Starting a New Project - Townsend Card Table

I am excited about a piece of furniture I have seen in a book John Townsend Newport Cabinetmaker from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book is available in pdf located here: http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/John_Townsend_Newport_Cabinetmaker.
Here is the card table that I am going to build

This picture is from the book, I am not sure if I can post the image here but the book and picture seem to be in the general domain.
Tables like this are attributed to both Goddard and Townsend.  As near as I can tell the main difference between the two is the way that they carved the ball and claw feet.  The styles of feet are well documented.  I happen to like the Townsend foot better than the Goddard.  This table also appears in the Master Craftsmen of Newport, The Townsends and Goddards by Michael Moses.
These books document the difference between Townsend and Goddard feet as well as some of the construction techniques.
There are some new challenges for me in this piece, the Townsend ball and claw is new to me and there are two knuckle joints (wood hinges) on the back legs so they can swing out to support the half of the table top when open.
I only have general dimensions of the table height, width and depth.  And I am not sure what it is that they are measuring.  For example, when they measure the height are they measuring it closed?
If it was closed, that would mean that 1 1/2 inches is consumed by the 2 top thicknesses.
If they measured it open then it would be only 3/4's' of an inch.
So I am going to have to build a prototype to see how it looks.  I am going to start by making a leg and a portion of the apron.  This should show me how it is going to look.
After I get a good looking leg, I am going to make full size drawings.
The main wood used for the table is mahogany but for the prototype I will probably use maple because it is cheap and I have some.
I keep you posted on my progress.