Fall 2008 Vol 17, No. 3

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From theDirector’s Chair

—Heather E. Stivison

For Members Only: A Special Afternoon

Every day we are faced with the real-ities of a troubled economy and therising costs of gasoline. Events assimple as a ball game or short planetrip begin with security checks thatremind us that the world has changed.

These daily realities make me wonderabout the significance of a historicsite like ours in the lives of our visi-tors. Just what is our role in today’sworld and how can we best fulfill it?

Like most museums, a large part ofour role is collecting and preservingour cultural heritage. Our job is topreserve this unique site; restore itsirreplaceable structures; and collectand exhibit beautiful works –– but isthis enough? Does this matter intoday’s world? Is it enough to “interpret”the rooms so that they look as theydid in Stickley’s day?

Craftsman Farms represents thecherished ideals, pioneer spirit, andadmirable achievements of GustavStickley. As a museum shouldn’t wereflect those high ideals, and the cre-ativity, innovation, values, andhuman spirit that first created thissite? Perhaps we need to be remind-ed of these qualities — and of thewondrous achievements of allhumankind. Connecting to this

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Mark your calendars for theMembers’ Reception onSaturday, September 13 from

4:00 – 7:00 pm. To celebrate the open-ing of the newly created educationroom, the Stickley Museum at CraftsmanFarms is hosting a very special event.Members will be among the first to seethe outstanding work that has takenplace converting the first floor of theannex from an apartment to a beauti-ful classroom space, complete withhandicapped bathroom facilities.

In celebration of the 150th Anniversaryof the birth of Gustav Stickley, theevent will also include the unveiling ofa portrait of Gustav Stickley by BrianStewart. Trained at The Art Center inLos Angeles and later at Atelier LeSueur inMinneapolis, Stewart learned the clas-sic, academic fundamentals as theywere taught in Paris a century ago. Hiswork has been featured in Fine ArtConnoisseur, Southwest Art and TheArtist's Magazine among others. Hehas received many awards for his pleinair work and most recently an ARCInternational Salon award.

The highlight of the afternoon will bea lecture by Mark E. Weaver, entitledBuilding Eden: The Arts & CraftsMovement on Mt. Desert Island, Maine.

Weaver will explore the architectureand gardens on Mt. Desert Island, aswell as some of its more interestingcraftspeople who truly lived the Artsand Crafts lifestyle at the beginning ofthe twentieth century.

From the 1840’s into the early decadesof the twentieth century, MountDesert Island, Maine, became a Meccafor “the rusticators,” vacationing aca-demics, theologians, and wealthyindustrialists interested in hiking,boating, carriage rides, and other out-door pursuits. Inspired by the writingsof Ralph Waldo Emerson and HenryDavid Thoreau, and paintings of theisland by Thomas Cole and FredericEdwin Church, the rusticators weredrawn to the mountains, pine forests,inland lakes, and rocky coastlines that

make-up Downeast Maine. Many rus-ticators hired eminent architects andlandscape designers from Boston andNew York with strong Arts & Craftsideals to build a summer Eden of gar-dens and cottages.

Several rusticators lead by GeorgeDorr and Charles W. Elliot joined togeth-er to create the land conservancy thatin1916 became Sieur de Monts

— continued on page 2

Featured speaker Mark Weaver.

NOTES FROM THE FARMS

Fall 2008 Page 2

Director’s Chair continued from page 1 Members continued from page 1National Monument, and then in 1929Acadia National Park, the first NationalPark West of the Mississippi river.Aided by landscape architects BeatrixFarrand and Frederic Law Olmsted, Jr.,rusticator John D. Rockefeller Jr. over-saw the building of a system of parkroads and carriage paths that made themajesty of Acadia available to all.Guarded by gatehouses designed byNew York architect GrosvenorAtterbury in the French gothic style,the park remains an Eden for natural-ists and present day rusticators.

Following the lecture, a wine and horsd’oeuvres reception will be held on theporch and terrace.

If you haven’t received your personalinvitation to this members’ event, visitwww.stickleymuseum.org to become amember and receive the invitation.

– Shunzyu Haigler

Members Only ReceptionSaturday, September 13,4:00 pm – 7:00 pmFree to members RSVP required

About Our Featured Speaker:Trombonist Mark E. Weaver is theyoungest son of listed American artistRobert Edward Weaver. He is the prin-cipal trombonist of The United StatesCoast Guard Band. Weaver’s specialinterest in the American Arts andCrafts Movement began in 1995 whenhe bought his first piece of L & JGStickley furniture. Since then, Weaverhas become an avid student of themovement, concentrating on the workof the metalsmiths of the Society ofArts and Crafts, Boston. He has con-tributed several articles to Style 1900magazine, most recently in the August2008 issue. He was a small group dis-cussion leader with colleague RosalieBerberian on the subject of Arts andCrafts silver at the 2008 Grove ParkInn Arts and Crafts Conference.Weaver is a trustee of the CraftsmanFarms Foundation.

The 8th Annual Craftsman’sClassic golf outing held onMay 23rd was the most suc-

cessful yet. 102 golfers enjoyed a beau-tiful day on a great golf course, fol-lowed by a buffet dinner and awardspresentation. Every staff memberparticipated to ensure that all ourguests were properly welcomed and alldetails handled.

We owe a special thank you to our friendsat Provident Bank for being our eventsponsor and supplying many items forthe gift bags; and to Bograd's FineFurniture for three $500 gift certificates;Cadbury-Americas Confectionery forgoodie bag items; Cerbo's Greenhousefor a large potted geranium; IffenInformation Technology for four bot-tles of wine; Bob Iracane tote bags;Knoll Country Club for a gift certifi-cate to ProShop; Mind Bulge BusinessSolutions for four bottles of wine;Rago Auction Arts and Auction Centerfor a wondeful goodie basket; andTabor Road Tavern for a certificate fordinner for two.

