Jere Osgood was a pioneering American furniture maker and educator whose refined craftsmanship and innovative techniques helped shape the postwar American studio furniture movement. Celebrated for his sculptural sensitivity, structural ingenuity, and deep respect for the natural beauty of wood, Osgood’s work remains a touchstone of thoughtful, elegant design.

Born in Staten Island, New York, Osgood began his studies in architecture at the University of Illinois but soon transferred to the School of American Craftsmen at Rochester Institute of Technology, where he studied under the influential furniture maker Tage Frid. He later earned a master’s degree in design from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1961, further honing his unique blend of functional and sculptural design sensibilities.

In the early 1960s, Osgood established his studio in Wilton, New Hampshire, where he explored advanced lamination techniques that allowed him to bend and shape wood into graceful, flowing forms. His signature approach combined architectural precision with a deep appreciation for organic form and natural material. Influenced by Scandinavian, Japanese, and Shaker design traditions, his work reflected an understated elegance, emphasizing form, proportion, and clarity.

Beyond his studio practice, Osgood was also a devoted educator. He taught at Boston University’s Program in Artisanry beginning in the 1970s, where he mentored a generation of furniture makers and helped define a curriculum grounded in both technique and design philosophy. His contributions as a teacher left a lasting legacy in the field. Osgood’s work has been exhibited widely and is held in the permanent collections of major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.