Alexander Roux was a French-trained ébéniste, or cabinetmaker, who emigrated to the United States in the 1830s. He opened a shop in New York City in 1837. The business grew quickly: by the 1850s he employed 120 craftsmen in his shop and introduced then-new industrial technologies, such as steam-powered saws.
Roux specialized in the ornate Rococo Revival style, but practiced many others. His work is highly sought by collectors, with larger and more complex pieces fetching large sums. One of his sideboards was featured in a 2000 exhibit at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.