Special recognition goes to Boardmembers Tom Menard for recruiting16 golfers and sponsoring a hole; toLaura Reilly for bringing two groups;and to David Rudd for sponsorshipcontributions.

You can help us make the 9th AnnualCraftsman Classic even bigger andbetter by sponsoring a hole or takingout an advertisement in our program.Information will be available in thenext newsletter and on our website atwww.stickleymuseum.org or contactDavey Willans atdavey.willans@mdecs.com for details.

— Davey Willans

history can motivate, inspire, helpdefine our sense of self, and bring outthe best in us at a time when the worldaround us can be less than inspiring.

And that ultimately is what we mustdo — to bring Craftsman Farms to lifeso that visitors in the 21st Centuryworld can find inspiration in theirexperience. Our role as a museum isreally about people — living, breathingindividuals. At the end of the day, thetest of how well we are fulfilling ourmission is how we serve people.

And the first step in serving people isto reach out to you, our members, andinvite your particpation. The upgrad-ed members’ newsletter; the free mem-bers’ receptions and lectures; theintroduction of seasonal family days;and the upsurge in scholarly lecturesare some ways we hope we are servingyou. Other changes reflecting our goalof serving people include a fully ADAcompliant bathroom and a new educa-tion room. And in the year ahead youwill experience improved signage, wallcopy, and interpretive text to bringmore life to your visit.

We invite you to participate fully inthe life of this institution. Considerbecoming a volunteer — the opportu-nities are varied and the rewards aregreat. Read page 4 of this issue forinformation about becoming a docent.

Or try our newest way to participate:send us your comments on our newblog http://stickleymuseum.org/blog/.Tell us what you like, tell us what youdon’t like, tell us why you love the loghouse, tell us what makes your heartbeat faster, and tell us how you’d liketo participate. Would you like to see ademonstration of wood block print-ing? Would you like us to host a craftfair? Would you like a guided tour ofthe grounds? Tell us! Participate inany way you can and see how inspiringit can be!

Don’t Miss Family Day!

Hayrides, apple cider pressing,butter churning, pumpkinpainting, and more will

await families at our upcoming FallHarvest Family Day on Saturday,September 20 from 12 p.m. until 4p.m. Plans are underway for this spe-cial event featuring activities that willgive visitors a glimpse into farm lifefrom the early 1900s. Fall HarvestFamily Day is the final Family Day of2008. If you haven’t experienced aFamily Day this past year, be sure tomark your calendar. Activities areplanned with children in mind, butold-fashioned fun doesn’t have an agelimit. Guests of any age are invited totake a turn at the games table, join thehayride, shop for penny candy or sim-ply stroll the grounds under the turn-ing leaves. Craftsman Farms is a per-fect place to spend a fall afternoon!

—Vonda Givens

Fall Harvest Family DaySaturday, September 20 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.$5 Member Children$7 Non-member ChildrenAdults $5 or free with a child

Farms Afield Trip

Our upcoming Farms Afieldexcursion on Saturday,November 1, offers partici-

pants an exciting opportunity to joinStephen Gray for a tour of the exhibi-tion At Home with Gustav Stickley:Arts and Crafts from the StephenGray Collection at the WadsworthAtheneum Museum of Art inHartford, Connecticut.

Gray, a passionate collector of Artsand Crafts works since the 1970s, hasassembled a collection that includesrare early pieces by Stickley, pottery bysuch makers as Overbeck, Walrath, andNewcomb College, metalwork, andworks on paper reflecting the aestheticadvocated in The Craftsman magazinesand other period publications.Representing the very best Arts andCrafts design and craftsmanship inwood, metal, and clay, the exceptionalobjects from Gray’s collection on dis-play in At Home with Gustav Stickley,beautifully exemplify a collection thatis itself “a conscious work of art.”

The Farms Afield excursion beginswith lunch at the Atheneum’s café,The Russell. Following lunch, Mr. Graywill lead the group on an exclusivetour of the exhibition. Participantswill meet at the Atheneum at 12 noon.Transportation is not provided; how-ever carpooling may be arranged forinterested participants. Fees includelunch and admission to the Atheneum.

—Vonda Givens

Farms AfieldSaturday, November 1Meet at noon at The Russell in

Wadsworth Atheneum$35 Members$45 Non-membersAdvance registration is required.Call 973-540-0311 to register.

Girl Scouts Cometo The Farms

Beginning in November, GirlScouts of all ages will partici-pate in a variety of work-

shops at The Farms. While providingScouts with opportunities to earnbadges or complete interest projects,these workshops address a wide rangeof topics related to The Farms. In theArchitecture and EnvironmentalDesign workshop, girls study architec-tural history, including the CraftsmanArchitects and Stickley’s early advoca-cy of environmentally sound buildingpractices, and experiment with mak-ing architectural drawings and models.For Heritage Hunt, girls investigate lifein the early 1900s, focusing on theworld of Stickley’s daughters, andpractice their handwork skills.

Twelve workshops for the 2008-2009season are already scheduled in con-junction with the Girl Scouts ofNorthern New Jersey or the GirlsScouts of Rolling Hills Council. Forfurther information on these pro-grams, contact education director,Vonda Givens. The full workshopschedule will be available in eachCouncil’s program catalogue and onthe Council’s website.

