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African-American Slave Furniture makers
African-American Slave Furniture makers (post #119663)
StanleyNiemiec on Tue, 02/18/2003 - 09:59
For those that know me, you are probably aware that I am a very definite humanist (read as LIBERAL) and occasionally get on a rant about social issues.
One particular issue that has always intrigued me is that of the possible role African American slaves in fine furniture production in the Colonial period. Intuitively I believed African Americans as slaves (and potentially as freemen in Northern urban areas) were important contributors in the woodworking trades but their contribution has been totally overlooked and unrecognized.
For example, the last time I was in Chicago I visited the Art Institute and viewed their collection that included many pieces made in the South before the Civil War. I got into a discussion with one of the museum staff about who actually did the work (as opposed to whose company/business it came from. Needless to say, my questions were answered with a noncommital shrug.
Attached is a copy of the text of a recent newspaper article that appeared in the February 15, 2003 Oregonian. It has been the first written source I have found that indicates that high quality pieces were made by very skilled slaves. I thought others might be interested as well.
It may be my own ignorance or prejudicial bias but I have long felt that fine woodworking (at a craft and at the entrepreneurial level) tends to be racially unequally skewed most heavily towards individuals of European ancestory. By this I am not in anyway implying that there is any particular genetic aptitude but rather recreational and entrepreneurial woodworking has a strong cultural (read as maybe historical) component. I, for example, can trace my ancestory to John Alden of Plymouth Plantation who was one of the first European-American woodworker (he was a cooper), and I am proud of this lineage.
As a further example of a potential cultural bias, I cannot recollect any articles by or of African American woodworkers that have appeared in Fine Woodworking. This seems odd to me and I guess, I would like others to be aware of the potential creativity available to all individuals based on the fact that race, gender and age, etc. are irrelevant in fine woodworking. And more specifically, I want others to better understand the historic diversity of our trade.
Edited 2/18/2003 4:06:05 AM ET by NIEMIEC1
Edited 2/18/2003 4:07:13 AM ET by NIEMIEC1
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(post #119663, reply #1 of 60)
Oops -- the attachment didn't work. I'm trying again.
(post #119663, reply #2 of 60)
NIEMIEC1,
First I'll say that I'm as conservative as it gets, but I find your post intriguing. I've never even thought about the occurance of slave built furniture. I'm not suprised that it exhisted though. Some of the African woodcarving is amazing and it isn't to much of a strech to assume that some of that talent was brought to the new world. I wonder if any freed slaves took up furniture making after the war?
Seems to me like such a piece would fetch a large sum at auction because of the history. Interesting.
I wonder if you can post your image some other way. It is very hard to read as it scrolls two screenwidths to the right.
Steve
(post #119663, reply #3 of 60)
Measure twice, cut once! I hope this is better.
(post #119663, reply #4 of 60)
Hi, A long time ago, at least ten years ago, FWW had a small article about a man who produced high quality furniture somewhere in the south east. The article may have started on the back cover. He was African American. I think he worked in the first half of the 1800's. He was not a slave, at least that I remember. He owned his own shop. That is all I can remember about the article. Maybe someone else can tell you more. Pete
(post #119663, reply #6 of 60)
Thanks for the hint -- I'll go looking.
I guess for me the real interest is not in who made something 150 or 200 years ago but rather who is creating fine woodworking now. If FWW as a magazine in its many years of publication has only written one or two articles dealing with minority woodworkers, I think that is a problem.
The image I have, and it is not one that I am really happy about, is that most recreation and entrepreneurial woodworkers are white males. I would prefer more inclusive representation simply because I think it would increase creativity. The problem is how do you promote this.
(post #119663, reply #7 of 60)
Just who do you think built Jefferson house at Monticello? Jefferson may have designed Monticello who do you think actually built it.
(post #119663, reply #10 of 60)
Intuitively one would LIKE to believe that slave owners used all available labor but in the South there COULD have been sufficient white tradesmen so there was a differentiation of labor. The article indicated John Hemings learned his trade from James Dinsmore -- was Dinsmore a "contractor"/builder with his own crews whose business it was to build mansions?
Also with the prejudice that existed during those times, it is entirely possible that the slaves were relegated to the most menial of tasks such that they never became skilled craftspersons. I recall that laws existed that prohibited teaching slaves to read and write. Literacy is, in my opinion, absolutely necessary for the practice of certain trades. Jefferson was considered to be enlighted so that the practices of his slaves might be the exception rather than the rule -- hense the uniqueness and newsworthiness of the article.
