Search Results

Interviewee:

Tolson, Edgar, 1904-1984  Search this

Tolson, Edgar, 1904-1984  Search this

Interviewer:

Pennington, Estill Curtis  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic:

Sculpture, Modern -- 20th century -- Kentucky  Search this

Folk art  Search this

Wood-carving -- Kentucky  Search this

Artisans -- Kentucky -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)11802

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213156

AAA_collcode_tolson81

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_213156

Interviewee:

Osgood, Jere, 1936-  Search this

Osgood, Jere, 1936-  Search this

Interviewer:

Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this

Subject:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Topic:

Furniture design  Search this

Furniture making -- Technique  Search this

Furniture making -- Denmark  Search this

Furniture making -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Furniture making -- Study and teaching  Search this

Woodworkers -- New Hampshire -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Theme:

Craft  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13109

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)228159

AAA_collcode_osgood01

Theme:

Craft

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_228159

Interviewee:

Osgood, Jere, 1936-  Search this

Interviewer:

Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

64 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2001 September 19-October 8

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Jere Osgood conducted 2001 September 19 and Oct. 8, by Donna Gold, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Osgood's home, in Wilton, N.H.

Osgood describes his early childhood years in Staten Island, N.Y.; the influence of his architect grandfather and handyman father; his early interest in architecture; visiting museums with his mother and aunt; Vermont vacations; high school; and reading "Popular Science," "Popular Mechanics," and "Wildlife Magazine." He describes his architecture studies at the University of Illinois and the subsequent use of parabolic and catenary curves when making bowls; attending the School for American Craftsmen in the 1960s when it was "thriving"; selling bookends at America House; exhibiting in "Young Americans" (Museum of Contemporary Crafts, 1962); teaching at Boston University; studying bookbinding and weaving in a folk art school in Denmark in 1960; the distinction between "furniture makers" and "furniture designers" in Denmark; working in his father's basement workshop; setting-up a workshop in Connecticut; the appeal of root forms; developing lamination techniques; making curved forms; and experimenting with various woods. Teaching at the Philadelphia College of Art, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and Boston University are discussed in detail, as are his typical workday, his design process and means of evaluating form, the growing craft industry, and sculptural furniture. Osgood recalls his teacher Tage Frid.

He also discusses his works of art including Elliptical Shell Desks, a walnut Semainaire, Writing Desk (1986), Angels in the Snow (1986), and Cylinder Front Desk (1989). He comments on selling his work at Pritam & Eames (East Hampton, N.Y.); the influence of Wharton Esherick on his career in the late 1950s; commissions; furniture making at RIT and the North Bennett School in Boston; his experiences teaching at Penland, Haystack, Arrowmont, and Peters Valley Craft Center; his involvement with organizations such as the New Hampshire Furniture Masters' Association, American Craft Council, and The Furniture Society; the importance of good photography; the economics of the craft business; and his appreciation of pure form.

Biographical / Historical:

Jere Osgood (1936- ) is a woodworker from Wilton, N.H. Donna Gold (1953- ) is an art writer from Stockton Springs, Maine.

General:

Originally recorded on 7 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 12 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hrs., 46 min.

Related Materials:

Oral history: Renimiscenses of Jere Osgood; Columbia University. Oral History Research Office, Box 20, Room 801 Butler Library, New York, NY 10027.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Topic:

Furniture design  Search this

Furniture making -- Technique  Search this

Furniture making -- Denmark  Search this

Furniture making -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Furniture making -- Study and teaching  Search this

Woodworkers -- New Hampshire -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.osgood01

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-osgood01

Interviewee:

Kopf, Silas  Search this

Interviewer:

Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

60 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2004 October 1

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Silas Kopf conducted 2004 October 1, by Edward S. Cooke, Jr., for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Kopf speaks of growing up in Warren, Pennsylvania.; being interested in drawing as a child; getting a degree in architecture at Princeton University; visiting Richard Newman at his studio; moving to Rochester and taking classes in woodworking; working for Wendell Castle's studio and the projects they worked on at the time; trying to find his own style and deciding to make marquetry furniture; setting up his own shop; his early influences; moving to Easthampton; working at the Leeds Design Workshop; selling his early works in galleries; traveling to Italy to look at Renaissance intarsia panels; exploring portraiture and trompe l'oeil styles; choosing furniture designs; hiring assistants; taking part in the Woodworker's Alliance for Rainforest Protection; pricing his work; working on commission; and teaching workshops. Kopf also speaks of his favorite furniture pieces; participating in exhibitions; how the market and interest in studio furniture has changed; and visiting France on a fellowship. Kopf recalls George Nakashima, Stephen Proctor, James Krenov, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Silas Kopf (1949- ) is a woodworker and furniture maker from Northampton, Massachusetts. Edward S. Cooke, Jr., is an art historian and professor in New Haven, Connecticut.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 compact discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 54 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Art -- Economic aspects  Search this

Furniture making -- Technique  Search this

Woodworkers -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Furniture designers -- Massachusetts -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.kopf04

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kopf04

Interviewee:

Kent, Ron, 1931-  Search this

Interviewer:

Riedel, Mija, 1958-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

99 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2010 April 20-22

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Ron Kent conducted 2010 April 20 and 22, by Mija Riedel, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at Kent's home and studio in Kailua, Hawaii.

Kent discusses his first entry into Easter show (at Honolulu Academy of Arts) in late 1960s/early 1970s; the challenge of figuring of making objects; the notion of limitations as an important factor in his work; growing up in Los Angeles of the 1930s; an ethic of frugality and a father who could make and repair things around the house; his first career as an engineer; influential books, including works by Ayn Rand and Franz Kafka; a new career as a stockbroker in San Diego in the early 1960s; making a small kayak; his willingness to push boundaries and the need for a certain amount of anxiety in his creative process; discovery of Norfolk/Cook pine as main medium; his wife Myra's gift of his first lathe in the early 1970s; influential shapes and vessels, including the ovoid shape and long-necked bottles; the need for "heft" in his pieces; the advantages and disadvantages of being a self-taught artist; early exhibitions of bottles, and first purchase by del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles; the notion of "dialog" with wood; the creative perils of too much technical and technological facility; his first trip to New York City; the emergence of translucence in his work, and oil-sandpaper techniques; the evolution of the pedestal foot; the series Guardian, from the mid-2000s; marketing efforts and gallery recognition, including one-man show at Barry Friedman, Ltd., New York, NY; the imposter syndrome; acquisition of a piece by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York in the 1980s; acquisition of work by Jonathan Fairbanks at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; his dishwashing liquid formula for treating wood; experimentation with wave forms, including a bench for the for 20th anniversary of the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu; early artistic pioneers and influences, including James Prestini, Rude Osolnik, and Palmer Sharpless; the notion of value in art and in life; the importance of breakage, and the series Post-Nuclear of stitched vessels; collaboration with fiber artist Pat Hickman in the 1990s; retirement from stockbroker job in 1997 to become a woodturner full time and negative effect on artistic productivity; initial commissions, and the decision not to accept more of them; brief series Calabash; the happenstance nature of using wood as a medium; the importance of American woodturning for the international recognition of the movement; work he finds interesting, including that of Ron Gerton and Michael Bauermeister; a philosophy of continually trying new approaches or inventing unconventional approaches. He recalls David Ellsworth, Dale Nish, John Perreault, Hap Sakw, Albert LeCoff, Vladimir Ossipoff, Bob Stocksdale, and Jerry Glaser.

Biographical / Historical:

Ron Kent (1931- ) is a wood artist in Kailua, Hawaii.

General:

Originally recorded on 6 memory cards as 9 digital sound files. Duration is 5 hr., 18 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- Hawaii -- Interviews  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Identifier:

AAA.kent10

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-kent10

Creator:

De Forest, Roy, 1930-2007  Search this

Interviewer:

Matteson, Lynn Robert  Search this

Extent:

80 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2004 April 7-June 30

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Roy De Forest conducted 2004 April 7-June 30, by Lynn Robert Matteson, for the Archives of American Art, in Port Costa, California.

