Peter Follansbee
Peter Follansbee began learning traditional woodworking in 1980 when he attended John D. Alexander's second chairmaking course at Drew Langsner’s Country Workshops in Marshall, N.C. He continued to attend workshops there; studying a number of techniques; timber framing, basketry, spoon and bowl carving, Windsor chairmaking, etc. Following the inspiring example of one of his teachers there, Daniel O’Hagan, Follansbee gave away his power tools in the mid-1980s. He does not miss them. Starting in about 1988 he began an informal apprenticeship with John Alexander as they investigated 17th-century style joinery. This became Follansbee’s sole woodworking focus. From 1994-2014 Peter was the joiner at Plimoth Plantation. His work is seen in museums including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Chipstone Foundation’s collection at the Milwaukee Art Museum. He writes furniture history articles for Chipstone’s journal American Furniture and a regular column “Arts and Mysteries” for Popular Woodworking Magazine. He co-authored with Jennie Alexander Make a Joint Stool from a Tree, (Lost Art Press, 2012). Follansbee’s latest book with Lost Art Press is Joiner's Work (Lost Art Press, 2019). He has taught workshops around the country, and in the UK and Sweden.
Past Courses Offered by Peter Follansbee