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NOTES FROM THE FARMS

Autumn at The Farms:Plein Air Painting

The beautiful park-likegrounds at Craftsman Farmsoffer a pastoral variety ideal

for landscape painters, and autumn isa perfect time for artists to capturethat beauty and diversity. Our upcom-ing Plein Air Painting Workshop onSaturday, October 11 and October 18from 9:00 a.m. – 12 p.m., was createdwith autumn’s vibrant colors in mind.Workshop instructor Charles DavidViera, a professional artist and teacherfor over thirty years, who recentlyreceived the “Outstanding ArtistsAward” at the Hunterdon Cultural andHeritage Commission’s Biennial JuriedExhibition, has taught at some of thefinest art schools in the northeastincluding Parsons School of Designand Pratt Institute in New York.

This workshop is for adult artistsworking at any level from beginner toadvanced. For advanced artists theworkshop provides an inspiring bucol-ic setting, feedback from an experi-enced teacher, and camaraderie withother artists. For beginners the ses-sions will offer a great opportunity toestablish and fine tune basic skills in a

relaxed atmosphere. Viera, who hasworked extensively with beginningartists over the years, says that “themost enjoyable aspect of painting thelandscape is that it may be the mostforgiving of subject matters that anartist can work from.” He goes on tosay that the “flexibility” of landscapepainting means that students “canexpect a considerable amount of suc-cess even if they possess modest paint-ing and drawing skills.”

Artists may work in the medium of theirchoice. Materials are not provided;however artists are welcome to requestguidance on purchasing materials.Chairs will be provided, but artists areasked to bring their own easels.

Plein Air Painting WorkshopsSaturdays, October 11 and 189 a.m. – 12 p.m.Members $50Non-members $70Advance Registration Required.To register, call 973-540-0311.

Holiday PreviewDecember is months away, but we arealready thinking about gingerbreadcookies and Christmas carols. Our1915 Holiday Open House, brings tolife Christmas traditions of the early1900s. Visitors will be able to imaginethemselves as holiday guests of theStickley family. Live music, children’scraft activities, and seasonal refresh-ments will be featured against a back-drop of beautiful period decorationsfrom pinecone garlands and poinset-tias to vintage Christmas postcards.Saturdays will feature visits from “Mrs.Goody Claus,” who will talk about herhistory and holiday traditions of timespast.

1915 Holiday Open HouseSaturday & Sunday, December 6-7 ; 13-1411 a.m. to 4 p.m.$4 Members$8 Non-members

Remembering ElaineThe Craftsman Farms family was sad-dened by the news of the death ofElaine Esposito, who was on our staffin various capacities since 2003. Mostrecently she served as the shop manag-er and volunteer coordinator. She willbe sorely missed by all who knew her.

Elaine was born in Morristown to Dr.Amedeo and Elaine C. Esposito andresided in Madison before moving toParsippany. A graduate of Bayley-Ellard High School, she received herB.A. from Tarkio College in Missouri,and M.S. from Fordham University.In lieu of flowers, the family requestsdonations in her memory to the ARCof Morris, P.O. Box 123, Morris Plains,N.J., 07950.

Learn to Be a DocentJoin our family of volunteer docents!Make friends, meet new people, intro-duce the public to an extraordinaryNational Historic Landmark, anddeepen your knowledge of The Farmsand the Arts and Crafts Movement.For more information on this reward-ing volunteer opportunity, come to aninformational meeting at The Farmson Wed., Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m. on theporch. Education Director, VondaGivens, and Site Manager, Pete Mars,will be on hand to provide informa-tion about docent training and otheraspects of being a docent. Lightrefreshments will be served.

Call Vonda Givens at 973-540-0311 oremail vgivens@stickleymuseum.org ifyou plan to attend.

Docent Information MeetingWednesday, September 10 6:30 p.m.Light RefreshmentsPlease call ahead if you plan to attend.

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We are pleased to announce thelaunch of the Amy Stahl MemorialLecture Series on Saturday, November8 at 4:00 p.m. Established in memoryof Amy Stahl, dedicated supporter ofThe Farms and wife of former TrusteeDr. Don Stahl, the annual series is devotedto lectures of scholarly significance.

Joseph Cunningham, Ph.D. will be thefirst speaker in this series. He willpresent a lecture entitled, Was GustavStickley a Modernist?: NewPerspectives on Early Masterworks.Stickley is widely heralded to beamong the most important propo-nents of the Arts and CraftsMovement in America, but, as Dr.Cunningham will discuss in his lec-ture, it is now possible to take a widerperspective on his exceptional contri-bution to the development ofModernism. More than a mere advo-cate of British design reform theory orexponent of good design and honestcraftsmanship, Dr. Cunningham pro-poses, Stickley, his magazine, TheCraftsman, and the United Crafts’enterprise can be considered as impor-tant modernizing forces in Americandesign, beginning around 1900.

Cunningham states, “The revolution ofthe Gustav Stickley furniture was for-mally introduced to the public in 1900in the form of his Catalog No. 1, “NewFurniture.” Careful analysis of this veryfirst body of Gustav Stickley furnitureprovides a deeper understanding of thecomplex fabric of influences that cametogether to make this wide range ofdesigns, some rather nineteenth centuryefforts and some breathtaking mod-ernist. These objects of design, anddomestic use, went a long way towardestablishing Stickley’s earliest moderniz-ing efforts in American design reform inthe design press and the public.

