Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley

Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley

In a compact space measuring just 10” x 39” x 19-1/2”, H.O. Studley masterfully arranged more than 250 of his tools in a dovetailed mahogany cabinet, a work of art that has captivated tens of thousands of woodworkers since its initial reveal in 1988 on the back cover of “Fine Woodworking”, accompanied by a striking photograph.

After a brief exhibit at the Smithsonian, the cabinet was sold to a private collector and has not been publicly displayed for over a decade. Likewise, Studley’s workbench has never been shown to the public.

Over the course of four years, Donald Williams and his team conducted extensive research, documentation, and photography of both the cabinet and Studley’s remarkable workbench to produce “Virtuoso: The Tool Cabinet and Workbench of Henry O. Studley.” This book offers the first in-depth analysis of one of the most exquisite woodworking tool chests ever made, as well as the first biography of Studley (1838-1925), who was a piano and organ builder in Quincy, Massachusetts.

Contents

Something Clicked vii

1: The Adventure Begins 3
2: A Visual Pilgrimage 11
3: Henry O. Studley, Enigmatic Genius 17
4: The Caretakers 39
5: The Tool Cabinet and Its Contents 51
6: Artistic Flourishes 145
7: The Workbench 153
8: Studley Consciousness in Woodworking's Popular Culture 183

Conclusion 193
Image Credits 199
Index 201