Duncan Phyfe is considered to be one of the leading American cabinetmakers in the 19th century. He was born is Scotland but he immigrated to the United States, starting his business from scratch and creating a successful furniture company. He was the one that presented the style of Neoclassicism to the U.S.A. and was among the first to implement method of manufacturing furniture in series.
Background
Ethnicity:
He was born in Scotland but his family emigrated to the United Stated when he was little
Duncan Phyfe was born in Scotland, near Loch Fannich in the area called Ross and Cromarty. His original name was Fife but he changed its spelling in 1793, presumably to make it easier for Americans to find him in the registry. His father, Donald Fife, and his mother, Isobel Grant, met on her parents’ estate, where Donald was employed as a worker. Duncan had three brothers and two sisters.
Education
Virtually nothing is known about the years of life that Phyfe spent in Scotland, except for the fact that his parents believed that they had much better chance of prosperity in the United States. This is why they decided to immigrate to Albany, New York, in 1784. Phyfe was 16 years old at the time and it is believed that he took up a job of being an apprentice to a cabinetmaker.
Sources speculate that he opened his own shop in Albany but it is more believable that he learned the craft during these years. His mother, Isobel Fife, is mentioned in the 1790 United States census as the head of the Fife household in New York, so it is presumed that Phyfe’s father died until then. As for Duncan, it is believed that he moved to New York City somewhere around 1790 with the idea of starting his own cabinetmaking business.
Career
The reason for his move to New York City was simple – it offered far more opportunities for an ambitious craftsman like Phyfe. The first mention of him in the records of the city was in 1792 when he was chosen to the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen. The society was sponsored by Seabury Champlin and Isaac Nichols, so there is a possibility that one of them was Phyfe’s teacher.
Phyfe is listed in the New York City directory of 1793 as a joiner but he dropped this term the following year and replaced it with the “cabinetmaker”, which he believed sounded much better. At this time he changed the spelling of his surname Fife to Phyfe, presumably so the Americans would find him more easily in the directory. He opened his first shop on the Broad Street but he soon moved to Partition Street (later to become the Fulton Street), which was becoming more and more prominent as years went by.
During the early years of his career, people usually asked his services in repairing and refurnishing used and old furniture. With time and hard work, Phyfe started to attract a wealthier clientele. His patrons provided him support to become the leading cabinetmaker of New York, famous for designing state-of-the-art pieces of Neo-classical furniture. Soon, many apprentices came to the shop to learn Phyfe’s style, which has become the New York local style.
Even though he started from scratch, Phyfe emerged into one of the leading American cabinetmakers. He implemented the factory method when it comes to manufacturing furniture and employed over 100 cabinetmakers and carvers. His business reached its peak between 1810 and 1820. Phyfe refused to completely engage with different historical revival styles (Rococo, Gothic, Baroque…) that showed up again in the 1830s, which is why his business started to decline.
In 1837, Phyfe’s two sons became his partners and the company changed its name to D. Phyfe & Sons. When one of them, Michael, died prematurely, it was again renamed to D. Phyfe & Son (1840). Finally, after more than half of a century in trade (precisely 55 years), in 1847 Phyfe decided to close down his family business, selling all the remaining pieces of furniture on auction.
Phyfe died in 1854 in New York due to old age. In the 1920s, his work was revived by several furniture companies that decided to replicate his designs.
Achievements
Religion
Phyfe belonged to the Brick Presbyterian Church, and was said to be a strict Calvinist.
Politics
Although it can be safely presumed that he has done some furniture pieces for politicians during his career, there is no known data about Phyfe having affiliation with any political party.
Views
Phyfe might not have originated a fresh furniture style, but he is the one that presented fashionable European styles to the United States. He was a great spokesman for Neoclassicism and his early furniture works were pieces done in the Sheraton, French Directoire and Regency style. He usually used reddish mahogany that he had delivered from Santo Domingo and Cuba and loved to personally oversee its cutting.
By 1825, his pieces evolved into the Empire style, thanks to the change of taste. However, his business declined during his later years. This was because Phyfe was unwilling to accept revival of old trends, such as Baroque or Rococo, but remained faithful to the styles that inspired him.
Despite not receiving formal education, Phyfe had a keen eye for business and innovation. That could be seen when he decided to be among the first ones to implement manufacturing in series in his company. He believed that hard work can get a man very far up the ladder, and it was the right approach, since he started from scratch and created a reputable company.
Phyfe raised a few eyebrows when he married Rachel Louzada in 1793, less because of the fact she was only thirteen at the time, and much more because she was a Sephardi Jew. Being a member of the Presbyterian Church himself, the marriage wasn’t that easily accepted by the society. Phyfe’s children were baptized immediately after their birth and Rachel was also baptized later in her life.
Membership
He was elected to General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of New York City thanks to its sponsors Seabury Champlin and Isaac Nichols
General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen
,
United States of America
1792
Personality
According to historical records, Phyfe was a very plain man who believed in hard work and dedicated himself to it. He loved his family and respected his wife and children.
Physical Characteristics:
Family records state that Phyfe was a slightly built man who was always smoking a short pipe.
Quotes from others about the person
“He kept alive the classic tradition well into the 20th century, and did more than any other to postpone the decadence of style that was inevitable with the development of the machine age.”
Interests
Reading
Philosophers & Thinkers
Thomas Hope
Politicians
Edward Livingston
Artists
Thomas Sheraton
Music & Bands
Scottish music
Connections
Phyfe married Rachel Louzada in 1793. They had seven children together, four sons and three daughters.
Duncan Phyfe and the English Regency, 1795-1830
In this, the definitive work on Duncan Phyfe, Nancy McClelland, noted authority on the history of American antiques, recounts with keen appreciation the story of his life and work.
Duncan Phyfe: Master Cabinetmaker in New York (Metropolitan Museum of Art)
Duncan Phyfe (1770–1854), known during his lifetime as the "United States Rage," to this day remains America's best-known cabinetmaker. Establishing his reputation as a purveyor of luxury by designing high-quality furniture for New York's moneyed elite, Phyfe would come to count among his clients some of the nation's wealthiest and most storied families.