David Powell
David Powell (1926 to 2001) was an under-recognized yet influential master furniture maker. Born and trained in England, he was an apprentice for the foremost British furniture maker Edward Barnsley, then studied at the Royal College of Art. Powell started several design ventures in London, including making furniture for Queen Elizabeth II, before moving to the United States in 1969. He settled in Easthampton, Massachusetts, where he practiced his craft and started the Leeds Design Workshop with business partner John Tierney, taking on students for almost fifteen years. His influence can still be felt among woodworkers in the area. Powell made relatively few pieces throughout his career, but treated each work as a masterpiece, combining his technical wizardry with a rigorous design sensibility. (Source: David Rago Auctions, Inc.)