I have not seen previously written articles that indicate that the African American slaves were skilled artisans and craftspersons -- the implication being that there was discrimination in labor and/or that there is an insidious bias in historic literature to potentially minimize their talents and abilities by inferring that as only field hands or domestic servants they were incapable of such occupations.
I travelled into the South in the early '80's as a Research Wood Technologist for the Masonite Corp. and found that there was a very definite hierarchy of labor in the two plants I visited. There was apparent a very distinct differentiation in labor based on both race and gender. I have to assume that the extant social attitudes present then were part of a cultural/historic attitude/prejudice that was considerably worse when individuals were enslaved.
My current concern is the present. In all my trade experience and my contact with recreational woodworkers, I meet very few women and fewer still members of minorities, especially as woodworking artisan entrepreneurs. I rarely see images representing minorities in the woodworking publications -- maybe this is good because the finished pieces should stand by themselves without any reference to race or gender. My (potentially ignorant) suspicion is that a level of bigotry still exists, and therefore the rational for posting the article so that minority talents and capabilities would be shown.
(post #119663, reply #12 of 60)
My (potentially ignorant) suspicion is that a level of bigotry still exists
Bigotry might be too strong a word, Stanley, but i don't think there's been a great lot of affirmative action in the area, either. I think it's analogous to girls being legally entitled to take shop classes since Title IX, which was passed when i was in high school, but they still don't take the classes bec of social custom not encouraging it.
I don't think it's just woodworking, either. From my treks to art fairs, i'm trying to remember how many non-whites i see behind the counter, and there aren't many. The Indians i know are selling Indian jewelry, flutes, or paintings of Indians; the only Blacks i ever saw were actually non-native to the US and selling either obviously imported stuff from Africa they claimed they had made or selling t-shirts with African-inspired art. There's a Black metal-spinner who demonstrates at Folklife Festival in Seattle who is the outstanding exception to the norm. I can, however, think of many Asians in my business, in various categories from wood to ceramics to photography to jewelry. Oftentimes their work has a definite Oriental flair to it (dragons and calligraphic symbols come to mind), but certainly not exclusively.
I sometimes have wondered if the Indians who might see my work resent that this blonde, Heidi-type earth-mama has appropriated some of the design motifs found in their weavings.
Literacy important to the trades? I thought story poles were about getting rid of the numbers...and a picture is worth a thousand words. If a person were illiterate, i would think the trades would be the best of all possible options to find work that paid decently compared to the level of education required.
(post #119663, reply #13 of 60)
I don't know what the educational situation is in your state but here in Orygun, it is becoming abysmal. Title IX ain't worth a rat's patuh if shop classes don't exist.
From my studies of the woodworking trade guilds of Medieval England, literacy was considered to important enough that apprentices were taught to read and write as part of their training. Acceptance into a guild, especially in chartered towns, was almost manditory.
I likewise agree with your assessment of artisans and craftspersons at art fairs. In part the incredible creativity I see at the Native American art show in Portland is part of the reason that I would like to see more minorities represented. I think the skill level equal to everything else I see (at other fairs) but the cultural approach/perspective creates truly unique and distinctive beauty. Why is it that other minorities, with their own cultural and artistic perspective, are not showcasing their creativity?
I can think of two possible reasons -- the first is that, for example, present African American culture has little or no apparent historical connection to English Chippendale or French Louis XVth styles. Maybe the revelation that John Hemings made such items deserves greater publicity. And secondly, (perhaps most sadly), it may be that the affluent portion of society are unwilling to do business with African Americans. I think about a typical scenario in my business dealings where I meet with potential clients in their homes to discuss their needs and possible designs. If an individual is reluctant to welcome an African American (or any other minority for that matter) into their homes for such purposes, then bigotry still exists.
As always, education is an important first step and this is why I thing that the article about John Hemings was so important. We as skilled woodworkers might also have to take a more pro-active role in welcoming minorities into our trade and shops; but I likewise think that publications like FWW need to be pro-active and actively seek out and showcase appropriate talent.
It seems to me it would be a win-win scenario -- such articles would likely increase circulation and also likely increase sales of equipment and machinery for the advertisers. Maybe an appropriate comparision is the fashion industry. In the '50's and early '60's the image of beauty was white -- now it is definitely multi-racial perhaps based on the recognition that everybody buys clothes.
