Tage Frid table

Collection — Object: 1

Identifier: RITArt-0053

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Tage Frid table was handcrafted by Mr. Frid in the 1950's while he was a woodworking instructor at the School for American Craftsmen (SAC) at Rochester Institute of Technology. (RIT) The piece typifies the sleek contemporary Danish design that Mr. Frid is well-known for. The table's surface is made from three planks of what could possibly be mahogany. It is convex in shape, wider in the center and narrower at both ends. The table was purchased by Mr. Robert Johnson in the 1950's and was in his possession until 2009 when he donated it to RIT.

Dates

Creation: circa 1950-1961

Creator

Frid, Tage (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers.

Biographical / Historical

Tage Frid was a native of Denmark who helped revive the art of handmade furniture in the United States. Mr. Frid, who was long associated with the Rhode Island School of Design, was both a highly influential teacher and an innovator whose approach was at odds with that of many furniture designers. Mr. Frid arrived in the United States in 1948 along with his friendJack Prip, a silversmith, after being recruited by Mrs. Aileen Webb, founder of the American Crafts Council, to teach at the new School for American Craftsmen in Alfred, New York. Tage moved with the school when it was shifted toRochester Institute of Technology in 1950. In 1962, he left for the Rhode Island School of Design to head its department of woodworking and furniture design until his retirement. Beginning in the mid-1970s, Mr. Frid began to reach woodworking students outside his classes. He was a force in starting Fine Woodworking magazine. Mr. Frid's foremost writing achievement, the three-volume ''Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking'' (Taunton Press, 1993), is still in print and remains one of the most respected set of manuals on the subject. Tage Frid died in 2004.

Extent

5 Linear Feet

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

Tage Frid coffee table is a finely handcrafted wood coffee table. Mr. Frid was a workworking instructor for the School for American Craftsmen from 1950-1961.