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Book Ideas:  Endangered Arts & Professions  |
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Oggie
True Blue Farmgirl
526 Posts
Ginny
Machias
Maine
USA
526 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 04 2011 : 5:40:18 PM
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We have people all over my area that do all of these arts too. Karen may have gone to the boat school in Eastport, Maine. It's been here for years. I also know people who design & build fishing boats. I've had a chimney sweep do my chimney's for 30 years! We have a guy who fixes & services sewing machines and vacuums, lots of seamstress's too. So I do think it's where you live. Having only two weekly papers, they all advertise in the same place, unlike an urban area. We had a gentlemen who sharpened everything that needed it until he died, and we had a cobbler until he died too. Also a man who fixed clocks and watches but wasn't a jeweler.
My friends and I started a festival a few years back (Margaretta Day Festival) to educate people on how our ancestors lived during the Revolutionary War. Our town was started in 1763 and we are known for being where the first Naval battle took place and the start of the Merchant Marine. So the festival is a period festival set in the 1770's and all of our demonstrators let folks (especially kids) do hands on if possible. We have re-enactors that camp out and show how people lived back then too. But I will admit, it is hard to get people to our festival and it's either because of where we live or they want to be paid and we are to small for that yet. But we do find locally basket makers, blacksmiths, furriers, timber builders, weavers, papermakers, & book binder, even tomahawk throwers.
The kids love it!! They dress the part and run around barefoot playing games we have for them that were played then. They love trying the different food too. We make a big pot of venison stew for them to try. We also have an "antler toss" that is a big hit! sorry, I get excited about it. :)
Ginny
Farmgirl #2343
www.thedewhopinn.com
"I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with."
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
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Lady Woodworker
True Blue Farmgirl
259 Posts
Karen
Chamberlain
Maine
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Apr 05 2011 : 3:20:36 PM
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Hi Ginny,
Thanks for thinking of me. I went to the Landing School
(another boatbuilding school) in southern Maine but the Eastport boatbuilding school also has a fine reputation.
Your festival day sounds absolutely wonderful!
Karen
Farmgirl Sister # 2419 |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 03:39:21 AM
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Karen, how cool! LOL-small world indeed. I actually am the office manager for the business next door. I'll have to ask him about you!!! :)
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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KD Earthwork
True Blue Farmgirl
210 Posts
Katie
Gualala
Calif.
USA
210 Posts |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2011 : 08:08:21 AM
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Stone Masons! Tried to find one of those lately?
Hiring teens would be great if you could get them to work hard, stay focused and show up as scheduled. When managing the kids is as much work as doing it yourself it does not pay to bother with them. We have found a few that are great kids. All but one are off to college now.
I worked tobacco when I was paying for college back in the 70's. We were a motley crew of all ages, colors, and with me there, sexes. When I pass fields being worked today i don't see any caucasian teen agers. What are the kids in rural communities doing? Do they work? The kid on the farm down the road is actively farming. Cattle, pigs, chickens, goats and various crops. I see him working all the time. I don't see them on tractors on the road like i used to. I loved seeing those gangly boys to young to drive a car so proud to be driving that tractor taking themselves so seriously. I attend 4-H shows and auctions and see that those kids are busy. Is it that the non farm kids aren't willing to do seasonal farm work anymore? Are parents not available to drive them? I don't know the answer but I would be willing to be part of the solution if I could just find those kids!
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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Bensgrandma
True Blue Farmgirl
227 Posts
Alexis
White Oak
PA
USA
227 Posts |
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kiminca
Farmgirl in Training
21 Posts
Kim
Ontario
CA
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2011 : 10:32:15 AM
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| The skill of caning and rushing chairs? Refinishing furniture (especially in a way that won't kill you..), basket weaving--remember Little House on the Prairie and how Ma wove her own sun hat? |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 15 2011 : 10:37:25 AM
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Kim your post made me think. Many of the things we see disappearing here are going strong in other countries. Especially less developed countries. Price of progress?
