This is the Revised Edition of the classic bible of American furniture. It presents a thorough analysis, through over 700 photographs and detailed text, of the various elements of design, decoration, craftsmanship, construction, and finish of early American furniture. Each type is shown and discussed with three examples—good, better, best—and the relative merits and consequent value differentials of each are compared. It explains why superficially similar pieces of furniture of the same approximate age and scarcity, and possibly by the same maker, may vary considerably in desirability and worth. It is a unique, indispensible guide for today's students, collectors, dealers, and curators in judging and evaluating antiques. More than 100 types are discussed and 675 examples are illustrated, including some of the most notable pieces. The ultimate reference, as important today as when first written in 1950.