De Forest speaks of an early interest in painting and drawing; acceptance to California School of Fine Arts; his time spent in San Francisco; working at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; studying and teaching at Junior College in Yakima, California School of Fine Arts, San Francisco State, and the University of California, Davis; his relationship with other artists including Allan Stone, Allan Frumkin, Jim Newman; gallery shows at Dilexi Gallery, King Ubu Gallery, Six Gallery; time spent in the army; teaching at San Quentin State Prison; his opinions on and influence of Abstract Expressionism in his work; the influence of Paolo Uccello, Guieseppe Acrimboldo, and Piet Mondrian in his work; having a traveling show through the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City; West Coast versus East Coast artists; artists' interest in history of art; techniques in art; types of paint and motives of use, specifically between water-based paint over oil; paint technology; the durability of pieces as a result of using particular types of paint; art restoration; sculpture and frame constructions; the history of his casting period; pieces he was working on at the time of the interview; his work with tile and ceramics; his book, "Journey to the Canine Territory"; his period in scroll painting; references and iconography in his work and influences from previous artists, pieces, and periods; opinions on artists including Agnes Martin, Eva Hesse, Cy Twombly, and Joan Brown; poetical influences and his poetic preferences; Surrealist elements in pieces; his use of animals in paintings; philosophical influences; the influences of technology such as television and computers; his printmaking career; scale and size in his pieces; painting "streaks"; the creation of characters and figures in his paintings; the influence of travel on his art; the nature and attitude of contemporary artists; modern architecture and museum spaces; architects including Frank Gehry and Richard Meier; his hobbies of model creation and woodworking; and his perception of himself. De Forest recalls Hassel Smith, Richard Crozier, Robert Duncan, John Guttman, George Adams, Robert Arneson, Lucian Pompili, John Humphrey, Peter Saul, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Interviewee Roy De Forest (1930-2007) was a painter and sculptor from Port Costa, California. Interviewer Lynn Robert Matteson (1939- ) is an art historian from Santa Barbara, California.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound discs and 1 sound cassette. Reformatted in 2010 as 10 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 17 min.

Microphone was not working during last session, 2004 June 30. Interview equipment was replaced with an analog recorder and the sound for the last forty-five minutes is not as clear as the rest of the interview. It is difficult to hear the interviewer during this session.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Painting -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Painting -- Technique  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview provided by the Goldsmith Foundation.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.defore04

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-defore04

Interviewee:

Cummings, Frank E.  Search this

Interviewer:

Lauria, Jo  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Castle, Wendell, 1932-2018  Search this

Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this

Prestini, James, 1908-  Search this

Extent:

74 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2006 December 28-2007 January 5

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Frank E. Cummings, III conducted 2006 December 28 and 2007 January 5, by Jo Lauria, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in the artist's home, in Long Beach, California.

Cummings speaks of his childhood in Los Angeles and the challenges he faced in school; receiving a B.A. from California State University, Long Beach; working with troubled youth as a social worker with Neighborhood Youth Association; teaching at California State University, Long Beach while earning his M.F.A. at California State University, Fullerton through the Black Faculty Teaching Program; the invitation by Eudorah Moore to show in "California Design XI"; the importance of having his and his students' work published in Dona Meilach's book, "Creating Modern Furniture: Trends, Techniques, Appreciation"; the role of reflective surfaces in his work to capture the viewer's attention; using a diamond stylus to draw on glass; serving as the first M.F.A. graduate program coordinator at California State University, Long Beach; the development and creation of his famed clock, It's About Time, now in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; working as a gofer for Sam Maloof during a three day seminar at Yosemite National Park; receiving an invitation from Maloof to teach at Penland School of Crafts in Penland, North Carolina; his experiences at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Isle, Maine.; the consistent drive throughout his career to continue working, exhibiting, and publishing; his love of teaching; the honor of receiving the Outstanding Professor Award at California State University, Fullerton, in 1997; receiving a National Endowment of Arts grant in 1973 to spend two months in Ghana, Africa examining connections between the African American struggle for identity in the ghettoes of the United States and struggles faced in Africa; returning to various regions in Africa in 1981 at the request of the State Department to evaluate and help increase object making productivity in villages while exhibiting his art in museums throughout the continent; his deliberate selection of materials; the role race has played in his career; his reverence of nature; designing furniture for the set of the movie, "How Stella Got Her Groove Back;" the development and creative process of the Carousel series; finding inspiration in his wife, C.C.; and plans for the future. Cummings also recalls Raymond Hein, Thomas Ferreira, James Prestini, Wendell Castle, William Hunter, Edward Cooke, Gerald W.R. Ward, Kelly H. L'Ecuyer, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Frank E. Cummings III (1938- ) is a furniture maker and woodworker of Long Beach, California. Jo Lauria ( 1954- ) is a curator and art writer of Los Angeles, California.