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2011 : 03:35:28 AM
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Sunshine, this is off topic, but, how cool that you wrote that crochet book! :)
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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vmfein
True Blue Farmgirl
247 Posts
Valerie
Dale City
VA
USA
247 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2011 : 08:46:32 AM
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I wish that they had canning classes were I live. I do not know anyone else here who does it. My mother knows how but I do not live anywhere near her. I am reluctant to try on my own (my husband is leery as his is a "city boy"). There are not any shops here which do the hand quilting either. I have learned from videos online instead. I think a problem in some areas is that a lot of people do not know their neighbors anymore and people are so busy they don't notice what others are doing. When I was growing up even though I had relatives which gardened and sewed I wasn't really taught them. Home Ec now is quite different than when it was in the past few years.
Farmgirl Sister #2619 |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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rosesandpoppies
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Rose
Riverside
Ca
USA
1 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2011 : 3:22:33 PM
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| My sister and I learned midwifery when she became pregnant with her first child. I was studying Art History at UCLA during the day, and going to my midwife lessons at night. |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - Apr 16 2011 : 3:53:50 PM
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Also, being a butcher, in my opinion-a GOOD butcher!
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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Oggie
True Blue Farmgirl
526 Posts
Ginny
Machias
Maine
USA
526 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2011 : 03:48:33 AM
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Valerie - I wish I was planning a trip to my folks soon, we could meet. My folks live in Springfield. Mom has canned her entire adult life and it would be great to hook you two up. She is the only one in her neighborhood that gardens except for a family from the Philipenes (I know I spelled that wrong, sorry). While most of us probably use large canners and make a day or evening out of canning, she tends to use a small pressure cooker and will whip up 5 - 6 pints in an hour here or there as her veggies ripen. She's 83, Dad's 92, and they still do everything but mow at their home. She is now putting in her garden and decided to expand it! One of the problems though is where they live. They have so many ridiculous ordinances! Can't have a clothesline, can't have any structure, can't have fencing higher than 4 feet, no chickens, etc... When I was there last I went to the town office to make sure we could fence in her garden along with a netting roof to keep the chipmunks and birds out but they wouldn't let us because you could see it from the road. It's gotten so bad that now they go around to the neighborhoods and if your home isn't up to their standards they fine you.
Alexis - A friend of mine was given his grandmother's home and they gutted it and he had a local plasterer come in and do all the walls. The plaster man is very busy around here.
Connie - We also have stone masons and caner's in our area so I wonder if it's because we live in a rural area or just an artistic one?
For those of you living in the city you should start a website along the line of "Angie's List" only have it for people who do all of these old endangered arts. Oops! I should do it myself, lol!
As for kids working. Our County produces 90% of the world's blueberries. They are small, low bush berries and in order to harvest them you need to "rake" them with a blueberry rake. For generations it was done by kids and adults. The kids did it to make money for school clothes. My daughter raked blueberries from about the age of 11 until she was 16 and could work in the factory instead. That was always the kids dream, to be able to "graduate" to working in the blueberry factory. In just the last 4 years the larger growers have stopped using kids and now bus in immigrants from away to do the job. I don't know if it's because the kids won't do the work anymore or if it's just easier for the growers, but I think it's sad that it's come to this. For a few years the schools would postpone starting because both the teachers and students would be raking and the school realized the importance of getting the harvest in. In Northern Maine they did the same thing harvesting potato's. In general though, I do think a lot of these kids feel entitled to things. When I see kids in Valerie's area driving Lexus cars and their parents purchased the cars for the kid, you know something is very wrong.
Ginny
Farmgirl #2343
www.thedewhopinn.com
"I always have a wonderful time, wherever I am, whomever I'm with."
"Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, Doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it." Both by Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy Stewart) in the Movie Harvey
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Edited by - Oggie on Apr 17 2011 03:51:11 AM |
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kiminca
Farmgirl in Training
21 Posts
Kim
Ontario
CA
USA
21 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2011 : 4:17:16 PM
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Hey Girls, I noticed it was "rosesandpoppies" first time to post, ever!
Art History/Mid-Wiffery combo--wow! You go girl!
What are you doing now? |
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CMac
True Blue Farmgirl
1074 Posts
Connie
Ashland City
TN
USA
1074 Posts |
Posted - Apr 17 2011 : 7:07:04 PM
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Hello Rose! Welcome to the forum.
Connie
"I have three chairs in my house: one for solitude, two for friendship, three for company."