(post #119663, reply #14 of 60)
Niemiec1,
As one of the other posters stated I too am as conservative as it gets but your question is interesting. You might take a trip to Charleston SC. if you get the chance. We spent several days down there last summer, and being the reproduction furniture maker and historical enthusiast that I am I spent a lot of time touring the historical homes there and investigating the furniture contained therein. In doing research regarding the cabinetmakers in and around Charleston during the eighteenth century, one finds mentioned quite often that there were many skilled slaves who were "owned", (what a distasteful concept) by a number of prominent cabinetmakers of the day. There can be no doubt that many fine pieces of furniture were produced or a least contributed to by slaves and also by indentured servants especially in the south. Check out the book "Charleston Furniture, 1700-1825" by E. Milby Burton. He goes into detail regarding this practice in several places in his book. Not to mention it is a great resource on 18th century furn.
In regard to current black woodworkers, I think they are out there, but not in great numbers. I agree that this is unfortunate but it is up to us woodworkers to encourage and mentor them not the government. As to the question of industrial arts education in the public schools, that is in decline everywhere, not just in schools with high percentage of black students.
There was a very nice article about 5 or 6 years ago in Woodshop News regarding a black gentleman who both repaired and made new pianos. This guy did really nice work and some of it was very high end ( some pianos are works of art). He was also reputed to be a pretty fair piano player as well. It was a good read.
Mark
(post #119663, reply #15 of 60)
Why is it that other minorities, with their own cultural and artistic perspective, are not showcasing their creativity?
I can't speak about Blacks bec Montana is frankly not very multi-racial. Missoula has a large number of Hmong only as an historical fluke, but they "showcase" like mad at the fairs. They are more prolific more than creative, however, as their work is essentially the same if not less notable after 25 years of commerce here. Indians, we got, but perhaps the separation is as much a factor of the distrust the Indians feel to the Whites as vice-versa. I remember trying to take some language classes and baby backboard weaving classes in California that the Mono tribe was teaching at their museum , but they refused to let me apply. I know ony one white man who is accepted into a tribe here as a full brother. Relatively few Indians take advantage of free schooling to attend the University, about as welcoming an environment as one could ask for. In contrast, Dana Boussard, James Welch, Jack Gladstone, Heyoka, Kevin Red Star, and lots of other Indian and wannabe-Indians from here are courted by the mainstream, including major celebrities.
I think you've started with the assumption that non-whites would want to be recognised for how well they fit into the "old, fat, bald, white man" stereotype i've jokingly characterized the Fine Woodworker as being. When i read "If an individual is reluctant to welcome an African American (or any other minority for that matter) into their homes for such purposes, then bigotry still exists.", i know you see the affluent homeowner as white. Isn't that bigoted, too?
(post #119663, reply #16 of 60)
(Edit Note: The link posted below seems to have forced the rest of the text into extending beyond the frame. My apologies if this post is hard to read.)
Before the show schedule changed, I used to watch HGTV's "Modern Masters" on Sunday evenings. For those who haven't seen it, it's a half-hour show that features three artisans per week, usually focusing on the creation of one piece per person, bookended by interviews about their philosophies, backgrounds, etc.
Anyway, to the point of this thread, I have often seen stories on African-American and other non-European-white-male artisans -- some of them woodworkers. Each year, during February, they also feature a special hour-long episode focusing exclusively on African-American artisans. Here's a link to this year's episode, which features, among others, a furnituremaker, a wood sculptor and a woodturner:
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_clay_pottery/article/0,1789,HGTV_3240_1385542,00.html
Sadly, I believe it's a repeat from last year. I don't know why they didn't go out and feature seven new artisans, but apparently they didn't.
In any case, my post adds little to the discussion about the history of African-American furnituremakers or the current cultural/political/artistic situation -- but I thought I'd point out where at least a few artisans are getting some publicity -- too little, yes, but some.
And Splintie, you raise any interesting point about possible resistance to your use of Native American motifs -- as a Heidi-esque white woman -- not to mention your inability to get training in an area you found interesting. I just read an interesting book about sweat lodges and their ceremonial/spiritual uses, written by a white Jesuit priest who had begun participating in the ceremonies by invitation. A large chunk of the book was devoted to a discussion of the appropriation and misappropriation of the practice by non-Indians. (Oddly, I was ghostwriting an article about Federal Indian Law at that very moment.)
