Phil Zea, president of Historic Deerfield, will deliver a talk entitled “Dunlap Furniture, a Scots-Irish Tradition”, on Nov. 1 at the Monadnock Center for History and Culture.
Lively and exuberant, the 18th century furniture made by Samuel and John Dunlap and their extended family and apprentices has survived in large numbers. The Dunlaps had workshops in Amherst, Henniker, Antrim, Chester, Salisbury, and Goffstown during the late 18th and early 19th century. They made beds, chests, desks, tables, candle stands, and pulpits.
Over the last 40 years, an appreciative audience has rediscovered these master cabinet makers and their legacy. The Monadnock Center’s Dunlap high chest will be on display giving people the opportunity to see one of the Dunlaps’ fine pieces in person.
Examples of the Dunlap school can also be seen at the Currier Museum of Art and the New Hampshire Historical Society.
Zea, author of “The Dunlap Cabinetmakers: A Tradition in Craftsmanship,” will discuss Dunlap furniture and the ways it reflects the cultural heritage and traditions of the Scots-Irish, one of New Hampshire’s early immigrant groups.
The program starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $15, ($10 for Monadnock Center members). Tickets may be ordered online at MonadnockCenter.org, or by calling 924-3235.