contribute in bringing new inspiration in the
American design and through crafting furniture with simple lines and use of quality material in
work by governing an honest structure.
Bernard Maybeck: He born in new york and moved to California in 1892. he was an
famous American architecture and mentored many other famous architects of California like
Julia Morgan and Willian Wurster. He was awarded with Gold medal for his designs in The
5 Rancière, Jacques. The politics of aesthetics. A&C Black. 2013.
5

American Institute of architecture. HE also provides an different perception to the art and craft
movement and contribute largely in its development in dAmerica. He is an leader in the
architecture designs of Gothic revival his design and concepts are the reflection of mediaeval
periods the concepts and principles of his architecture design does not comply with the modern
art but reflecting representing medieval designs in his work. He anticipated various ideas in order
to bring an motivation and new direction to the art and craft movement 6. He is working along
with Julia Morgan in middle age to favours the development of art and craft movement n
countries.
Greene and Greene: The founder of this respective groups is two brothers Henry Mather
Greene and Charles Sumner Greene largely influence designs of American Architects in 20th
century. They provides a new directions to the designs and infrastructure of building. They also
contributed to the American art and craft movement by their prime designs of houses and large
ultimate bungalows in California. He is an famous writer in his respective field with writings for
the social criticism. He developed an art and craft philosophies which related with the social
health interlinked with qualities in the infrastructure and architecture designs. The described
about the moral and social health of an respective country with the nature of its work in relation
to various concepts and principles of designs. He discusses about the improvised faces of the
labour who are engaged in developing various building in the industrial revolution who are
termed as silver labour for the revolution of industry in country. He is promoting and motivating
in development of labour self reliant and independent in order to design their own infrastructure
framework and made them to develop moral and better social health. The Greene and Greene
concept of handicraft was in favour of working without the machines which promotes the
function and importance of the labour in industrial revolution. The followers of Ruskin also
favours the art and craft industry engaged in practising with the workers instead of using
machineries.
6 Cornford, Tom. "A new kind of conversation’: Michael Chekhov's ‘turn to the
crafts." Theatre, Dance and Performance Training 4. no. 2 (2013): 189-203.
6

Irving Hill: He was acting as Architect in America and his major work can be seen in
San Diego of southern California. He is pioneering individual for the growth of modern
architecture in America and leads to modernisation to art and craft American movement 7. Out of
his total work 12 architecture design are listed in National registration of Historic paces in
Southern California. He is the main influencer and promoter to the growth for art and craft
7 Gupta, Atreyee. "Art History and the Global Challenge: A Critical Perspective." Artl@ s
Bulletin 6. no. 1 (2017): 4.
7
Illustration 2: Greene and Greene architect design, 2010
Source 2: John Hendricks, Architect AIA. 2010. ARTS AND CRAFTS STYLE ARCHITECTURE.
[Online]. Available through: <http://hendricksarchitect.com/architecture/arts-and-crafts-style-
architecture/>. [Accessed on 7th October 2017].

movement in late nineties. He developed an ideas of aesthetic and social vision and gaols with
students of Oxford inventory in 1850. This develops an another view to the art and craft design
in the country. He combined the literature of romantic love with the commitment towards the
social reforms. Working along with Ruskin, Morris believes that there is an contrasting
difference between the modern art, contemporary art and the barbarity. In order to accomplish
his aesthetic and artist aim he works in brotherhood with the Raphael painter. He turned a new
direction to the art and craft introducing the new design in society. He is crafted a new designs to
the furnitures and interiors of decorative designs. His design are famous for the churches and his
most popular work was identified in the buildings of churches.
Relations of translation to original movement:
Frank Lloyd Wright translated the original art and craft movement in new direction
which developed new ways of lining who designed a complete exotic environment which
developed design of architecture and interiors. He introduced new designs in architecture namely
Prairie School involving reflection of prairie landscape having lower height roofs and open
interiors. This developed an shift in the original and historic American designs, developing
architect through wood, clay and stone motivating the organic architecture in country 8.
The architect designs of California is based on development of domestic architecture
developing a work of complete art. The Greene and Greene work is inspired from the English
and American design but after a recreational trip they shifted in their work and designs. They
introduced an unique and decent style which is largely an reflection of Asian design and
achieved a destination through redefining the bungalow designs in their work abstracted work of
art from the Japan architectural designs.
Legacy of art and craft movement:
The philosophy of art and craft is was still value in the perception and minds of the
British craftsman and workers till 1950 to 1960, even a huge time after the death of art and craft
movement and the prevailing of huge popularity of modernization in society. The various
designs of the utility furniture in British are propounded from the furniture from the process of
art and craft movement. This has been an great legacy for the art and craft movement that all the
designs are inspired of its architectural form and popular among people even long after the death
8 Kaplan, Wendy. "The Art That Is Life": The Arts and Crafts Movement in America,
1875–1920. Boston: Bullfinch Press. 1987.
8

of movement. The urbanisation and certainty in new technologies leads to the ended of art and
craft movement on society of America. Now the organic architecture does not works in modern
designs of house and infrastructure due increasing to modernisation in nation 9. After the
machine age in 1920, all the handicraft work developed through art and craft movement in
America shuttled down and leads to increasing the market value of work done with help of
machinery.
CONCLUSION
This can be concluded from the above discussion that the art and crafts is still active and
alive in the roles and work of the craftsman and their work. The various practitioner are working
the design of art and craft in the working and artistic work. The various practitioner like Morris
and Ruskin is having great role in development of the art and craft in the countries and legacy to
the design of the America instead of following modern design in the developing infrastructure.
The art and craft movement started in America and ends in influencing different countries
including north America. Art and craft is replaced by the moderation in late nineties after failure
to flourish in financial conditions of 1912.
9 Li, Luo. "Introduction." In Intellectual Property Protection of Traditional Cultural
Expressions, pp. 1-34. Springer International Publishing. 2014.
9

REFERENCES
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Clark, Robert Judson, ed. The Arts and Crafts Movement in Americ, 1876–1916. Princeton:
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Cornford, Tom. "A new kind of conversation’: Michael Chekhov's ‘turn to the crafts." Theatre,
Dance and Performance Training 4. no. 2 (2013): 189-203.
Gupta, Atreyee. "Art History and the Global Challenge: A Critical Perspective." Artl@ s
Bulletin 6. no. 1 (2017): 4.
Guth, Christine ME. "The multiple modalities of the copy in traditional Japanese crafts." The
Journal of Modern Craft 3. no. 1 (2010): 7-18.
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Hauseur, Krystal Reiko. Crafted Abstraction: Three Nisei Artists and the American Studio Craft
Movement: Ruth Asawa, Kay Sekimachi, and Toshiko Takaezu. University of California,
Irvine. 2011.
Jones, Candace and et. al., "Rebels with a cause: Formation, contestation, and expansion of the
de novo category “modern architecture,” 1870–1975." Organization Science 23. no. 6
(2012): 1523-1545.
Kaplan, Wendy. "The Art That Is Life": The Arts and Crafts Movement in America, 1875–1920.
Boston: Bullfinch Press. 1987.
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Maltz, Diana. "TOLSTOYAN COMMUNITIES. 1897-1907."
McDonald, Gay. "The modern American home as soft power: Finland, MoMA and the
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Peppler, Kylie and Sophia Bender. "Maker movement spreads innovation one project at a
time." Phi Delta Kappan 95. no. 3 (2013): 22-27.
Rancière, Jacques. The politics of aesthetics. A&C Black. 2013.
Online
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