Jennie Alexander

Alexander spent early childhood in Baltimore, Maryland, learning to play the piano and later became a Jazz musician. Having been introduced to woodworking at the Baltimore polytechnic institute High School, Alexander would later go on to open a home shop in 1960. Alexander’s mother grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts, and was part of the educational sloyd system. Because of this Alexander was always encouraged to explore woodworking and learning through doing. Born as John David Alexander Jr., Alexander transitioned in 2007, becoming Jennie Alexander, at the age of 77. == Career ==

In 1978, Alexander wrote, Make a Chair from a Tree: An Introduction to Working Green Wood, which was the first woodworking book published by Taunton Press. This book describes the process and tools required to construct a shaved two-slat post-and-rung chair without the use of a wood lathe. Becoming a member of the Early American Industries Association (EAIA) which was a crucial step in Alexander’s exploration of woodworking and chair making as it gave access to collections of joined furniture. == Two-slat post-and-rung shaving chair ==

Jennie Alexander had attributed the success of the post-and-rung shaving chair to her wife, who after Jennie was told she could not wood turn in front of a live audience, encouraged Jennie to make the same chair by shaving all the parts close to round without a lathe. Jennie said, "So the shaving, really, made the existence of the post-and-rung chair a reality in this country." From her book, Make a Chair from a Tree: An Introduction to Working Green Wood: This chair differs in part from the Windsor chair because it does not have a solid carved seat. In a Ladderback Chair, the seat is not structural. Where in a Windsor chair, the seat is structural - all the legs, back and arms terminate in the seat. == Education ==

• High School Baltimore City Polytechnic Institute • St. John's College • University of Maryland == Publications ==

• Make a Chair from a Tree: An Introduction to Working Green Wood • Make a Joint Stool from a Tree: An Introduction to 17th-century Joinery (co-written with Peter Follansbee) == See also ==