Anyway, as American society becomes increasingly multicultural, this issue of misappropriation (or not) of artistic ideas and practices will likely gain greater attention, as forces both resisting and pushing change grow in strength. ("You can't do that; you're a <fill in the blank>.")
Sorry, Stanley, I hijacked your thread. I'm enjoying this discussion of the current state of minorities in woodworking, and your pursuit of information on early African-American furnituremakers. Please keep sharing what you learn.
David
"The world that was not made is not won by what is done" -- Mundaka Upanishad
Edited 2/20/2003 9:47:05 AM ET by davamoore
"The world that was not made is not won by what is done" -- Mundaka Upanishad
(post #119663, reply #19 of 60)
I wish that I would never make bigoted assumptions; I do so out of ignorance.
I think on the issue of money, the statistics support my assertion that the racial profile of the affluent in our society is predominantely and disproportionally white.
Ideally, I would not wish anyone to 'have to' or 'want to' fit into "the old, fat, bald, white man" stereotype -- it may be apt of certain individuals, but I am far more concerned with creativity and product.
(post #119663, reply #21 of 60)
I'm growing increasingly interested in this topic/question -- thanks, Stanley (I have the name correct, don't I? I'm going off memories of other posts, to you mostly).
I know that there have recently been some major breakthroughs from archaeologists (sp?) in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states studying the sites of former slave quarters, and other discoveries in the Midwest looking at forgotten, pre- and post-Civil War African-American communities... all of which have shed new light and destroyed old assumptions about the poorly documented lives of slaves, freed slaves and African-Americans of that era.
I'm sure there must be some information out there that neither of us are aware of. My next-door neighbor is a history professor, specializing in African-American studies. I'll start with her, see if she can recommend any resources, and go from there. If I turn anything up, I'll let you know.
David
"The world that was not made is not won by what is done" -- Mundaka Upanishad
"The world that was not made is not won by what is done" -- Mundaka Upanishad
(post #119663, reply #23 of 60)
Yep -- it's Stanley ............... or Lee sometimes
(post #119663, reply #22 of 60)
Gosh! I'm middle-aged, trim, still have most of my hair, and am 1/4 Native American. Never realized I was such a radical!
Seriously though, while economic and social status still favor WASPs, the gap is narrowing. Perhaps we'll see it disappear during our lifetime, and live to see the day when Martin Luther King's dream really does come true.
Jeff
(post #119663, reply #24 of 60)
The Dream seems less and less possible considering the current political regime. We, as a society, might find more African Americans in woodshops were it not for the current incarseration practices. Whether this is a "chicken and egg" scenario is beyond my knowledge but something to think about. Maybe as a step towards a more egalitarian society, freedom might be granted to Leonard Peltier (sp?). Again that is beyond my control.
More important to me is the issue of making our trade more inclusive. Is anyone aware of woodworking organizations that have mentoring programs?
The more I think about slavery the more I come to the conclusion that these peoples had their indigenous culture completely repressed so that component is completely lost and now alien. Additionally I would expect that there would be a very definite aversion to anything that might recall enslavement. Maybe I am over-analyzing or assuming feelings that are not present but were I an African American woodworker, I doubt if I could comfortably recreate a Chippendale dresser or attempt to decorate a piece with African tribal motifs. Without a model, where do you begin?
And the more I think about this, the more curiouser and curiouser I get about the extant woodworking pieces being created by contemporary African Americans.
(post #119663, reply #27 of 60)
In reading Griff's entry do you suppose the "Poor downtrodden" slaves sat on their fists and leaned back on their thumbs? there was probably furniture made by them which , although simple , on a par with shaker or other furniture of the period. Made for their own use of course and probably relegated to the trash heap as the "Larkin furniture of the thirties. I can remember my step-mother sneering about that larkin stuff. As was said earlier that was all history, now lets try to make it better NOW!
Frank
(post #119663, reply #28 of 60)
Maybe as a step towards a more egalitarian society, freedom might be granted to Leonard Peltier (sp?).
Stanley, I have a particular interest in Leonard Peltier's case. I assume you do as well. Thank you for bringing it up. Please, if you haven't done it yet, read Peter Matthiessen's book about the Peltier fiasco, "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse". And if you don't have time to read the book, at least google on the name "Leonard Peltier", (or "Anna May Aquash"). Matthiessen's book was the subject of the longest, most expensive libel trial in U.S. history. The U.S. gov't spent 20 years trying to repress it by keeping publishers (Random House, I think) in libel proceedings.
