The Craftsman (magazine)


The Craftsman was a magazine founded by the American furniture designer Gustav Stickley that championed the American Arts and Crafts movement.

History

The Craftsman was founded by Stickley in October 1901. A key figure in the early years was the art historian and Syracuse University professor Irene Sargent. She wrote nearly all of the magazine's first three issues herself —including the cover story on William Morris in the inaugural issue — and thereafter usually wrote each issue's lead article as well as acting as its managing editor and designing its layouts. Her writing in The Craftsman, along with the architectural designs the magazine published, did a great deal to shape public understanding of the American Arts and Crafts aesthetic and contributed enormously to the magazine's success.
In 1904, Stickley moved the magazine to New York City and Sargent left to write for other publications.
The Craftsman put out its last issue in December 1916. The following year, it was merged with Art World.
Stickley's own home in Syracuse, New York, became the first Craftsman home. Views of its interior and plans were published in The Craftsman in 1903. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. A reprint of the 1903 article in The Craftsman forms part of the NRHP nomination document.