An 1882 French scrimshaw, ivory and ebony desk was painstakingly restored and is now on exhibit at The Breakers in Newport, R.I.
A meticulously restored 1882 French scrimshaw-ivory and ebony desk now on display at The Breakers in Newport, R. I. … a tortoise-shell quilted mahogany case-on-chest featuring the world’s rarest wood … a Burmese teak “America’s Table” inlaid with Nigerian ebony … a Chiquibul quilted mahogany table with tortoise shell veining and verdigris base. These are only a few of the exquisite pieces of handmade furniture crafted at London Joiners Ltd, 23 Westchester Ave., Pound Ridge, N.Y.
Owned by master cabinetmaker Willy Godziemba-Maliszewski, who is ably assisted by his son, Jamie, London Joiners is one of the East Coast’s leading cabinetmakers and conservators of fine antiques and works of art.
Stepping into the London Joiners’ workshop, with its stone floors, low ceilings and array of specialty tools and rare woods, takes the visitor into another world — one where Old World craftsmanship is of the highest caliber, and no attention to fine detail is left unmet.
A Lifelong Education
Born in Scotland, Willy moved to America in the l950s. He began learning his craft under the guidance of his uncle, Ernest Cockburn, a master cabinetmaker, who made the magnificent board-room table for DeBeers Mines in South Africa.
“Other than working for my uncle, I am largely self-taught,” he said. “I traveled around Europe — mostly England, Ireland, Italy and France — studying under different masters. In this field, you learn by doing. It’s essentially a lifelong education. I founded London Joiners in 1975, and we have been in our Pound Ridge location since 1980.”
Willy and Jamie produce furniture that rises to the level of works of art. All cabinet work and furniture is designed using the classical system of Greek proportion. It is used for traditional replications as well as for modern designs.
London Joiners is also expert in traditional gold-leaf work, French and Italian polishing, ancient wax-quill polishing, replication carvings, clock case parts, bone and pearl work, veneer and marquetry, musical instrument repair and lac finishing.
Museums, private collectors and historical societies have commissioned London Joiners to restore and/or conserve important American and European antiques and furniture, and Willy numbers many corporate leaders and former President Bill Clinton among his loyal clients.
Father And Son
Willy counts himself fortunate that his son has taken a keen interest in the business. “He has been in the shop since he was three and has, what I call, golden hands,” Willy said, with evident pride. “He is very creative and has some excellent design ideas.”
Jamie said London Joiners is known not only for creating furniture but for its expertise in applying authentic finishes to antique furniture. “We restore or conserve it back to the original,” he said. “Our goal is to have it look like it did when it was first crafted and finished, yet maintaining the patina of the ages.”
Jamie said the refinishing and conserving of rare antiques is different with each piece. “A lot depends on what has been done over the years. Different pieces require different approaches. Each piece has its own special challenges and rewards.”
This case-on-chest, designed and built by Willy Godziemba-Maliszewski, is made from a rare tortoise-shell quilted mahogany.
Jamie said he made the decision to join his father in the workshop when he was 14. “I decided this was where I wanted to be. I started out coming down from our home in Bethel on Saturdays, and it just progressed from there. I started with simple chair repairs and stripping furniture and now can do almost everything,”
Apart from expertise in cabinet-making and conservation, London Joiners is also well-known for creating accurate period replications using old and rare wood, as well as for its new designs using historic methods.
London Joiners is also expert in forensic detection of antique fakery and has done detective work for many dealers and clients.
“There are so many fake pieces out there that people can be easily taken in, even some experts,” Willy said. “Each era in history has produced a wave of fakes, some of which are very hard to detect. Sometimes it takes looking at furniture from a mechanical aspect to tell the true tale. Things like tool marks, fittings and types of glue can sometimes provide clues.”
Willy said his judgment has resulted in several cases of substantial funds being returned to buyers of misrepresented “antiques.”
“Misrepresentations are out there,” Willy said. “For example, when French provincial furniture came into favor, the market was loaded with some very skillfully done fakes. Pieces that were from Spain or Portugal were ‘corrected’ to look French.”
Willy said his greatest satisfaction in the business is working on pieces of antique furniture that would have otherwise “gone into degradation. I like to know that the work I have done will result in a beautiful piece lasting another 200 years,” he said. “Restoring, designing, building and making my clients happy — these are all aspects of my work that I truly love and enjoy.”
Jamie said he also enjoys the unique challenges that each building or restoration project presents. “Everything is different,” he said. “This is an art, not a trade. We use some power tools here in the shop, but mostly it’s all by hand, using techniques and tools that have been handed down over the generations.”
In addition to his work in the shop, Willy has also been invited to speak at many historical societies, including the New Canaan Historical Society, the Ridgefield Historical Society, the Connecticut League of Historical Societies and also the Bedford Garden Club.
“I am doing the work I love,” he said. “And one of the best things about it is knowing that I can hand London Joiners over to my very talented son.”
For details: 914-764-4216 or 203-798-2534; londonjoiners.com.