General:

Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 4 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 28 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Woodworkers -- California  Search this

Topic:

Decorative arts  Search this

African American artists  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.cummin06

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-cummin06

Interviewee:

Carpenter, Arthur Espenet, 1920-2006  Search this

Interviewer:

Hanna, Kathleen, 1943-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

40 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2001 June 20-2001 September 4

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Arthur Espenet Carpenter conducted 2001 June 20-September 4, by Kathleen Hanna, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Carpenter's home and shop, in Bolinas, California.

Carpenter speaks of his childhood in Brooklyn, New York; his parents' divorce and moving to Oregon, going to high school there and then attending college at Dartmouth; studying economics as a fallback; spending four years in the Navy; seeing his first bowl by James Prestini, and a slide of Robert Maillart's bridges, which became inspiration for him; taking up the opportunities of the GI Bill to start up his own business in woodworking; using the money he made from the Navy, which he sent home to his father to invest, to buy his own acreage and build a house and workshop; the street fairs in San Francisco; how he gets design ideas from everywhere; being on the Bolinas school board while his children were in school; an apprentice of his, Tom d'Onofrio, and creating the Bolinas Craft Guild in 1972; his numerous other apprentices and "on lookers;" his first exhibition with the Renwick Museum, called, "Out of the Blue," which included other craftsmen, such as Sam Maloof, Wendell Castle, George Nakashima, and others; periodicals such as, "Fine Woodworking;" his big commissions including, the Mill Valley Library, in Marin County, California and the Mountain View Council Chamber in San Francisco; his techniques with wood; the difficulty for beginning craftspeople today; craft couples, including Gary and Sylvia Bennett and Sam and Freda Maloof; how he used exhibitions as advertising campaigns; what it was like to attend conferences on craft; the book he's working on; the where and when he began to include the name Espenet, from his grandmother's maiden name; the beginnings of a shop called Local Color at 1414 Grant Avenue; the Upper Grant Avenue Fair; and his two children. Carpenter also recalls Bob Stocksdale, Dr. John Kassay, Arthur Danto, John Kelsey, Delores Richards, Gretchen McAllister, Michael Stone, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Arthur Espenet Carpenter (1920-2006) was a wood worker from Bolinas, California. Kathleen Hanna (1943- ) is a ceramist and teacher at San Francisco State University, Petaluma, California.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hr., 35 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this

Furniture making -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Furniture making -- Study and teaching  Search this

Furniture -- Exhibitions  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.carpen01

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-carpen01

Interviewee:

Blunk, J. B., 1926-2002  Search this

Interviewer:

Adamson, Glenn  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

61 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2002 May 16

Scope and Contents:

An interview of J.B. Blunk conducted 2002 May 16, by Glenn Adamson, in Inverness, California, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Blunk speaks about his childhood in Kansas; his studies at UCLA; classes with ceramic artist Laura Andreson; Andreson taking her students to see an exhibition of Japanese potters; Japanese influence and his desire to go to Japan; his service in the United States Army during the Korean War and being stationed in Japan at the end of the war; meeting Isamu Noguchi for the first time at a Mingei ceramic shop; meeting potter Kitaoji Rosanjin through Noguchi's wife, Yoshiko; his apprenticeship with Rosanjin; wedging clay for Rosanjin; his living arrangements at Rosinjin's house; his work for potter Toyo Kaneshige and traveling with him to Bizen, Japan; Blunk's return to California; building a kiln; teaching pottery at a small art school near Santa Monica; meeting his wife and working with her at a children's camp; his work on a sheep ranch and making metal jewelry; his move to Inverness and the abundance of wood there; learning how to use a chain saw while constructing a roof for Gordon Onslow-Ford's home (designed by Warren Callister); the wood he sculpted for his own home; his travels in 1969 and 1970 to Mexico and Macchu Picchu; his bench, "Seating Sculpture, 1968-69," in the exhibition Objects: USA; his Redwood bench sculpture in the California Design exhibition at the Pasadena Art Museum; his exhibition at the Bolinas Museum; his method of making an arch sculpture out of cypress wood, including chiseling the wood with a gouge; his sculpture, "Six Stones," at Stanford University; his use of shoe dye to blacken his sculptures; the personality and tactile qualities in his work; sculpting wet wood; the difficulties of sculpting with eucalyptus and his fondness for redwood; his piece at the Tassajara Mountain Zen Center in Carmel Valley, California; a commission from the Orientation Center for the Blind, Albany, California; and the 1994 forest fire that threatened his house. Blunk also recalls Bruce Mitchell and Warren Callister.

