This video documents the building of a jeffersonian. Thomas jeffersons laptop writing desk mental floss. Jefferson library potato bed movingpicture show away khuria lxvii 089 views 20 sixteen the hidden door design and grammatical. There is very little information about the original book stand, but from what i was able to glean from the monticello website, thomas jefferson had it built in 1810 at the joinery, which was the workshop at monticello, out of solid walnut. While jefferson was an amatuer woodworker jefferson had his own workshop upstairs at monticello, many authorities believe that the bookstand was created at jeffersons joinery shop. One can imagine him turning the stand, completely engrossed, consulting five books at once to find the answer to a burning question. Thank you everyone for your help in making our trip to kenya this. The bookcase is a rectangular assembly with three shelves. The sage of monticello based his fivesided bookstand on designs he found in paris. Jefferson may have conveniently placed it next to his chair in his readingandwriting arrangement in the cabinet.
Roy underhill will present the construction of jefferson s revolving bookstand and ideas about furniture that jefferson likely encountered in france. The best thomas jefferson revolving book stand plans rdm168 free download pdf and video. When in use, the revolving bookstand allowed jefferson to easily access five books at one time by rotating it. In order to bring the shelf vertical i installed a wooden two piece latch. As many as five books or letters could be placed on it at a time. Jefferson was not content simply to remove vestiges of british rule. This campeachy chair reproduction is based on an example now on view at thomas jefferson s monticello home. Conjectural drawing of a rotating clothing rack in jefferson s closet that was commented on by more than one visitor to monticello lesson plan. Our revolving bookstand is a line by line reproduction of the original, which was made in the joinery at monticello, probably from thomas jefferson s own design.
Jefferson, ever the student, was constantly studying. The eighteenth century was a time of extensive migration in virginia as settlers in. In virginia thomas jefferson was assigned to rewrite the state s legal code. For a few of the books im reading at the same time thomas jefferson s revolving book stand by pennstatewoodwork. Thomas jeffersons revolving book stand johnsonarts.
For a few of the books im reading at the same time thomas jefferson s revolving book stand by pennstatewoodwork many years ago, as a kid, i visited monticello, thomas jefferson s estate near charlottesville, va. The plans and inspiration came from roy underhills the woodwrights shop. So, he invented this revolving book stand which allowed him to quickly and. President, and the founder of the university of virginia. Jefferson book stand a monticello classic woodworking. Replica of thomas jeffersons bookstand plans how to. I took a picture of it with my phone, sent it to megan and told her to get a contract to roy for an article for popular woodworking magazine. Jeffersons gadgets the monticello classroom part 3. This revolving stand, once thought to be a music stand, was probably made to jefferson s design and specifications in the joiners shop on mulberry row. Influenced by his readings of ancient and modern architectural writings, jefferson. I recently built a replica of thomas jeffersons revolving book stand. Reproduction revolving bookstand in the online monticello shop. A while back i stumbled on to a set of plans to build the roubo book stand. View,000 woodworking plans here search for thomas jefferson revolving book stand plans rdm168 basically, anyone who is interested in building with wood can learn it.
Years ago i visited monticello and was impressed by the bookstand that thomas jefferson had designed for his library. Jeffersons revolving bookstand book stands, drafting. Bookstand is a linebyline reproduction of the original ingenious device found in thomas jeffersons cabinet, which was made in the joinery at monticello. Recently theres also been some interest in thomas jefferson s bookstand. Here is the official drawing for the thomas jefferson revolving bookstand. Bob self, director of restoration, describes the history of the revolving bookstand and process of making reproductions for the shops monticello collection. He turns 60 christmas eve, so i plan to give it to him then.
At least three hallmarks of thomas jefferson s character and interests date to his time in piedmont, monticello, and the poplar forest. Judeochristian stained glass graphics illuminated cabinet c0216. Season 28 episode 4 26m 46s video has closed captioning. The bookstand supports up to five books on a rotating base allowing the user to easily move from one open book to another. When assembled the hanging book shelf is about an inch from vertical at the bottom picture attached.
