Joseph O.A. "Joe" Bryere (1859 – 1941), was a guide in the

Adirondacks The Adirondack Mountains (; a-də-RÄN-dak) form a massif in northeastern New York with boundaries that correspond roughly to those of Adirondack Park. They cover about 5,000 square miles (13,000 km2). The mountains form a roughly circular d ...

and a noted

woodworking Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinet making (cabinetry and furniture), wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning. History Along with stone, clay and animal parts, wood was one of the first mate ...

artist whose style played a significant role in creating the rustic, “Adirondack look” we know today. Along with Ernest Stowe, Seth Pierce, George Wilson and other master craftsmen, Bryere helped create the rustic aura so desired in the Adirondack great camps of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Bryere was born in

Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade () is a municipality in the Les Chenaux Regional County Municipality, in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. The town is located near the mouth of the Sainte-Anne River along the ''Chemin du Roy'', ...

, a small community in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. According to the Drouin Collection, the spelling of the Bryere name was interchangeable from Briere to Bryère. Joe Bryere Clock

By the early 1880s, Bryere had made his way into the United States and eventually to

Raquette Lake Raquette Lake is the source of the Raquette River in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. It is near the community of Raquette Lake, New York. The lake has of shoreline with pines and mountains bordering the lake. It is located in the t ...

, located in Hamilton County, New York, in the central Adirondacks. He worked for a few years on Camp Fairview, owned by Charles Durant, cousin of

William West Durant William West Durant (1850–1934) was a designer and developer of camps in the Adirondack Great Camp style, including Camp Uncas, Camp Pine Knot and Great Camp Sagamore which are National Historic Landmarks. He was the son of Thomas C. ...

. From early on he was known then for his enterprising ability and physical strength. At that time, the Adirondacks were not heavily populated, and many frontiersmen made their claim to land by squatting for long periods of time, in stark distinction from many of the railroad magnates who could own tens of thousands of acres of land in the Adirondacks. After moving to the Adirondacks, Bryere met Mary Agnes Gooley, and they were married in 1884 at Ed Bennett's Inn, Under the Hemlocks. They had four children. They were the first couple known to be married at Raquette Lake. Together they built Brightside on Raquette log by log, living in tents, shacks and eventually in the original hotel they had built together. Brightside was opened in 1891. Bryere became known for his work over the course of his lifetime by crafting numerous pieces of furniture, which he sold or used to furnish Brightside. As Adirondack furniture became more and more popular through the 20th century, the style of his work was duplicated by large numbers of craftsmen. Today, a large collection of his work is on display at the

Adirondack Museum Adirondack Experience (formerly Adirondack Museum), located on NY-30 in the hamlet of Blue Mountain Lake in Hamilton County, New York, is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Adirondacks. The museum is located on the site of an hi ...

in Blue Mountain Lake, New York.

References

Sources

* Gilborn, Craig, ''Adirondack Furniture and the Rustic Tradition'', New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000. * Timm, Ruth, ''Raquette Lake: A Time to Remember'', Utica, North Country Books, 1989, . * State of New York Annual Report of the Forest Commission For the Year 1893, Vol. 1., Albany: James B. Lyon, State Printer. 1894, Pg. 343

External links

History of the Brightside

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryere, Joe Adirondacks People from Hamilton County, New York American woodworkers 1941 deaths 1859 births People from Mauricie Canadian emigrants to the United States Date of birth unknown Date of death missing