Joinery, Joists And Gender: A History Of Woodworking For The 21st Century

by Deirdre Visser

Joinery, Joists and Gender: A History of Woodworking for the 21st Century celebrates the history of women and non-binary people in woodworking. The book’s origins are in “Making a Seat at the Table: Women Transform Woodworking,” an exhibit at the Center for Art in Wood. “Journey, Joists and Gender” combines scholarly research with fascinating profiles of sixteen contemporary makers.

The book is richly illustrated with over 200 full color photos – and with the practical insights into the lived experiences of the practitioners. The publisher, Routledge, specializes in academic and professional books, so it is no surprise that the book includes an analysis of social and historical forces (war’s effect on women in the labor force, the DIY movement, etc.) but the approach of the book is very accessible. The generous tone of the book extends to the wide range of profiled woodworkers, whose diverse understanding of woodworking, art and craft will justify any reader’s time.

Trade paperback. 368 pages.

“The historical overview of women in woodworking is fascinating, including consideration of women picking up where men left off in wartime, and a wonderfully insightful discussion of the role played by the D.I.Y. movement in drawing women in. Earlier sections of the history include lots of information gleaned from research by Suzanne Ellison right here at Lost Art Press, a wonderful tribute to Ellison herself and to the Lost Art Press blog for publishing it. The international dimension is also noteworthy, though the book is overwhelmingly grounded in North America.

My favorite aspect of the book is the intellectual perspective that Deirde Visser brings to the subject, which she treats with welcome nuance. Many pages of my copy are covered with laudatory notes. I greatly appreciate that Visser and her colleague in the project early on, Laura Mays, saw fit to include not just art and studio furniture makers, but builders of custom work who happily refer to their workspaces as shops, and builders of buildings (albeit to a lesser extent).

The book is refreshingly free from top-down, supercilious attitude. Rather, its embrace of a diverse cross section of makers and making reflects beautifully on Visser herself.”
–Nancy Hiller, Lost Art Press blog

Pages: 368
Binding: TP
Publisher: Routledge