In a space of just 25 x 100 cm, Henry O. Studley managed to artfully arrange more than 250 of his tools into a dovetailed mahogany cabinet. Since it was first unveiled in 1988 on the cover of »Fine Woodworking«, this cabinet has captivated tens of thousands of woodworkers. The cabinet and Studley's equally amazing workbench, however, were sold to a private collector and have not been seen by the public for well over a decade.
Donald Williams and his team had the opportunity to study the cabinet for four years. All the tools, every swinging frame and every hinged panel of this three-dimensional, multi-layered sculpture have been documented and photographed.
This in-depth examination resulted in a book about one of the most beautiful and amazing tool chests ever constructed. The book also presents the first-ever and only biography of the constructor Henry O. Studley (1838-1925), a piano and organ builder in Quincy, Massachusetts. It becomes clear, why he created a shrine for his tools, how this piece of art was built and how it works.