Author: Henry David Thoreau |
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BalancingAct
True Blue Farmgirl
297 Posts
Jackie
Hoosierville
USA
297 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2011 : 07:54:35 AM
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Katie I just read your blog and it is wonderful. Just wanted you to know that.
quote:
Originally posted by KD Earthwork
Your post inspired me to write about this subject. I think it's really important to encourage the traditional skills and that it will become more valuable, even than a college education in the coming times.Here's my post.
http://rosemancreekranch.com/2011/04/lost-arts-lost-mindset/
http://www.rosemancreekranch.com
Farmgirl Sister #2851 -"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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BalancingAct
True Blue Farmgirl
297 Posts
Jackie
Hoosierville
USA
297 Posts |
Posted - Apr 18 2011 : 08:17:29 AM
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Welcome aboard Rose!
Farmgirl Sister #2851 -"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson |
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Lady Woodworker
True Blue Farmgirl
259 Posts
Karen
Chamberlain
Maine
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Apr 19 2011 : 08:34:25 AM
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Hello all,
I thought that some of you might be interested to see the wonderful artisan trades that they teach at one of my alma maters, the North Bennet Street School, in Boston.
North Bennet teaches old-time bookbinding, locksmithing, carpentry, preservation carpentry (they get to work on great old buildings), violin making, piano technology (from tuning to rebuilding), jewelry making (not design so much as metalworking, casting, and stone cutting and setting, etc), and fine furniture and cabinetmaking (my course of study there).
Here's the link:
www.nbss.org
Enjoy!
By the way, they also give workshops in neat things like calligraphy, intro to woodworking, cloth bookbinding, gold leaf and carving, shaker box making...
Karen
Farmgirl Sister # 2419 |
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HollyHobby
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Holly
Astoria
NY
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Apr 19 2011 : 09:33:51 AM
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Another lost art: Glass Engraving. We bought our house from a man who ran his glass engraving business in it. He was losing his eyesight and couldn't continue working any longer. He couldn't find anyone in the country to purchase his machines and stock! Most of the glass decorating today is done by etching with computerized lasers. He would actually grind the glass by hand and engrave it for weddings, awards and other special occasions. He gave a lot of the left-over items to our little library to sell at their fundraiser, and we bought most of it back. We now have a cabinet full of mismatched glassware. It's fun choosing which glass to use - a lot of it has other people's names and monograms, and there's a bunch that were made to commemorate the Lake Placid olympics. (The house is near Lake Placid) Kinda sad that no one was able to pick up where he left off.
Farmgirl Sister #2942
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~ Robert Brault |
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sunshine
True Blue Farmgirl
4877 Posts
Wendy
Utah
USA
4877 Posts |
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Lady Woodworker
True Blue Farmgirl
259 Posts
Karen
Chamberlain
Maine
USA
259 Posts |
Posted - Apr 19 2011 : 12:29:08 PM
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Hi Wendy,
What college is that? I wish my college had offered such courses. That sounds like an exceptionally wonderful place.
I checked out your blog too. Your crochet work is amazing! I love those pretty lacy gloves.
Nice to hear from you,
Karen (Lady Woodworker)
Farmgirl Sister # 2419 |
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Pasthyme
True Blue Farmgirl
99 Posts
Gail
Mountain View
AR
99 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 05:36:53 AM
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The Ozark Folk Center, where I am the clothier, keeps many of the old traditional skills alive. Part of our mission statement is to "preserve and perpetuate" which we do by teaching our craft. I teach sewing, crochet rag rug, and "Music Roots" (I teach guitar and mountain dulcimer as a program in the school). We have classes in wood, glass beadmaking, blacksmithing, basketry, tatting, spinning, weaving, old time music, and much more. We use antique tools as we demo in our craft village. It is a great place to learn these forgotton skills.
www.pasthymesfashions.webs.com
www.ozarkfolkcenter.com |
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walkinwalkoutcattle
True Blue Farmgirl
1675 Posts
Megan
Paint Lick
KY
USA
1675 Posts |
Posted - May 18 2011 : 09:16:15 AM
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Pasthyme, that is really interesting, and I'm in LOVE with your hats! They're SO cute! :)
Farmgirl #2879 :)
Starbucks and sushi to green fried tomatoes and corn pudding-I wouldn't change it for the world.
www.cattleandcupcakes.blogspot.com
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Book Ideas: Endangered Arts & Professions |
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Endangered Arts & Professions