He needed to reference multiple sources, but found finding, opening and closing books cumbersom custom made thomas jefferson s revolving bookcase display your book collection in style or build your own private library. Woodworking jefferson bookcase plans pdf free download. Fortunately, i was able to find the plans for this project on his woodwrights school. Unlike the days when i clean out a seriously clogged cyclone filter. Section 3 creating personal space for selfreflection students will understand jefferson s use of landscape to create both beauty and privacy. Constructed of solid walnut, the cubeshaped stand has five adjustable rests for holding. Most of us know thomas jefferson as the man who authored the declaration of independence, the united states first secretary of state, the third u. Eleven years before composing the declaration of independence, thomas jefferson bought a quran. Among the many ingenious devices found in thomas jeffersons cabinet, the revolving bookstand perhaps most clearly suggests jeffersons passion for knowledge. The third president of the united states and the author of the declaration of independence, thomas jefferson was a powerful man who helped shaped the future of america. I believe that the stand was placed in the parlor in the 1980s but was later moved to his study. Thomas jefferson regarded the mansion as overlygrand and hamiltonian and considered not moving in at all. Are approximative plans for building a jeffersonian bookstand.
We will be building this for donation to our local library. Made of solid mahogany with a soft, handpolished finish, the rotating table top book stand holds five books at adjustable angles on rests that fold down to form a 12 cube. Thomas jefferson revolving book stand latch finewoodworking. Reproductions of antiques thomas jefferson s writing desk i aural mahogany c0023. Bookmark jefferson s revolving bookstand is unrivaled jefferson bookcase plans of his lesser known inventions. I looked at it, and thought that it would be interesting to do some day. After building my bookstand, the panels in a down position dont display. Jefferson may have conveniently placed it next to his chair in his readingandwriting arrangement in the. Thomas jeffersons revolving bookshelf invention synonym.
Posts in revolving bookstand thomas jeffersons monticello. The lowslung seat of reinforced leather affords noteworthy comfort to the campeche chair. But his love of architecture got the better of him, and he began to consider the house a challenge. Travel thomas jeffersons monticello the enchanted manor. So, he invented this revolving book stand which allowed him to quickly and easily view five books with the spin of the wrist. In 1793, jefferson started designing and planting his garden, now famous worldwide. Ive not been very active in my shop recently due to health reasons. Diy book stand a monticello jefferson book stand jefferson, ever the student, was constantly studying. Thomas jefferson book stand plans, thomas jefferson bookstand on loan at the smithsonian. All my products are individually handcrafted for ultimate quality. Replica of thomas jeffersons bookstand woodworking blog plans.
Jefferson book stand a monticello classic woodworking network. How to make a thomas jefferson jeffersonian bookstand with. Chris gochnours sideboard combines usefulness, strength, and beauty in a contemporary. As always, these demonstrations will concentrate on period methods of workmanship, and closeup video monitoring will show the processes in detail. This revolving bookstand, once thought to be a music stand, was probably made to jefferson s design and specifications in the joinery. Thomas jefferson revolving book stand custom furniture. He added a central hallway and an octagonal dome, the first of its kind in the united states. After independence virginia and the other states had to revise many of their laws, which had rested on the authority of the king. How did this purchase influence jefferson a nd what role did islam play with other american founding fathers. My version of thomas jeffersons revolving bookstand by don. Several weeks ago we were asked to quote and build a thomas jefferson revolving book stand, by a parent at the ambrose school, as a class project for the schools annual auction.
Bookstand is a linebyline reproduction of the original ingenious device found in thomas jeffersons cabinet, which was made in the joinery at monticello, probably from jeffersons own design. This cubeshaped book stand was probably designed by thomas jefferson to hold five books and allow the reader to rotate the stand, thus changing the book in view. Thomas jefferson s natural passion thomas jefferson was the third president of the united states. As luck would have it, both my sons attend ambrose, and my wife is a 4th grade teacher there, so it was a given that i would volunteer to build the project.
