| Modern comforts, by their very nature (or, rather, when | | | | terms of functionality and beauty. |
| filtered through our own flawed human nature) are | | | | Tours of the factory – which are consistently |
| taken for granted. Don’t feel so bad about that, | | | | offered – give visitors the opportunity to watch |
| though. It’s built into our psychology to implement | | | | these artisans construct wooden furniture of all sorts. |
| into our daily lives the technologies of our world without | | | | And with the proprietors of the establishment always |
| having to pay much (or any) consideration as to how | | | | willing to talk shop it becomes quickly clear that such |
| they work, or how they came to be part of this world: | | | | craftsmanship is not only a time-honored skill, but also a |
| flushing toilets, iPods, television, running water, etc. We | | | | passion. Acclaimed playwright and filmmaker, David |
| don’t have to think about these things because | | | | Mamet, said of Chairmakers of this ilk that, “[They] |
| they are mainstays of the world into which we were | | | | used to make their chairs without glue because they |
| born. Much like gravity these things simply “are.” | | | | correctly understood not only the nature of joints but |
| One of the biggest victims of this phenomenon is the | | | | the nature of woods. They knew which wood would |
| modest, yet noble, piece of furniture upon which we all | | | | shrink and which would expand with age, so that these |
| rest. I’m talking about the chair. While this initially | | | | woods, when correctly combined, would make the |
| doesn’t sound very exciting – I mean, come on, | | | | chair stronger over time."* Winsor Chairmakers |
| it’s a chair – we are going to, just for a second, | | | | provides display of this skill set to a T. While costly |
| instill within ourselves the desire to learn about | | | | (some pieces – specifically tables – can range in |
| something we take for granted every day. | | | | the $2,000 range) the pieces of furniture produced by |
| Chair-making has been a well-respected craft since | | | | these craftsmen will become, by all standards, |
| man could walk upright (and thereby developed the | | | | heirlooms. |
| urge to sit), and known well by the citizens of Camden, | | | | The owner of the shop, Jim Brown, has clients all over |
| Maine for almost twenty years by way of the | | | | the country – reached, he claims, due to his |
| Windsor Chairmakers. Located just six miles north of | | | | strategic location along Route 1 (some buyers coming |
| Camden in the town of Lincolnville, the craftsmen of | | | | from as far as California). Which is impressive |
| Windsor Chairmakers forge a livelihood from the | | | | considering the company is so small. He knows that |
| construction of wooden seats – Windsor-style | | | | only the most serious of furniture buyers will come to |
| chairs, benches, rockers, and stools. Basically, any chair | | | | his shop, bypassing larger companies which may |
| in which the undercarriage and backrest are fixed into | | | | include showrooms and salesmen, because of the |
| the wooden seat is considered a “Windsor | | | | reputation Windsor Chairmakers has for building 17th |
| Chair,” and these pieces can be regarded both in | | | | Century furniture of the utmost integrity. |