The names of Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton are as familiar to the lovers of old furniture as those of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and Jonson are to students of English literature. The names of all these men have stood the test of years because of the real worth of their productions and of their influence on the future of their art. The former three, however, might have become a mere tradition if, like many of their contemporary fellow-craftsmen, they had failed to leave any written record of their work.