Before the internet, we had encyclopedias. One of the oldest is France's Encyclopédie from the 18th Century, where editors Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert gamely tried to cram the world's knowledge into a comprehensive series of volumes. But the funny thing about French people is that they tend to write in French, so for years the University of Michigan has been translating this massive work into English and posting entries on their website as they become available.

The 18th Century was a bit before the time of industrial designers, but we sifted through the Encyclopédie to find the closest related field and came up with furniture design. Within the Menuisier en meubles ("Art of the cabinetmaker") entry are some twenty plates cataloguing the various parts of fine furniture of the era. Detailed descriptions are nonexistent, but we get to see the components, the joinery, the templates, the weaving patterns of the wicker and even how some of the parts are meant to be cut from the timber:

Plate I: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Seats

Plate II: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Seats and Benches. [Conversion of timber sections from a beechwood plank, together with assembly details.]

Plate III: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Seats. [Constructional and decorative details of different types of ornamental legs.]

Plate IV: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Chairs. [Chair construction.]

Plate V: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Armchairs

Plate VI: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Armchairs and easy chairs

Plate VII: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Easy chair and smal couch.

Plate VIII: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Couch

Plate IX: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Sofa

Plate X: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Duchesse [day-bed or reclining sofa].

Plate XI: Furniture Carpenter Veilleuse [day-bed or reclining sofa].

Plate XII: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Day-bed or reclining sofa [with a circular frame].

Plate XIII: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Sideboard [with cabinet].

Plate XIV: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Wardrobe.

Plate XV: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Polish Bed

Plate XVI: Art of the Cabinet Maker, French Bed

Plate XVII: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Italian Bed

Plate XVIII: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Templates

Plate XIX: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Templates

Plate XX: Art of the Cabinet Maker, Templates

Thanks to the University of Michigan for undertaking this project, and keeping it Creative Commons!