Virtuoso

by Donald C. Williams

This book offers unprecedented insight into one of the most famous toolboxes in history. Once displayed at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the mahogany tool chest of Boston pianomaker Henry O. Studley (1838-1925) is remarkable not only for its craftsmanship but for the nearly 300 tools it contains, all meticulously arranged in a case measuring only 10" × 39" × 19 1/2".

Williams presents a detailed study of the chest and its construction and catalogs every tool in it, each described and photographed individually. He recounts what is known about Studley’s life and traces the history of the collection after his death. An additional chapter examines Studley’s workbench, with particular focus on the vises.

A comprehensive study of a renowned piece of woodworking history, the book is an invaluable resource for tool collectors, woodworkers, history buffs or anyone captivated by the enduring appeal of Studley’s incomparable toolchest.

Hardcover, 8 1/2" × 11", 216 pages, 2015.