Made To Last: 18th Century Furniture With Bob Van Dyke

In 2025, the Connecticut Museum is celebrating its 200th birthday! We’re excited to present a series of programs that will shine a light on some of our most treasured collection items.

In this program, Connecticut woodworker Bob Van Dyke will utilize furniture from our collection to showcase the living craft of furniture-making today, and demonstrate some of the techniques used to create these pieces.

Specifically, Bob will focus on Federal period ornamentation. He has studied Federal period inlay extensively, and will demonstrate the making of some of the more common types of inlay that were used in the various Connecticut furniture shops. Unlike today, furniture in the 18th century was a status symbol and the more highly ornamented the furniture was, the more expensive it became. Consequently, it was a subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) mark of the success of the owner. Ornate carving, intricate veneer work, curved chair & arms along with all sorts of inlays played a huge part in the value of the furniture and the status of the owner.  Shaded fans, geometric bandings and oval paterae were all incorporated which added significant value to the furniture.

You’ll have the opportunity to study some of the pieces from the Connecticut Museum furniture collection that will illustrate Bob’s presentation.

Questions? Contact Natalie Belanger, Adult Programs Manager, at nbelanger@connecticutmuseum.org.

Tickets
$15 General Admission
$10 for Connecticut Museum Member levels under $150
Free for Connecticut Museum Member levels $150 and above

About Our Presenter:

Bob Van Dyke, Director of the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking in Manchester and a Contributing Editor for Fine Woodworking Magazine, has been studying Federal ornamentation for years – especially with regard to Connecticut furniture. After 18 years as an award-winning chef in French restaurants Bob left the business to begin a career in woodworking and teaching. Furniture making had provided an outlet to the pressures of the restaurant business until 1993 when he started the Harris Enterprise School of Fine Woodworking in Manchester, CT. In seven years of operation the school gained national exposure and recognition.

In 2000 he formed a business partnership to open the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking in Manchester, CT. The school was an instant success and the demand for classes was so great that a second shop was built to allow two classes to run simultaneously. He continually strives to expand his skills and knowledge and has been studying and building period furniture for over 25 years. He is a Contributing Editor for Fine Woodworking Magazine and has written articles for Woodshop News and American Period Furniture. He has also done many videos for www.finewoodworking.com.

Bob’s school offers a variety of classes taught by himself and by many of today’s top woodworking instructors. This variety of instructors and styles ensures that there will be something for everyone at CVSW.

Bob’s approach to teaching centers on the belief that people learn “by doing rather than by watching”. Successful furniture making also depends on utilizing a sensible combination of machine woodworking and handwork. Bob’s classes feature hands-on woodworking projects that promote mastery of both handtool and machine woodworking techniques. Bob teaches classes and gives seminars at a number of different schools and woodworking guilds around the country. He is an active member of the Society of American Period Furniture Makers and was the founder and editor of the Society’s quarterly e-magazine Pins & Tales until 2019. Bob resides in a converted horseshoe nail factory in Hartford, Ct. just three blocks from the Wadsworth Atheneum. His free time is spent researching historic inlay techniques, walking around Hartford and playing with his 4 grandsons whenever possible.