Why do they call Philadelphia Lowboy. Where all Lowboys made in Philadelphia made to look the same and why would this be.
-Sean N.
Decatur, Illinois
Lowboy
Our Expert
Lowboy is a modern term for a dressing table. During the eighteenth century the craftsmen in each colony or region developed furniture that was distinctive from that in other regions. So although all lowboys from the Philadelphia area are not exactly alike they do share common features and characteristics such as proportions, the curves of the legs, and the style of the carvings that make them distinctive from lowboys from other regions. With transportation and communication not being what they are today it's likely that people involved in the trades, such as furnituremakers, were more heavily influenced by other local craftsmen than by those working and living in a distant town or city.
If you're planning on building a lowboy Amana now has several table edge router bits that are appropriate for shaping the profile along the edges of the top. You can find them online as well as on pg. 248-249 of the most recent catalog.