The paradox of good intentions: John Needles, cabinetmaker in antebellum Baltimore (Maryland, Needles, John)

For nearly forty years, craftsman John Needles (1786--1878, fl. 1810--1848) operated a thriving cabinetmaking business in antebellum Baltimore, Maryland. His shop executed appealing, sophisticated furniture for customers from Philadelphia to New Orleans, in styles ranging from neo-classical to Rococo Revival. In spite of his success, Needles privileged his Quaker faith, family and anti-slavery work above his craft; he regarded his furniture as a means of providing for his family and a vehicle for disseminating the abolitionist message. Today his achievements beyond the cabinetmaking shop are largely forgotten. Driven by the larger question of the role of biography in the decorative arts, this essay combines object evidence with biographical details, and period accounts to present the most complete picture of the life of an extraordinary antebellum (crafts) man to date.