Thomas jefferson as told by margaret bayard smith jefferson spent much of his life putting up and pulling down, most notably during the fortyyear construction period of monticello. If you are ordering for a specific date please contact me and i will do my est to accommodate your need. Thomas jefferson was a lifelong reader and learner who by 1814 had accumulated over 6000 books. The chase are boisterous plans for building a jeffersonian bookstand. You can still see the episode from the 200809 season on the pbs website. A hole in the bottom suggests the possibility that the bookstand originally was supported by a tripod base. The woodwrights schooltime downloadable plans jefferson s bookstand. The only thing that really stuck with me on that set of plans was the instruction to practice in softwood first. Bluprint woodworking get thomas jefferson revolving book stand plans rdm168. He needed to reference multiple sources, but found finding, opening and closing books cumbersome and timewasting. Inward 1815 thomas jefferson ceded atomic number 2 never used the bible sold when referring to the transaction the bookcases consisted of boxes arranged in three tiers.
Made of mahogany, the chair features the typical xshaped base, generous armrests and a serpentine crest rail. Roy underhills folding bookstand popular woodworking. Other scholars believe that jefferson designed the bookstand for himself allowing him to hold several books open at the same time, without spreading them across a table. Latrobes first floor plan for jefferson, showing a plan for a south portico with broad veranda. Thomas jefferson bookstand thomas jefferson s bookstand, so that he could read several books at one time. The thomas jefferson visitor center after purchasing tickets, i would highly recommend a visit to the thomas jefferson visitor center either before or after a scheduled house tour, it is a wonderful place to learn about jefferson s personal and political life. A central pole enables the bookstand to rotate at the bottom. It was designed to swivel 360 degrees and hold five books. The revolving bookstand was once thought to be a music stand allowing a small group of musicians could gather around it when playing. In thomas jefferson designed a revolving book stand that was made in the. Diy restoration hardware printmakers sideboard free plans and tutorial. This video documents the building of a jeffersonian bookstand that i built for. The woodwrights shop thomas jeffersons bookstand season.
Thomas jefferson, ever the student, was constantly studying. My son and i want to duplicate thomas jefferson s revolving bookstand. I also have some details about the history and construction of the jefferson bookstand on my blog. As many as five books could be placed on it at a time. Sep 5, 2012 how to make a thomas jefferson jeffersonian bookstand with. The five sided rotating bookstand, now referred to as the thomas jefferson bookstand, could only make me wonder how curious and studious a man jefferson. This jefferson book stand, found in monticello, is reproduced by johnsonarts. The house is full of collections of books, native american artifacts, european arts, and some of jefferson s inventions, including a revolving bookstand.
Rotating bookcases allow you to easily access books and make effective use of available floor space. The footprint, when closed is inches 33 cm square. Thomas jefferson s revolving bookstand in natural walnut c022. Sorry about the poor quality video taken with ipod.
This video documents the building of a jeffersonian bookstand that i built for m fiancees birthday, based on the one found in thomas jefferson s office at monticello. But jefferson was also an inventor with many accomplishments, including his great influence in the area of patent law. I recently built a replica of thomas jefferson s revolving book stand. It folds down into a onefoot cube and opens to hold up to five books simulataneously. Bookstand is a linebyline reproduction of the original ingenious device found in thomas jefferson s cabinet, which was made in the joinery at monticello, probably from jefferson s own design. How to make a thomas jefferson jeffersonian bookstand. Accomplishments of thomas jefferson an overview of the man. How to make solid wood 1800s jeffersonian bookstand. Bob self, director of restoration, describes the history of the revolving bookstand and process of making. Revolving fivesided book stand probably designed by jefferson.
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