“The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director being a large collection of the most elegant and useful designs of Household Furniture in the most Fashionable Taste, including a great variety of Chairs, Sofas, Beds and Couches; China-Tables, Dressing-Tables, Shaving-Tables, Bason-Stands and Tea-Kettle Stands; Frames for Marble Slabs, Bureau-Dressing-Tables and Commodes; Writing-Tables and Library-Tables; Library Book-Cases, Organ Cases for private Rooms or Churches, Desks and Bookcases; Dressing and Writing Tables with Book-Cases, Toilets, Cabinets and Cloaths-Presses; China Cases, China-Shelves, and Book-Shelves; Candle-Stands, Terms for Busts, Stands for China Jars and Pedestals; Cisterns for Water, Lanthorns and Chandeliers; Fire-Screens, Brackets, and Clock-cases; Pier-glasses and Table-Frames; Girandoles, Chimney-Pieces, and Picture Frames; Stove-Grates, Boarders, Frets, Chinese-Railing and Brass-Work for Furniture, and other Ornaments.... The whole comprehended in Two Hundred Copper Plates, neatly engraved, calculated to improve and refine the present taste, and suited to the Fancy and Circumstances of Persons in all degrees of Life.” He ends his Preface to both editions as follows: “Upon the whole, I have given no Design but what may be executed with Advantage by the Hands of a skilful Workman, though some of the Profession have been diligent enough to represent them (especially those after the Gothick and Chinese manner) as so many specious Drawings, impossible to be worked off by any mechanick whatsoever. I will not scruple to attribute this to Malice, Ignorance and Inability; and I am confident I can convince all Noblemen, Gentlemen, or others, who will honour me with their Commands, that every Design in the Book can be improved, both as to Beauty and Enrichment, in the Execution of it, by Their Most Obedient Servant, Thomas Chippendale.” Our accurate knowledge of Chippendale and of his work outside his own book is very meagre. He was evidently at work during the reign of George I. and was probably busiest when he published his book of designs in 1754. An examination of the plates contained in this collection of drawings shows that Chippendale cared more about the carving and ornaments than the forms themselves. He does not seem to have been an inventor of a style. Sheraton shares this view. The latter writes in 1791: “I have seen one (book of design) which seems to have been published before Chippendale’s. I infer this from the antique appearance of the furniture, for there is no date to it; but the title informs us that it was composed by a society of Cabinet-makers in London.