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Althin’s invisible hand shaped the
look of these important collections
of American furniture.
Althin’s handiwork was some-
times a little too evident, particu-
larly in the case of some of the
painted furniture he restored for
Tyler and Bolles. One example of
this is a Middlesex County pine
cupboard currently owned by the
Met, dating between 1675-1700.
Bolles claimed his dealer found it
sitting outside under a tree in
Lexington in terrible condition.
Early photographs corroborate this
claim: the top boards of the top
Cupboard prior to restoration and base were too rotten to use, as
were two drawers. The center of
the door was gone, along with two
of its frames. Bolles replaced these Olaf Althin’s showroom in Boston, 1906

components and instructed Althin photo: Winterthur Library
to copy the carvings from the old retire at 55 and live comfortably with his wife and daughter in
doors for the new ones. He also Roxbury. In a different sense, Althin recognized the important role
had Althin repaint the cupboard immigrant craftsmen like himself could play in his adopted country’s
according to what he believed was furniture trade. Amidst the widening divide between academically
the original design, and a photo of trained designers and manually trained workers, Althin believed
the restored version shows bright, most Americans lacked both the imagination and the training to
contrasting patterns of circles and “manipulate, contrive and form from boards and planks of wood” a
squiggly lines on the form. Luke beautiful piece of furniture.
Vincent Lockwood, who pub- Before his retirement, Althin set out to bridge this gap by writing a
lished the cupboard in his seminal manuscript called Architect’s, Designer's and Draftsmen’s Guide for the
work Colonial Furniture in Designing of Woodwork and Furniture. Althin intended for this docu-
America (1901), remarked “There ment to educate aspiring American designers on the fundamentals of
Cupboard restored is no doubt that it is restored woodworking. In his introduction, he wrote:
correctly but probably too bril- “I offer this book to fill the space as far as possible between theory
liantly.” Curators at the Met and practice, in other words lead the draftsman with essential points of
agreed; by the time the piece came information along the lines in construction of woodwork as required by
into their hands, they stripped the the nature of wood, known only to the one who has thoroughly learned
paint to fit scholarly consensus of the cabinet-maker’s trade.”
its original appearance. They left Althin’s lofty goal was never fully realized, as he left the manuscript
Althin’s other repairs alone. unfinished before his death in 1920.
Olof Althin walked a fine line Olof Althin was like hundreds, if not thousands, of immigrant
between being an expert and an cabinetmakers who came to America and found success in their chosen
employee, deferring to Tyler and trade. In this sense, his story is not so remarkable. The truly remarkable
Bolles on certain design matters thing about Althin is how his story was remembered: through
while also exerting control as a the preservation of his furniture, tools, and other ephemera by his
cabinetmaker. When Bolles unex- descendants, including his great-grandsons, who have become custodians
pectedly died in 1910, Tyler wrote of his legacy. Their continued care ensures that future generations can
to Althin reminiscing about “how learn about the history of craft, business, and immigration in America;
we used to be together mornings but more importantly, they remind us of how objects may connect us
Cupboard today
out to your factory. There will to those long gone yet never forgotten.
All photos above: Met Museum never be any more of those morn-
ings.” A similar letter to Althin’s American by Craft: The Furniture of Olof Althin opens July 23,
daughter Bessie after her father’s death recalled, “Both Mr. Bolles and 2021, at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia. For
I spent many, many happy hours with your father and I hope he had more information, visit americanswedish.org.
happy ones with us.” Tyler’s regard for Althin evidenced several decades Erica Lome, Ph. D., is the Peggy N. Gerry Curatorial Associate at the
of friendship and patronage. Concord Museum and co-curator of American by Craft.
The Immigrant As Master
Neither party forgot Olof Althin’s status as an immigrant. In 1916,
Tyler remarked on Althin’s “extraordinary ability” in expressing his
ideas in the language he adopted. In another from that same year, Tyler A carved “wild
asked if Althin was born in America or if he was ever naturalized (he and wooly”
was, in 1895), admitting to having forgotten. These benign, even play- sofa by Althin,
ful comments, nonetheless demonstrate that certain social boundaries 1906

persisted among members of Boston's Old Stock and foreigners like photo:
Althin, even though Swedish-born Althin likely had an easier time nav- Wintherthur
igating the antiques trade than his fellow Jewish, Italian, or German Library
cabinetmakers before and during World War I.
Olof Althin never saw his immigrant background as a hindrance; in
fact, he saw it as a benefit. His Swedish apprenticeship had given him
the tools he needed to survive and prosper in America, enabling him to

14 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles