The Byrdcliffe colony was a short-lived but important producer of furniture in the American Arts & Crafts period of the early 20th century. This distinctive furniture featured colorful carved designs created by Zulma Steele and Edna Walker. Robert W. Lang, author of the "Shop Drawings" series of books about Craftsman furniture and interiors researched these pieces and has created detailed drawings for the construction of 28 pieces from Byrdcliffe, utilizing both original pieces and drawings.
Introductory chapters include the history of the colony, and the people responsible for creating this unique line of furniture, including colony founder Ralph Radcliffe Whitehead, Bolton Brown, Dawson Dawson-Watson and chief designers Steele and Walker. These chapters contain both period and contemporary photographs. The drawings allow for the construction of reproductions or a deeper study of these designs.