“The birth of Stickley’s modernist ideol-ogy can be traced to the seminal writ-ings by Irene Sargent in the first fewissues of The Craftsman in late 1901and early 1902. Here the gifted designtheorist Sargent set forth the goals ofGustav Stickley’s United Crafts enter-prise and its wider aims for helpingreaders to lead better, more fulfillinglives. Rather than incanting the well-developed theoretical dogma of the Artsand Crafts Movement, long influentialin Britain and just burgeoning in cen-ters of decorative art production acrossAmerica, Ms. Sargent chose to isolatethose tenets that focused on moderniz-ing design reform. In place of the rheto-ric of the Arts and Crafts, the authoranchors her ideas in aesthetic concerns,in terms of pure design as well as in theirwider role in the lives of people living inthe first years of the twentieth century.

“Sargent’s writings provide a useful por-tal into Stickley’s efforts, through UnitedCrafts and The Craftsman, to modern-ize the homes and lives of their clientsand readers with simple, useful domes-tic objects and a similarly simplifiedlifestyle to match. Championing the

very same utility and simplicity thatarchitect and tastemaker PhillipJohnson was to declare essential to mod-ern design some thirty years later, TheCraftsman and production of Stickleyand the United Crafts in the period1900 to 1904 can now be understood forthe ways in which they set the scene formodernism in American design.”

About our featured speaker:Joseph Cunningham, Ph.D. is theCurator of the American DecorativeArt 1900 Foundation in New York.His prior publication Design is Not Artwas awarded the Robert Smith Awardby the Decorative Art Society. TheArtistic Furniture of Charles Rohlfs willopen at the Milwaukee Art Museum inJune 2009 and travel to the CarnegieMuseum of Art, Dallas Museum ofArt, Huntington Art Galleries andMetropolitan Museum of Art. Amonograph of the same title is beingpublished by Yale University Press.ADA1900 is collaborating with theDallas Museum of Art on their forth-coming Gustav Stickley exhibitionand book, to which Dr. Cunninghamwill contribute an essay on the IreneSargent and the ideological founda-tions of the United Crafts andCraftsman enterprises.

A book signing of The ArtisticFurniture of Charles Rohlfs will fol-low the lecture, and light refreshmentswill be served. Advanced ticket pur-chases are strongly encouraged.

Amy Stahl Memorial LectureSaturday, November 84 p.m.Tickets: $5 Members in advance

$10 Non-members in advance$12 if purchased at the door

Call 973-540-0311 for tickets.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Joseph Cunningham, Ph.D. to Inaugurate the Amy Stahl Memorial Lecture Series

Featured speaker Joseph Cunningham, Ph.D.

NOTES FROM THE FARMS

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It sounds like it might be aLatin version of a now popu-lar political motto. But it is

the mantra of the Arts and CraftsMovement. Said in old Flemish as Alsich kanne, in modern Flemish as Als ikkan, in French as Si je puis, or, roughlyin English, as “if I can” (GustavStickley’s translation), “all I can” or “asbest I can.” In other words, I promiseto work to the best of my ability.

Gus’ Story

As all of us inspired by Gustav Stickleyknow, he adopted this phrase as hismotto. It first appeared as part of hisshop mark in his publication Chipsfrom the Workshops of Gustave Stickleyin early 1901, with a catalog essay byIrene Sargent, a professor at SyracuseUniversity and Stickley’s art-historian,sophisticated Euro-centric mentor. Hegave an explanation for his selection inthe first issue of The Craftsman,October 1901:

In the Middle Ages, that golden periodof the arts and crafts, each master-work-man adopted some device or legendwhich, displayed upon every object ofhis creation, came finally to representhis individuality as completely as didhis face, or his voice; making himknown beyond the burgher circle inwhich he passed his life, and, after hisdeath, becoming a magic formula, bywhich to conjure up his memory, eventhough the years had multiplied intocenturies.

Among the legends so employed, the oneassumed by Jan van Eyck, the earlyFlemish painter, has retained its forceand point down to our own day. Als ichkanne (if I can) appears written acrossthe canvases of this fourteenth centurychef d’ecole, placed there, withoutdoubt, as an inspiration toward excel-lence in that art wherein van Eyckbecame an epoch maker. Appearing inthe background of his masterful por-

traits, it has something of defiance andhumor, as if offering a covert challengeto less skillful limners.

The Als ich kanne of van Eyck, like theQuand meme of Sarah Bernhardt,reflects that sentiment of courage, bold-ness and persistence which appeals to alltruly virile natures. Thus when WilliamMorris, in his early manhood, visitedthe Low Countries, and there grew firedwith enthusiasm for the decorative arts,he found this legend and made it hisown. He used it, in French translation,first in tapestries designed for his owndwelling, and finally it became identi-fied with him; so that the Si je puis nowrecalls his memory as vividly as do thedesigns which speak to us: from thehangings of our walls, the tiles of ourfloors, or the covers, of the books whichlie upon our tables.

For us at Craftsman Farms, the mottoalso bears great importance since it isthe name that we have ascribed to ouraward to honor those persons whohave made a significant contributionto Craftsman Farms and the revival ofthe Arts and Crafts Movement.

This article looks at a little of the his-tory of the words, dating back to itsfirst use by the famous Flemish painterJan Van Eyck in the 1400s, to its useby William Morris starting in the mid-1800s, its less-well-known use by anAntwerp art circle in the 1880s, itsiconic use by Gustav Stickley and itsuse by modern merchants, includingrecent trademark litigation regardingrights to its use. A few words sure go along way.

