André Jacob Roubo

Roubo wrote several highly influential books on woodworking, an achievement which was especially notable given his relatively poor background and self-taught methods.

[1] His career peaked in 1774 when he published his masterwork treatise on woodworking, titled L'Art du Menuisier.

Another of Roubo's legacies still used today is a design for a workbench, which has proven to be popular amongst modern woodworkers.

[1] Roubo became a pupil of Blondel who waived his tuition fees, and spent five years studying whilst also working for his father during the day.

He designed and supervised the construction of the great domes of the halls Wheat and Cloth, and a monumental staircase to the hotel of the Marquis de Marbeuf.

In 1789 most of his noble customers had left France; Roubo was nearly bankrupt and was forced to join the National Guard in 1790.

[12] L’Art du Menuisier is divided into four volumes:[13] The original four-volume work consisted of 1316 pages in total and 383 copper engraved plates.