If Matthiessen's name is not familiar to you, he is one of the original founders (with George Plimpton) of The Paris Review, a Pulitzer winner, dedicated Buddhist, naturalist, and about the finest journalist/writers (short of John McPhee) in America today.
Hopefully Bob Walker can comment on the libel case - it was a precedent-setter on about five different levels. It is also the single best argument against censorship I have ever run across.
PLEASE read this book, come to your own conclusions about Peltier's innocence/guilt, but please, please, let your congress rep know what you think. Political pressure, and only political pressure, will determine justice in this case.
Whew! sorry for the rant, but thanks for the opportunity!
(edited to add emphasis)
"Make definite assertions. Avoid tame, colorless, hesitating, non-committal language."—Rule 12
William
Strunk, Jr.
Edited 2/20/2003 11:11:28 PM ET by Sandra
"And then, because of the transitive reactive Halstead-era seizing properties of the Aboriginal Double Humpback Turtle, I thought, what if I add one teaspoon of clarified monkey paste?" Anonymous blog comment on "America's Test Kitchen"
(post #119663, reply #25 of 60)
Interesting posting by all. I've joined it late but maybe I have some small insight to add to your initial inquiry. I've been studying history all my adult life to the point where I picked up a masters degree in the subject.
In my studies for that degree I had a heavy component of pre-Civil War American History courses. One professor in particular taught many of those courses and his specialty, naturally, was in that time period.
While the university was, of course, heavily pc and while he towed the line faithfully, he was also quite emphatic a number of times in stressing that real life in the old south was largely the life of small farmers. Like today (well, maybe not exactly like today), most of the people were middle class or below. There were relatively few wealthy plantation owners with large numbers of slaves, such as in Gone With The Wind.
That being the case, he argued, most slaves worked on small farms and were either working alone with their "master's" family or with one, two or, perhaps, three other slaves (this was true with, surprisingly, black farmers who had slaves of their own in the old south; admittedly an even smaller number of people). In large part, he argued, most slave "owners" and slaves were employed full time in eaking out a meager living. Neither they nor their "masters" had enough time to devote to the arts, woodworking included. For example, the development of the spirituals and blues which arose out of slavery involves a finite number of songs developed over a period of time approximating two to three centuries. If that's true, how much development in the making of high end furniture could have been accomplished? They simply didn't have the free time or the financial resources to engage in that work.
It's an intriguing question and it was very insightful of you to ask it. And I agree that it, no doubt, deserves further research. Wish I thought of it before my thesis was due. I'm not specifically aware of any particular published work on the topic but, I think, any decent library will have books on the time period by any number of noted authors if you wish to investigate further. Or you could head south-east and research from primary sources. Eric Foner is one of the top researchers if you wish to look him up.
On a personal note, and by no means to be taken as criticism, I don't think politics has any relevance to the examination of history. History is facts. It happened. It's over. Now we want to know what happened. I don't think what happened should be colored by one's political outlook. Whether you're liberal or conservative, facts are facts. What they might suggest to anyone might be open to debate based on your outlook, but not the basic facts themselves. Am I wrong?
Thanks.
John
(post #119663, reply #26 of 60)
Well there always is the chance of a Ph.D.. How does Professor Griff and Dr.. John sound? (oops we know what Dr. John sounds like already)
And if you really have a Master's degree in History you know that you are wrong when it comes to the issues of politics.
First and foremost are academic politics which are absurd and arcane and probably the most petty example I have ever witnessed (working for 7 years in the Forest Products Department at Oregon State University). Certainly my undergraduate days in the late '60's and early '70's were an example of academic politics in the extreme. Needless to say Penn State, where I got my Master's degree in Wood Science and Utilization, had departmental, college and university politics such that the Labyrith was a simple maze in comparision.
Secondly, politics has a lot to do with how grants are allocated. The entire granting process as well as the peer review of publications (remember 'publish or perish') is one of censorship, repression of ideas, control by the powers that be, and perceived political correctness.