Van Eyck’s Authorship

Everyone credits Van Eyck with thewords’ authorship. He used the termin signing his paintings in the 15th cen-tury. Our friends at Wikopedia statethat he was an Early Netherlandishpainter active in Bruges and consid-

ered one of the best Northern Europeanpainters of the 15th century. While the16th century artist and biographerGiorgio Vasari credited van Eyck forinventing oil painting, he did in anycase achieve, or perfected, new andremarkable effects using this technique.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_van_Eyck]

400 Years Later – William Morris

William Morris used thephrase, translated intoFrench, as part of tapestries

decorating his home, Red House inBexleyheath, England. According tobiographer Fiona MacCarthy, (WilliamMorris: A Life for our Time, pp 82, 116and 231), he had traveled to Belgiumwith his sister Henrietta during thesummer of 1854, while a student atOxford, concentrating on the latemediaeval paints of van Eycks, HansMemling and Rogier van der Weyden.He took another tour of the LowCounties in the autumn of 1856 andcame back adopting the motto Als ichkanne. He later incorporated it (inFrench) in a tapestry that he displayedat his medieval-inspired home in RedHouse, commissioned from PhilipWebb in 1859. (Over the fireplace headded another inscription, this time inLatin – “Ars Longa Vita Brevis – Art islong, life is short.”) He again went tosee a van Eyck painting when he wentto Ghent after summering at theGerman spa Bad Ems in 1869.

Als Ik Kan in Antwerp

In October 1883 the motto again sur-faces. This time it is adopted as thename of an art circle in the Belgiantown of Antwerp, using the modernversion Als Ik Kan. [See “Antewerp,Als Ik Kan, and the Problem onProvincialism” by Jean F. Buyck inBelgian Art 1880-1914, The BrooklynMuseum, 1980.] This group of youngartists aimed to restore Flemish-speak-ing Antwerp as the center of Belgian

Gustav Stickley's Oath — Als ik kan

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art against the growing influence ofthe Walloon French-speaking Brussels.Antwerp trended towards the conser-vative, and so too did the Als Ik Kancircle, exhibiting still lifes, genrescenes, landscapes and portraits in atraditional historicist manner. Hardlyrevolutionary. Als Ik Kan did, howev-er, have one link to the revolutionaryfervor which would soon surface inthe 1890s with various artnouveau/secessionist/Jugendstil stylemovements – one of its members wasHenry van de Velde, who would laterbecome a leading architect and design-er in the new school. Van de Velde leftthe movement in 1886, the year thatanother painter of the school paintedA Session of the Art Circle “Als Ik Kan”in 1885, reminiscent of the composi-ton for The Last Supper but showing vande Velde n the Judas seat. The circleseems to have been broken in the 1890s.

Stickley’s Adoption of theMotto

While I doubt that Stickleywas up on “doings” in

Antwerp art circles, his mentor IreneSargent probably was. She clearly wasaware of all that was going on inWilliam Morris’ circles. Discountingany knowledge of the Antwerp circle asconjecture, it is clear that he knew ofMorris’ use. So Stickley’s use of thephrase might be seen as both a doublehomage – a direct acknowledgment ofthe role of William Morris and a harken-ing back to a prior age when crafts-manship was held in greater esteem.

Stickley thought so highly of themotto that he obtained trademarkprotection for it. He obtainedRegistration No. 37,182 on October 8,1901 for a joiners compass with thewords appearing below in lower caseblack letter.

Fast Forward to Today – The Motto isthe Star of the Courtroom

In a more modern time, another per-son, Ron Cosser doing business as The

Craftsman Workshops in Fayetteville,NY, obtained trademark protection foruse of the mark on wood furniturepolish, Stickley Furniture Dressing. Hestarted to use the mark, along withother Gus Stickley marks, in 1978 andobtained a trademark registration in1997. It is interesting to note that hisregistration, however, credited the originalphrase as Finnish. An obvious typo orsimilar goof, it is quaint how the inter-national lineage of the phrase nowinadvertently picks up another root.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Boardconcluded that the mark had beenabandoned by the Stickley Companysince there was no evidence showingits use of the mark on furniture orfurniture polish between 1922 until atleast 1950 (and no excuse for suchnonuse). Notwithstanding the heavyburdens that are placed on a petitionerchallenging an issued trademark, theL. & J. G. Stickley Company was ableto have Mr. Cosser’s mark cancelled in2007 based on displays in its onlyshowroom for many years prior to1978 that included the mark and thefact that 1977, 1980 and 1983 catalogsprominently used the term Als Ik Kanand identified it as one of GustavStickley’s trademarks. The legal ques-tion was whether this usage amountedto a trade name use or use analogousto trademark use. The court notedthat a trade name lacking any inde-pendent trademark significance maybar registration of a trademark that isconfusingly similar. The opposer doesnot have to show evidence that theconsuming public identified the targetword or phrase with the opposer asthe source of a given product or serv-ice, but the court may infer the fact ofidentification on the basis of indirectevidence regarding the opposer’s useof the word or phrase in advertisingbrochures, catalogs, advertisementsand media articles. The Board thenfound a likelihood of confusion andcancelled the Cosser mark.

The Board did deny, however, theStickley Company claim that theCosser use of the compass + Als ik kanmark inferred a false suggestion ofconnection with Gustav Stickley, not-ing the long period of nonuse and thefact that in 1973 “almost nothing wasknown about Stickley’s furniture.”

It is interesting to note that formerCFF trustee David Cathers’ testimonyfor the Stickley Company is fulsomelyquoted throughout the PTO’s TrademarkTrial and Appeal Board opinion.

Like a flower, these words blossomrepeatedly over time. I think that theyare in full bloom again. And hopefullywe can all aspire to live by the mantra.

