Monday, October 19, 2009

Sam Maloof (1916 - 2009)

Sam Maloof led the kind of life I have always wanted to lead. For sixty one years, he ran a highly successful woodworking business that put craftsmanship ahead of all else. So much so, that he and his three longtime assistants only produced 100 or so pieces each year. This comparatively low, slow level of productivity never hurt his bottom line though. People, including three U.S. presidents, were so eager to own one of his functionally distinctive designs that they were willing to wait years for the privilege.

The Austin Public Library has some items featuring Mr. Maloof's work. One in particular includes warm, inviting interior and exterior photographs of his home which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. All of this acclaim is to be expected of a person who was awarded a Genius Grant by the MacArthur Foundation in 1985. See for yourself what many others already know.

The Furniture of Sam Maloof

Contemporary American Woodworkers

Craft in America [videorecording]

Fine Woodworking (Oct. 2009)

Interior Design Magazine (online)

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