The study of history involves a selection of incomplete facts and creating some particular story about what might or could have actually happened. What "facts" are chosen and how the story is told can vary greatly -- simply compare a high school western civ book to some more scholarly tome and the difference becomes immediately apparent. In any event, we will never have the complete history because all the facts are not available and we can never fully understand individuals' feelings, emotions or moralities.
The situation is, that if it takes 150+ years to admit that African AMerican slaves were highly skilled artisans and craftspersons, something is pretty wrong. The reality of politics is that if the states the flew the Stars and Bars are the places where that information is only available and still fly the Stars and Bars, maybe somebody doesn't want it generally known. But that is just my skeptical and cynical attitude.
(post #119663, reply #29 of 60)
You won't blame me for trying to convince you, will you? Politics doesn't belong in most scholarly pursuits, especially those engaged in by pc professors on pc campuses who excel in pettiness in order to complement their own vanity. I'm all too familiar with it and I'd never get a Ph.D. because I won't buy into their game which you need to do in order to chase the paper.
If you're only involving "a selection of incomplete facts" you're not revealing history, only your own agenda. I won't accept the results unless I'm comfortable with the thought that you've done your best to uncover as many facts as you could (which, when you think about it, is all the facts that are available). I, too, am a cynic. I suspect we both have good reason to be such. Frankly, any thinking creature does.
Is something wrong in the theoretical sense if it took 150+ years or are you pointing to something in particular? The human race is not perfect. With some notable exceptions, it's my hope that we nevertheless try to attain that status when viewed in the long term. Maybe until you thought of it no one, white or black, thought to ask the question. On the other hand, the possibility exists that no significant contribution was achieved. I'm not suggesting that as the final answer - I simply do not know. But, if you're suggesting that there's some organized effort (another vast right wing conspiracy?) to suppress the truth, I'm not ready to buy into that idea either. You might be right, but you have to show me more. Are you working with an incomplete set of facts? As far as I recall, only South Carolina still shows the Confederate flag in an official sense. Or, is that an agenda you're pushing?
Sorry, who's Dr. John? And, while we're on it, what's (wood) utilization? Can't be how to use wood, can it?
(post #119663, reply #30 of 60)
150 to 200 plus years ago many of the apprentices of European decent making furniture were basically slaves as well having been sold into these apprentices by their families. They were "indentured", an indenture being a contract that put them at the mercy of the shop master for many years sometimes for life. They were not paid, poorly fed, worked 12 hours a day 7 days a week and their lives were completely controlled by the master. Slavery came in many forms and many cultures.
(post #119663, reply #32 of 60)
Yes what you say is true but there was a certain level of job security which does not exist now and it was certainly before employers required their workers to sign non-compete contracts. There is a very fuzzy line between apprentices and indentured servants -- it seems to me the former were trainees while the latter had a more journeyman-like role.
Both of these circumstances however seems greatly better than slavery where an individual was considered property of another. And if I remember correctly indentured servitude was made illegal before slavery was outlawed. Certainly questionable priorities in my thinking.
(post #119663, reply #31 of 60)
the easy answer first -- Dr. John aka the Night Tripper was one of the first Cajun rockers breaking into the scene sometime around the late '60's.
Right wing conspiracies are way too political and too nebulus for me -- I would rather think in terms of economic and social subjugation taking the form of demeaning ones abilities and capabilities, and limiting employment and eductional opportunity. Remember that part of the thinking of the pre-Civil War period was that African Americans were not fully human. Until Massey v. Fergusion separate (but supposedly 'equal') education was acceptable (and now unfortunately schools are at a higher level of segregation than before that ruling).
Social attitudes can be more effective than any political conspiracy and it may be as simple as, in the struggle of living and supporting a family, you suppress someone else's opportunities so that they do not take your job or your pay raise even if they are more skilled or productive than you. Immorality exists when those practices are based on race, ethnic origin, religious beliefs, gender, age or disability.
REal history is considerably different than propagandized history -- the former being based on an even assessment of all available facts while the latter is selected and unequally prioritized facts woven together to fit some agenda. It is not Real history that is taught in schools (and hense the discipline of critical thinking and comprehensive review of primary sources) but rather a romanticized rendition of the glorious achievements of the victors.