— David Lowden

Author’s Note: For more on the trade-mark case, see L.. & J.G. Stickley, Inc. v.Ronald C. Cosser, Cancellation No.92040202, U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice, Trademark Trial and AppealBoard, Hearing August 22, 2006, mail-ing January 11, 2007, available atpub.bna.com/ptcj/92040202Jan11.pdf.

About the Author:

David Lowden is a New York Citylawyer specializing in corporate andnot-for-profit corporation law. Hehas been active with The CraftsmanFarms Foundation since its forma-tion in 1989, where he has been legalcounsel, trustee, Secretary, andChairman of the Board and is currentlyan emeritus trustee. He curated sev-eral cataloged exhibitions at CraftsmanFarms, including C. R. Ashbee andthe Guild of Handicraft: An EnglishView of the Craftsman Ideal; WilliamMorris and the Printed Page: EnglishInfluence on American Book Design;and Bradley: His Look — TheGraphic Designs of Will Bradley. Hiscollecting passion is fine printingand graphic arts of the turn-of-the-century and he has spoken on suchtopics to various groups.

Fall 2008 Page 8

Mark your calendars for one of the fall’s most excit-ing events — the Craftsman Farms’ annualfundraising gala, to be held on Saturday, October

4, 2008. This year’s event is entitled, By the Light of theSilvery Moon and willhave a 1914 supper clubtheme. The beautifulArts and Crafts styleMountain Lakes Club,which was built in 1914,will provide the perfectsetting for the event.

By the Light of theSilvery Moon will be ablack-tie optional cele-bration of the 150thanniversary of GustavStickley’s birth. In hishonor the gala chairs,Marti Weinstein andLaura Reilly haveplanned an extra specialevent!

The evening will includean open bar, butlerpassed hot mulled ciderand wine, sumptoushors d’oeuvres and anelegant butlered dinner.It promises to be a daz-zling evening of cock-tails, fine dining andexceptional live musicfrom the period.

We are thrilled toannounce that the musicwill be provided by atrio of members of theU.S. Coast GuardDixieland Band. Led byclarinetist AndySherwood will perform favorites from the great Americansong book. Sherwood names Benny Goodman and PeteFountain as his main influences. The other members of thetrio are bassist Mark McCormick and award winningarranger, composer and keyboard player, Tom Brigges.

Throughout the evening, guests will have the opportunityto bid on fabulous auction prizes.Successful bidders willwin numerous prizes including a behind-the-scenes visit to

The New York Times; asigned block print byYoshiko Yamamoto fromArts & Crafts Press; aweek’s stay at a charminglog cabin in Vermont; afun week in Cape Cod; aone-of-a-kind vase byPaul Katrich; a limitededition vase createdespecially for CraftsmanFarms by Scott Draves ofDoor Pottery, or one ofmany other lovely Artsand Crafts items.

Advance ticket purchasesare required. Individualticket prices are $175,Patron $350 andBenefactor $1,000. Tablesponsorship levels beginat $2,500. Ads are avail-able in the evening’s pro-gram, and there are cor-porate and businesssponsorship opportuni-ties. For the secondyear in row, Bograd’sFine Furnishings is thelead sponsor of the event.

All proceeds from By theLight of the Silvery Moonsupport the restoration,maintenance, and educa-tional programming atthe Stickley Museum atCraftsman Farms.

If you have any questions, or to purchase tickets today,please contact Shunzyu Haigler at 973-540-0311 or viaemail shaigler@stickleymuseum.org.

— Shunzyu Haigler

UPCOMING EVENTS

BByy tthhee LLiigghhtt ooff tthhee SSiillvveerryy MMoooonnSaturday, October 4, 2008

Menu

CCoocckkttaaiill HHoouurr::Open Bar

Grilled Citrus and Basil ShrimpSmoked Salmon Roses on Sweet Potato Pancake with Crème Fraiche

Scallops Wrapped in BaconRosemary Grilled Baby Lamb Chops with Port Wine Demi-Glace

Pork and Pineapple Satay with Spicy Peanut DipChicken Empanadas with Fresh Guacamole

Brie and Raspberry in Phyllo with Berry CoulisPear Cup Filled with Blue Cheese, Walnuts, and Honey

Apple and Butternut Bisque in a Demitasse CupWild Mushroom Money Bags

DDiinnnneerrSalad of Romaine and Red Leaf. Goat Cheese, Dried Cherries, and

Candied Pecans with a Balsamic VinaigretteFresh Baked Bread and Plugra Butter

Duet EntréeParmesan Crusted Swordfish with Balsamic Drizzle

Sliced and Fanned Tenderloin of Beef with Merlot Sauce Spinach and Parmesan Potato Nests

Bundles of French Green Beans and Baby Carrots

DDeesssseerrtt aanndd CCooffffeeeeTrio Dessert Plate

Chocolate Covered Baby Pear, Apple Strudel and Pecan TartletOver Cinnamon Crème Anglaise

Full Coffee and Tea Service

“By the Light of the Silvery Moon” Gala Evening

Afestive blend of bubbles andmusic filled the air atCraftsman Farms’ July Family

Day. The “Old Fashioned IndependenceDay Celebration” featured the ChathamBrass Ensemble, whose patriotic andragtime music set the perfect tone, anda variety of activities from the popularbubble-making station to the cakewalkthat wrapped up the event.

Families disregarded the gloomy skiesand made their way from one hands-on activity to the next. Parents andchildren played with games and toysfrom the early 1900s, including woodenspinners, tic-tac-toe toss, and whirligigs,made paper kazoos, patriotic pinwheels,and ribbon streamers, shopped for“penny” candy at the General Store,and simply relaxed on the grass toenjoy the Ensemble’s period-appropri-ate music, including “On MoonlightBay,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” and“The Teddy Bear’s Picnic.”

