Sofa

Although the furniture industry was largely mechanized by the 1850s, one could still pay top dollar and purchase hand-carved furniture, such as this sofa made by the German-born New York cabinetmaker John Henry Belter. Belter needed the help of a steam press machine to achieve his deeply undulating curves and pierced carved edges. By laminating thin sheets of hardwood to form an expensive plywood—a process Belter patented in 1849—he was able to achieve the necessary strength to manipulate the shapes to his customers’ satisfaction.