At one time woodworking was one of the most common crafts of the American South. All aspects of carpentry and carving, including the selection of wood, were traditions passed from parent to child. Woodworking was an essential skill in rural South Carolina. Before rail transportation, inland residents had little access to imported wares. Local craftsmen made most of the basic furniture and household items – bureaus, chests, tables, chairs, utensils, mixing bowls, benches – the variety is endless. Vernacular furniture was often hand-hewn from native woods. Carved items used for hunting include bird decoys and bird calls. Whimsies, toys, and walking canes were also carved in abundance. While these objects were utilitarian by nature, most of them also incorporated ornamentation that reflected individual and communal artistic expression.
Content is provided by McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.
For further information about any of the artists featured on Digital Traditions, send your questions and comments to hallagan@mailbox.sc.edu.
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Ahrens, Pat All Male Chorus of Blacksburg Arnold, Mac Ayers, Sara Basket, Nancy Baylor, Amos Bellow, Roger Bennett, Mary Jane Benson, JD Blackwell, Richard Boggs, Horatio Manning Bollack, James Booker...
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His feelings on the disadvantages of painting wood carvings.
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Jennings Chestnut relates how he was first introduced to bluegrass music...
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Wood carver in Walterboro, SC (Colleton County). He decided to take up wood carving after his friend Kirby Evans introduced him to the craft. Interview conducted by Michael Chiarappa.
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Audio transcript for: Carving Model Boats Carving Spoons Carving Wildlife Doesn't Paint His Work Gathering Cedar Learning Young Other Types Of Wood Working With Wood
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Wood carver from Seneca, SC (Oconee County). He carves figurines out of wood including flowers, squirrels, and roosters. His wife, Frances, assists him with painting and arranging the carved flowers...
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Wood carver from Seneca, SC (Oconee County). He carves figurines out of wood including flowers, squirrels, and roosters. His wife, Frances, assists him with painting and arranging the carved flowers...
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At age five, Harold Wayne Turner picked up a banjo for the first time. Within a short period, he taught himself to pick out a rough approximation of “Cripple Creek.” This childhood experience began a...
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Woodworking Mr. Herman Ricard is a traditional woodworker from Lexington, South Carolina. He learned the art from watching and practicing with his father in the 1970s. He works with Peanut Wood Craft...