My undergraduate degree is in History and the early Middle Ages in Europe are still referred to as the Dark Ages. It has been over a thousand years and that incorrect notion is still being perpetuated -- only because some individuals feel that somehow the slave based, hierarchical, and imperialistic society of the Romans was superior to the more tribal, egalitarian one of the Goths. Every World History course I took dwelled at length on the accomplishments of the Greeks but said nothing about the civilizations of Timbuctu, Ankara (SE Asia), or God forbid, the Native Americans. Unfortunately those histories are deemed by educators and politicians as irrelevant. Thus history can become a very controlling cultural tool (read as propaganda)
Yes I am working with incomplete facts and in reality my brain is not firing on all cylinders as well. Returning to the issue however of African American slave artisans and craftspersons, serious consequences of "selective" history are with us today because it seems that current African Americans are apparently not pursuing the wonderful (in my opinion) opportunities available in both recreational and entrepreneurial woodworking. I think that there exists an unfortunate connection (by not recognizing historically their previous talents, abilities and products and the current disproportionate demographic situation). I don't know if the correlation is direct or indirect and I don't know if this is somehow intended or planned by some sinister group of weird fanatics. And yes it can be stated that I have an agenda -- to make our trade more inclusive.
And finally to the really hard question of wood science and utilization. In a nut shell, there are about 2500 commercially available woods in the world. How you identify it, what the common and distinctive physical, mechanical and chemical properties of woods and how it is processed is the bulk of a Wood Technology ciriculum. Individuals get a background in grading logs and lumber, recovery and yield, what it takes to process it (eg. machining, drying, impregnation with preservative chemicals) and related technical aspects of finishing and adhesive bonding. There is also emphasis given to composites (plywood, particleboards, hardboard, some pulp and paper) and of course the management of industrial operations, including issues like QC and various inventory control stategies.
At a professional level, I feel my expertise relates to North American hardwoods (PennSt being in hardwood country and I am lead author on a publication entitled Hardwoods of the Pacific Northwest), in wood machining (I ran a continuing eduction program for the mill personnel of the PNW for 6 years) and in wood product development. My trade experience is with fine furniture and am adequate in design, construction and finishing (laquers). Prior to my stint for 7 years as a Research Assistant (Senior RA) at OR St Univ. with heavy extension responsibilities, I worked reseach for the Masonite Corp. Before my disability was deemed unacceptable, I also did consulting work for industry on issues like the possibility of establishing a veneer slicing plant in W. OR. I started in the trades on a sanding and repair bench for a firm that is now the finest wood finishers in the Chicago metropolitan area.
I may have a few outspoken viewpointss on certain issues but I think I know a little about wood and with more than 30 years in the field (trade and professional) I am dedicated to educating others and promoting woods beauties and benefits.
And as a former academic, I am way too wordy!!
(post #119663, reply #34 of 60)
Well said. I think I agree.
(post #119663, reply #33 of 60)
The african woodcarving I've seen seems really crude. I have seen quite a bit of it as an art enthusiast. I think society believes race is what makes people different, my belief is it is more climate and some races have historically inhabited specific climates.
i.e. I have heard the criticism that Africa has no cultural heritage outside of oral traditions, etc. I am speaking of sub-saharan. But if you understand the geography, there were no large quantities of stone easily quarried (deep alluvial soil) to build lasting structures like you see in the mediterranean (sp.) / europe. Also, the high-humidity / rainfall climate in the coastal and central equator areas destroy anything someone could make and leave for posterity - i.e. furniture, writing, etc. So historically it would be tough to pass on much of a knowledge base to a future generation because there would be no historical collections to observe such as benefitted drier climates.
Much of Southeast asia had these same factors at play on them. I am really fascinated by the stone temples that are overgrown and buried in the jungles of Cambodia. I can't imagine how much work it took to build them, maybe stone from river beds? They look quarried.
Other factors that hurt Africa: there are no natural transportation channels. All of the rivers are dangerous, and mostly impassable over long distances due to steep drop offs, falls, etc. All overland routes overgrow too fast to keep clear in times before mechanical powered equipment. Not so true in the south of Africa, but the serengeti is near-desert.
Anyway I think about these things. Different groups lived in different areas and some were more blessed with natural resources than others. Which led to widely divergent standards of living / cultural development / etc. The forward view of America is equality, etc. I hate crack cocaine. I see it destroying lower-income communities around my city, and it is hitting hardest in the minority community.
remodeler
(post #119663, reply #35 of 60)
I suppose you could consider an African carving (eg a ceremonial mask) crude if your "ideal" is Michelangelo's pieta but that does not make one better than the other (except by your standards).
