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EXPLORE STICKLEY HISTORY PLAN YOUR VISIT VIEW COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS CONTACT THE STICKLEY MUSEUM
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Home | Explore Stickley History | Shopmarks History | Entire Text
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THE STICKLEY BROTHERS ›
THE STICKLEY COMPANIES
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SHOPMARKS HISTORY
CURATOR'S CORNER
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Print Version | CLOSE TEXT ›
The Stickley Shop Mark
Through the years, our shop mark has taken on different appearances, but its meaning has never changed: Timeless quality. The burned-in brands, metal tags, decals and paper labels used to mark Stickley’s furniture is a certificate of our solemn promise that the furniture has been crafted to the best of our ability.
Collectors use the shop mark as a hint to pinpoint the date of production and the Stickley brother responsible for making the furniture. They are not completely accurate, but they can help to identify a piece.
STICKLEY’S SHOP MARKS
United Crafts Mark 1902-1903
Gustav Stickley takes the rare step of labeling his Craftsman furniture with a shop mark. He chooses a joiner’s compass as his logo with the phrase “Als ik kan” (To the best of my ability) inscribed within and his signature underneath.
L. & J.G. Stickley Marks 1902-1906
L. & J.G. Stickley begin to market themselves as “The Onondaga Shops,” honoring the New York County in which the furniture is made. They adopt these shop mark for their furniture.
United Crafts Mark 1902-1904
Some of the furniture made by United Crafts before 1904 bear this decal.
Craftsman Workshops Mark 1904-1906
This shop mark, with its looping “G” is found on many of the highly sought Harvey Ellis-designed pieces.
Craftsman Workshops Mark 1905-1912
This decal bears a signature that most closely resembles Gustav Stickley’s actual signature.
Craftsman Workshops Paper Label 1905-1907
As Gustav Stickley begins to standardize his furniture line, he starts to use paper labels to mark some pieces.
1907-1912
In 1907, L. & J.G. Stickley launch their ambitious “Handcraft” line of mission furniture. To signify this new phase, they replace the oval Onondaga Shops label with the hand screw, a classic furniture maker’s tool.
Craftsman Workshops Paper Label 1907-1912
Gustav begins to write his “guarantee” on a paper label to ensure the customer that he personally stands behind the product.
L. & J.G. Stickley Mark 1912-1920
As they begin to expand beyond mission furniture, L. & J.G. Stickley change to a simple, rectangular logo. Furniture from this era may be heat-branded, tagged with a metal plate, or may have a decal.
Craftsman Workshops Burned-In Brand 1912-1916
Gustav Stickley shifted to a heat brand to mark his furniture during the last years of The Craftsman Workshops.
Craftsman Workshops Paper Label 1912-1916
A late Craftsman Workshops Paper Label
Stickley Associated Cabinetmakers 1916-1919
Gustav Stickley joins L. & J.G. Stickley to form Stickley Associated Cabinetmakers. They symbolize the merger by co-joining the Craftsman joiner’s compass with the L. & J.G. hand screw.
L. & J.G. Stickley Brand 1925–1985
This brand is the most common Stickley shop mark. It is used on almost every piece of furniture made by Stickley for 60 years, including all of the Cherry Valley furniture from the mid-20th Century.
L. & J.G. Stickley 50 Year Anniversary Medallion 1950
The L. & J.G. Stickley Anniversary pieces from 1950 bear a particular medallion that honors the man who would become “The Revered Dean of Cabinetmakers,” Leopold Stickley.
L. & J.G. Stickley Paper Label 1945-1985
Cherry Valley Collection becomes so well known in the mid 20th century that a cherry tree is incorporated into the paper label.
L. & J.G. Stickley Oval Shopmark 1985-2007
In 1985, L. & J.G. Stickley expands into a state of the art facility, ensuring continued growth in upstate New York. Poised for greatness, the company updates its shop mark.
L. & J.G. Stickley Mission Medallion 1989-Present
To celebrate the reissue of the Stickley Mission Collection, we revisit the combined handscrew and joiners compass of our founding brothers. The shop mark is a medallion that is tacked directly to the piece.
L. & J.G. Stickley Shop Mark 2007-Present
Beginning in 2008, Stickley returns to the simple, block lettering of the past with a new heat brand seared into each piece of Stickley furniture.
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