Legacies of the past
The more carpentry I attempt to learn, the deeper my respect runs for our forefathers (and mothers!) whose skills produced such masterful structures and furnishings as those found in the Colonial era.
I have long admired the graceful yet sturdy lines of a Windsor chair, for instance. My kitchen is home to four mass-produced Windsors--all reproductions, of course, for a hand-crafted chair of this type is definitely out of my price range.
I'm not complaining--the craftswoman (or man) who can create such timeless beauty certainly deserves every penny she (or he) charges for such fine workmanship. (Isn't there a more gender-neutral word for that!!??)
I would like to watch a Windsor chair being made. I'm sure it's a tedious but satisfying process to the creator. Perhaps someday I can visit Elmore Holmes, a master woodworker who makes Windsors and other handcrafted furnishings and accessories here in Tennessee. The son of a couple at my former church, Elmore is one of those unique individuals who forged his livelihood on something outside the norm after leaving a successful "traditional" career path as a math teacher. His current profession may not be the most glamorous job, but it must be quite fulfilling.
Like Elmore, the colonial town of Williamsburg, Virginia is trying to preserve the handcrafting skills of our early settlers through its "Historic Area," a 301-acre site where carpenters reproduce 18th century structures using authentic tools and period building manuals. They also examine the innermost parts of the actual buildings constructed during this time, revealing a hidden story of precision, attention to detail, and careful crafting. One of the modern-day turned colonial carpenters says,
Hmm. I think this story needs some additional editing.
I have long admired the graceful yet sturdy lines of a Windsor chair, for instance. My kitchen is home to four mass-produced Windsors--all reproductions, of course, for a hand-crafted chair of this type is definitely out of my price range.
I'm not complaining--the craftswoman (or man) who can create such timeless beauty certainly deserves every penny she (or he) charges for such fine workmanship. (Isn't there a more gender-neutral word for that!!??)
I would like to watch a Windsor chair being made. I'm sure it's a tedious but satisfying process to the creator. Perhaps someday I can visit Elmore Holmes, a master woodworker who makes Windsors and other handcrafted furnishings and accessories here in Tennessee. The son of a couple at my former church, Elmore is one of those unique individuals who forged his livelihood on something outside the norm after leaving a successful "traditional" career path as a math teacher. His current profession may not be the most glamorous job, but it must be quite fulfilling.
Like Elmore, the colonial town of Williamsburg, Virginia is trying to preserve the handcrafting skills of our early settlers through its "Historic Area," a 301-acre site where carpenters reproduce 18th century structures using authentic tools and period building manuals. They also examine the innermost parts of the actual buildings constructed during this time, revealing a hidden story of precision, attention to detail, and careful crafting. One of the modern-day turned colonial carpenters says,
"You can still see tool marks, chalk lines, and pencil marks. The buildings are a real legacy, if you know how to read them."I wonder what legacy would be revealed within my construction. There would be plenty of tool and pencil marks, of course. But what hidden saga would a 22nd century detective cull from all those uneven joints and the backwards plywood? What story might a future resident of my house imagine when "reading" the myriad of misguided nail heads and a series of miscalculated ciphers on the wall? Would it be a satisfying mystery solved or a horror story?
Hmm. I think this story needs some additional editing.
posted by Tif at 11:28 PM
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