Late in the day the drizzles turn torain, but families stayed on, reluctantto leave and still hopeful that themuch-anticipated cakewalk wouldn’thave to be sacrificed to the weather.With both adults and children fromtoddlers to teens gamely ignoring therain and lining up along the numberedcircle, the cakewalk went on asplanned. Led by Joyce Garrow andKaren Slifkin, marching to music pro-vide by the Ensemble, cakewalk partic-ipants competed for prizes donated byDunkin’ Donuts, Denville Dairy, andPanera Bread. The fun lasted throughseveral rounds until thunder in thedistance finally compelled a hastyfinale, and as the last prizes werehanded out, the intrepid and nowthoroughly drenched but happy crowdran for cover.

—Vonda Givens

RECENT EVENTS

Fall 2008 Page 9

A Fun Filled Independence Day!

Landscape VolunteersContribute Time

Acleanup was completed onJune 20. The day wasorganized by The Morris

Land Conservancy Partners-In-Parksand the CFF Landscape Commiteee.Twenty five volunteers from Johnson &Johnson, The Morris Land Conservancy,and Craftsman Farms participated.

The cleanup trimmed the bushes andmulched around the North and SouthCottage area. Brush was removedalong the north boundary west of theNorth Cottage by Parsippany Parksand the volunteers, and twenty yardsof mulch was spread around majortrees and obstructions in the lawnarea north of the Log House Museum.The cleanup has enhanced the view ofthe North Cottage from the entranceroad to The Farms, and it will facili-tate maintenance of the north lawn area.

A second volunteer day is plannedwith The Morris Land Conservancyfor September 16. The plan calls for acontinuation of the cleanup along thenorth boundary west to the accessroad to the White Cottage.

— Richard Gottardi

Volunteers gather after completing the project.

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NOTES FROM THE FARMS

Exciting additions are beingmade to our array of Artsand Crafts inspired mer-

chandise making the store a standalone shopping destination as well as astronger part of the museum visitorexperience. We will continue to repre-sent exceptional artisans working inthe Arts and Crafts style while intro-ducing new categories of handsome,high quality gifts for under $50 andeven some items under $20.

Our Stickley Museum branded prod-uct line continues to grow andincludes three new color postcards ofthe Museum; adult and children’s t-shirts; umbrellas; post-it notes; mousepads; magnets; and mugs that are rem-iniscent of speckled enamelware.

At our recent family days we received

feedback from kids and parents aboutwhat they’d like to see in the gift shop.The children’s merchandise is expand-ing to include period-appropriate toysand games, old-fashioned penny-candy, pencils made of twigs, andprojects for families to do together.

Expanding upon the success ofPomegranate Press calendars and post-card books, we now carry their lines ofboxed notecards, gift enclosures, wrap-ping paper, pocket journals, addressbooks, leather and paper bound jour-nals as well as fourteen new postcardbooks. All items feature the work ofdesign luminaries such as WilliamMorris, C.R.Mackintosh, C.F.A.Voysey,Frank Lloyd Wright, and Tiffany.

With the introduction of a gorgeousline of handmade cards that look like

antique botanicals, we have becomepart of the growing Fair Trade move-ment. At Hope for Women, each cardis painstakingly made of organicallygrown pressed plants applied to tree-free paper in Nepal. We are proud tobe part of the Fair Trade movement,which seeks to provide safe, eco-friendlyworking conditions and fair pay toindigenous peoples around the world.

The Holidays aren’t far off! Beautifulholiday cards, including many featur-ing December covers of The Craftsmanmagazine are arriving and will be ondisplay beginning October 1st.Christmas ornaments will be arrivingas well. Watch your mail for an invita-tion to a special members-only holidayshopping event on December 5.

— Pete Mars

Fall 2008 Page 10

Don Stahl to Receive 2008 Als Ik Kan Award

The Als Ik Kan Award is thehighest honor given by theCraftsman Farms

Foundation and is presented to indi-viduals who contribute in an excep-tional manner to The StickleyMuseum at Craftsman Farms and/orto the advancement of the AmericanArts and Crafts movement. At theJune 2008 Board meeting of theCraftsman Farms Foundation, DrDonald Stahl was nominated andunanimously approved as the 2008Als Ik Kan honoree. Don has contributedmuch of his time, his significant tal-ent, and generous resources to theFoundation for the past 15 years.

Time is the most precious gift any ofus can give. Don has spent countlesshours as a docent giving tours. Visitorswho have experienced Don’s tours saythat he is one of the most informedand interesting docents they have everhad. As CFF Trustee for ten years, heserved as Chairman of the Landscape

Committee and spent countless hourscoordinating and working along sidevolunteers on property work days.He also served as Chairman of thePersonnel and NominatingCommittee, ensuring that any vacan-cies were filled by the best candidates.

Known for his fine craftsmanship inoak, Don has shared his talents bydonating reproductions he has madeof a number of fine Stickley-designed

pieces of furniture which were auc-tioned off at our annual fundraisinggala. He has also contributed a num-ber of beautiful pieces that are now inuse in the administrative building, hasbuilt Arts and Crafts picture framesfor numerous volunteer awards, andfor the mural that now hangs in theParsippany Public Library.

Don has made significant and steadyfinancial contributions to TheCraftsman Farms Foundation over theyears. Most recently he created theAmy Stahl Memorial EducationEndowment in memory of his dearwife. It was the first named endow-ment in the Foundations history andhelped us begin to focus our missionon education. The Annual Amy StahlMemorial Lecture series will be inau-gurated on November 8 (see page 5).

