Patricia E. Kane, the foremost scholar in 18th and 19th century Rhode Island furniture, shares highlights from her recent research including a previously unattributed desk and bookcase now known to be by Thomas Spencer, nephew of Newport furniture maker John Goddard. Kane pieces together clues from the past such as inscriptions, estate records, stylistic details and construction techniques to illuminate a hidden masterpiece.
Patricia E. Kane is Curator of American Decorative Arts at Yale University Art Gallery, author of numerous articles and reviews on the decorative arts, and author, editor, or contributor to ten books and exhibition catalogs.