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    Museographs: Appalachian Handicrafts
    Museographs: Appalachian Handicrafts
    Museographs: Appalachian Handicrafts
    Ebook79 pages35 minutes

    Museographs: Appalachian Handicrafts

    By Caron Caswell Lazar

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    About this ebook

    High atop the Southern mountains lived the Appalachian settlers. They were people unconcerned with convention who lived removed from the throes of civilization for more than a century. From mighty blacksmiths to prized basket-makers, their crafts were well suited to a remote existence, giving them 'the tools to tame the wilderness.'

    Hand thrown pottery preserved and transported food. Cornhusk dolls lent amusement to children's playtime. Chair making and woodcarving added beauty and functionality to the home, and the celebrated art of the coverlet was a legacy of tradition and hard work.

    Though early Appalachian society was prosperous, the technology of the Industrial Revolution presented new challenges. Potters fell victim to highway robbers and was then replaced by glass and metal containers. These new materials infiltrated rural markets and served as better storage alternatives. In addition, the one-person art of the coverlet was forever changed when Francis Goodrich's Allanstand Cottage Industries sought to commercialize its production and circulate the coverlet to the general public. This increased exposure led to the development of faster production techniques and resulted in economic hardship for the hill country.

    Museographs' Appalachian Handicrafts records the development of these American craftsmen and --women, from humble beginnings to modern success stories. Extensive biographies introduce you to major figures within the society, such as Daniel Boone and Alvin and Trevele Wood. This cleverly written document illustrates, with personal flair, how evolving Highland art has thrived in both its early and its current forms.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublishereBookIt.com
    Release dateAug 5, 2017
    ISBN9781456628857
    Museographs: Appalachian Handicrafts

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      Book preview

      Museographs - Caron Caswell Lazar

      Celts

      Appalachian Handicrafts

      Introduction

      The first settlers to come to Appalachia came from the hills of Pennsylvania and from Virginia and North Carolina. These people, mostly of an English-Scottish-Irish origin, carried with them the strong handicraft cultures of their heritage. These skills were to become the basis of their lifestyle for well over a century without significant influence from beyond the mountains until the late 1890s. They came into the mountains with few possessions, only what was vital to make the trip as well as the occasional cherished article, heirloom or fine piece of furniture.

      In the main they were far removed from trading routes and for the most part separated from the outside — although they were not entirely isolated since some of the mountain gaps were part of the westward migration route and as others came to Appalachia they brought with them knowledge of outside conditions. The people of Appalachia were isolated for reasons of economy as much as geography. For these reasons the mountain highland family produced virtually everything necessary for their family’s survival and comfort with their own hands. This independent way of life continued undisturbed until the end of the nineteenth century when some of the old crafts, like weaving, began a decline. This decline was in large measure due to greater availability of store-bought stuffs. It should be noted that for the most part the people of Appalachia continued to be independent well into the first quarter of the twentieth century.

      However, in the late 1890s outside influences in the form of educated women missionaries and northern businesses began to make their way into the Highlands. As a result of the work of many women dedicated to a revival of traditional crafts as a means to economic prosperity, a number of fine institutions were established to promote and continue these skills. In the interest of space we will not deal with these institutions or their work, but rather will explore and describe the crafts themselves, some of the people who established them and some of those who continue the way of life even now.

      The Traditional Crafts

      Baskets

      Mountain baskets were most often named for either their shape or function, although sometimes a basket might carry the name of the family that made it or originally designed it. Among the names of basket designs that indicate shape are: round, flat, square, triangular, cylindrical, oval, oblong, melon, boat and jug. Some of those basket names that designated use are: egg, measuring, tea, trinket, clover, seed, charcoal, lady, market, wall, work, flower, fruit and lunch baskets. More modern designs have also taken names that conform to their use such as: bassinet, book holder, magazine and wastebaskets.

      In the old days baskets were rarely dyed; instead they were left to season naturally. Dying was first introduced at the turn of the century with the revival of handicrafts. Today baskets are often dyed using both vegetable and commercial dyes.

      Blacksmithing

      Blacksmithing was the essential frontier art. During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the settlement of America brought many skilled

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