Truly Dr Donald Stahl is a worthy recipi-ent of this year’s Als Ik Kan Award.

— Davey Willans

New Additions in the Gift Shop

Dr. Donald Stahl 2008 Als Ik Kan Recipient.

Fall 2008

THANK YOU

MembershipMay 1- July 31, 2008

We extend a warm thank you to the following members who demonstrated their support of the mission of The Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms by joining or renewing in the past three months.

ApprenticeBarbara and Henry Fuldner

Patron Alexandria Arnold

and John R. HaighMark S. LasnerJoy Ann and Rainer MimbergLinda PacottiJ. Parkhill Smith

Friend Nancy Iacomini

and Daniel DonahueDiane and James FischerMary A. C. JablonskiChristine and Stephen G. KaiserDr. Arganey L. Lucas, Jr.Laura and Michael MulhaulSuzanne and Kyle NeuheimerBeth Hagenbuch and Ken WeikalSteve Williams and Kurt Gahan

Dual/Family Laila M. Almeida and Peter BoloJanice M. BallouJack BurwellMaria and Glenn Ceponis

Jan and Charles ClouseNatalie and Richard ColledgeLynne and Audel DavisJane and Bob DuncansonMelina A. Formisano

and Raymond J. DunnCynthia DzambaSusen and Bob EdwardsSarah and Franklin T. FlahertyJoyce GarrowKent A. GordonVirginia and Stanley HirschiDick J. LevineVictoria and Richard McGlynnCarisa and Alexandra MahnkenJohn MarinovichSusan and Michael OchmanSaul RadinRosemary and Robert SteinbaumKathleen and Richard TrueloveAnnette and William Tyler

IndividualJohn AlbertEdward L. ByrnesDean CartierMichael CocoVivian CohenGretchen Creesy

Bruce J. DaviesGraham FinlaysonHillaire GallagherJames GarramboneMark GlazierLois GoldsmithScott A. GotheNancy K. GrayEdwin GreenVivian C.R. JamesVance A. KoehlerBrent KovalchikJasmine L. LimMarlene NiedermayerEric PauleRobert W. PoschJane PughGuy RussellAlan R. SkuppEric TimsakPat Wing

Student or Senior Rosemarie C. AgostiniMarjorie A. HaringFrances D. MasnikGeraldine NavratilMary Ann C. Smith

A B

Thank you to the following for the spe-cial way they helped further the missionof The Craftsman Farms Foundation:

American Art Pottery Association for aClifton pottery vase #137

Michael DeJong for a Van Briggle pot-tery flower frog

Barbara Fuldner for Craftsman catalogs

Dr. Don Stahl for 17 books

Brian Stewart for a portrait of GustavStickley

Thank you to the following businessesfor the special way they helped ensurethe success of our July Family Day.

Maybury Douglas Associates for gift ofDunkin' Donuts gift certificates

Ro-Lo Systems, Inc T/A Denville Dairyfor gift of four $10 gift certificates

Fenwick Group for gift of two PaneraBread "Bread for a Year" certificates

The Craftsman Farms Foundation isprofoundly grateful to the following forrecent grants:

The Arts and Crafts Society of CentralNew York

The Institute of Museum and LibraryServices

The New Jersey Historical Commission

The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills

Special Thanks

Page 11

THESTICKLEYMUSEUM AT

CRAFTSMANFARMS2352 Rt. 10-WestMorris Plains, NJ 07950-1214

Return service requested

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDParsippany, NJPermit No. 7

Craftsman Farms, the former home of noted designer Gustav Stickley, is owned by the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills and is operated as the

Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms by The Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc. The Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization

incorporated in the State of New Jersey. Restoration of the National Historic Landmark, Craftsman Farms, is made possible, in part, by a Save

America's Treasures Grant administered by the National Parks Service, Department of the Interior, and by Support from Morris County

Preservation Trust, The New Jersey Historic Trust, and individual members. The Craftsman Farms Foundation received an operating grant

from the New Jersey Historical Commission.

NOTES FROM THE FARMS

VISITING CRAFTSMAN FARMS

Craftsman Farms is located at 2352 Route 10 WestMorris Plains New Jersey 07950

The entrance is located on Route 10West at Manor Lane, about 3 mileswest of I-287 in Parsippany-Troy Hills,New Jersey. Driving directions areavailable at www.stickleymuseum.org.

Free to members and children under 6Adults: $7; Seniors & Students $5

Closed Monday, Tuesday, & Major Holidays.

YEAR ROUND TOUR SCHEDULE:Saturdays and SundaysTours Leave: 11:15 a.m. 12:15 p.m., 1:15 p.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:15 p.m.

Additional Hours, April 1 — November 16:Wednesdays, Thursdays, and FridaysTours Leave: 12:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m.

Group Tours are available by reservation. Call Peter Mars at 973.540.0311

YEAR ROUND GIFT SHOP HOURS:Sat. & Sun. — 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Additional Hours April 1 — November 16:Wed. to Fri. — Noon to 3:00 p.m.

Notes from The Farms is the quarterlypublication of The Craftsman FarmsFoundation, Inc. and is based on anoriginal design by Suzanne Jones.Contributing to this issue: VondaGivens, Richard Gottardi, ShunzyuHaigler, David Lowden, Peter Mars,Heather Stivison, and Davey Willans.

CONTACT US:Offices: 973.540.0311 Museum: 973.540.1165Fax: 973.540.1167Email: info@stickleymuseum.orgwebsite: www.stickleymuseum.org

1858 –Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Gustav Stickley– 2008