Oral traditions should not be judged as lesser just because they are oral -- the recitations of the Griots in West Africa are judged by knowledgeable individuals as superbly accurate.
Permance of stone buildings is one way to judge a civilization. Maybe for the inhabitants of that civilization freedom, healthly babies, good food, and happiness are more important.
And while the Europeans were just beginning to establish centers of learning like the Universities of Paris and Oxford, Timbuctu was a renowned center of learning, philosophy, the arts and literature.
Rather than judge another person or civilization by the standards of your attitudes and society, it seems to me to be more important to tolerate their choices and attempt to learn from them as you share your knowledge. This however requires that, as a first step, you conider that there is a fundamental equality among all human beings.
Though on some issues, like slavery, sexual mutilation and war, I cannot tolerate such practices because they are fundamentally inhumane. and anti-human.
(post #119663, reply #36 of 60)
Where to start, where to start....
Maybe with the fact that Massey Ferguson is a tractor? That Plessy v. Ferguson is the case law you are after, that instead of ending the separate-but-equal practice, it legitimized it. Additionally, Plessy lost despite being predominantly "white".
if it takes 150+ years to admit that African AMerican slaves were highly skilled artisans and craftspersons, something is pretty wrong
Where is the evidence that people are not "admitting" that slaves were skilled artisans? Because they didn't leave enough ball-and-claw feet behind to be noticeable?
Why is it that other minorities, with their own cultural and artistic perspective, are not showcasing their creativity?
Hmong are showcasing like crazy at the art fairs to the extent that their booths look like junk stores now. If it were up to me i'd kick a lot of them and their stuffed animal crap out until they worked up to their ability, but the promoters are scared to appear racist. Pow-wow's are big business in these parts and this definitely Afro-deprived state has a Jazz festival anyway. You seem to be saying over and over and over that if minorities don't show up in the Who's Who of Woodworkers, they don't exist.
I come to the conclusion that these peoples had their indigenous culture completely repressed
BB, Ella, Aretha, Mahalia, Etta, and Eminem might be surprised to hear that. There is culture beyond the woodshop.
Eminem, you ask? Well, here's the reasoning: European music is highly melodic. In the rock-n-roll era, the Beat got a lot more important and it moved us DOWN THERE instead of tickling our cerebrums; this scared our parents no end. Take away a little more melody, pump up the volume of what's left and you've got rap...which scares me to death. Not far from African music styling relying primarily on rhythm rather than melody. Drums outdoors, fiddles indoors.
We, as a society, might find more African Americans in woodshops were it not for the current incarseration practices.
Ever hear of hitching? It's a type of braiding/weaving with horsehair, practiced in large measure by convicts since it's pretty darned time consuming and ... well, you know. Do you think non-convicts are under-represented in the art of horsehair hitching and should something be done about that?
And how in hell did Leonard Peltier get in here?
Edit to add: What do you think the odds are that blacks are getting more access to woodshop on the inside than on the outside? I have a friend who teaches shop to cons...
the statistics support my assertion that the racial profile of the affluent in our society is predominantely and disproportionally white.
Probably predominantely and disproportionally Protestant, male, and bald, too, but it doesn't prove they can't abide darkies in the front room, thereby thwarting their woodworking aspirations. In my experience of the top 10 percent, they kind of like the unusual, having gotten beyond the stage of needing their art prints to match their leather couch and loveseat set from IKEA.
OKAY, i've stopped beating up on you, Stanley. What works--and you can take this to the bank--is that one should jump up and down to have the government remove any legal obstacles to advancement of any class, race, etc. After that, it's a private matter. The government is responsible for making damn sure i can legally access education and employment, but it's not the government's job to bitch-slap the guy at the lumberyard into waiting on me. That's my job.
The government's job was to abolish slavery, not make everyone into Emmet Day, who was, incidentally, a left coast, white woodworker who died not that long ago, to whomever was saying he'd been a slave.
Well, my work here is done...except for...
...damn you, David Moore, for telling me about cable programs i can't access!
Edited 2/21/2003 10:09:48 PM ET by SPLINTIE
(post #119663, reply #37 of 60)
...damn you, David Moore, for telling me about cable programs i can't access!
ROTFLMAO!!! (I've always wanted to say that!)
David
"The world that was not made is not won by what is done" -- Mundaka Upanishad
"The world that was not made is not won by what is done" -- Mundaka Upanishad