Biographical / Historical:

J.B. Blunk (1926-2002) was a woodworker from Inverness, California.

General:

Originally recorded on 2 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 7 digital wav files. Duration is 3 hr., 34 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this

Ceramics -- Study and teaching  Search this

Woodwork -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Woodwork -- Technique  Search this

Sculptors -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.blunk02

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-blunk02

Interviewee:

Ben Tré, Howard, 1949-2020  Search this

Interviewer:

Shea, Josephine, 1958-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Appalachian Center for Craft  Search this

Brooklyn College -- Students  Search this

Brooklyn Technical High School (Brooklyn, New York, N.Y.)  Search this

Cristallerie Daum  Search this

Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery  Search this

Haystack Mountain School of Crafts -- Faculty  Search this

Missouri Valley College -- Students  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Pilchuck School  Search this

Portland State University -- Students  Search this

Rhode Island School of Design -- Students  Search this

Venceremos Brigade  Search this

Aycock, Alice  Search this

Brychtová, Jaroslava, 1924-  Search this

Chihuly, Dale, 1941-  Search this

Dailey, Dan, 1947-  Search this

Hampson, Ferdinand  Search this

LaMonte, Karen, 1967-  Search this

Labino, Dominick  Search this

Libenský, Stanislav, 1921-2002  Search this

Littleton, Harvey K.  Search this

Onorato, Ronald J.  Search this

Parker, Anthony  Search this

Polander, Steve  Search this

Scanga, Italo, 1932-2001  Search this

Extent:

63 Pages (Transcript)

3 Sound discs (Sound recording (4 hr., 3 min.), digital, 2 5/8 in.)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound discs

Interviews

Sound recordings

Place:

Cuba -- Description and Travel

Europe -- description and travel

Date:

2007 July 7

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Howard Ben Tré conducted 2007 July 7, by Josephine Shea, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, at the artist's studio, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

Ben Tré speaks of his childhood in Rockaway Park, New York; his Polish immigrant father who was a woodworker and artist; inheriting a particular aesthetic and sense of hard work from his father; attending Brooklyn Technical High School to play football but not graduating; moving to Marshall, Missouri to attend Missouri Valley College for one year; attending Brooklyn College; becoming involved in Students for a Democratic Society, the antiwar movement and civil rights movement of the 1960s; traveling to Cuba as part of the first Venceremos Brigade to cut sugarcane in 1969; meeting his first wife, Gay, in Cuba and returning to New York with her; organizing a food co-op and community events in Brooklyn; moving to Portland, Oregon; working in construction for the city before going back to school to study veterinarian medicine at Portland State University; discovering the glass studio in a garage at Portland State; meeting Dale Chihuly and working at Pilchuck Glass School; utilizing the foundry skills learned from Brooklyn Technical High to work with glass in casting and cope and drag methods; his series Burial Boxes and the influence of ancient architecture and ceremonial Chinese bronzes; the rise of the studio glass movement as symptomatic of socio-political-economic times, not just the pioneering efforts of Harvey Littleton and Dominic Labino; traveling throughout Europe with Gay; visiting Stanislav Libenský and Jaraslava Brychtová in Czechoslovakia; visiting Dan Dailey at Cristallerie Daum in France; attending Rhode Island School of Design [RISD]; his first show at Hadler/Rodriguez Gallery in 1980; teaching experiences at Haystack Mountain School of Craft and Appalachian Center for Craft; building and installing an oven at Blenko Glass in Milton, West Virginia and at Super Glass in Brooklyn; working with Mold Melted Glass Studio in Pelechov, Czech Republic; the history of glass and early glass-working techniques; his many commissions, including sited public projects such as Post Office Square in Boston; the adoption of his name, Ben Tré; return visits to Cuba; working with RISD to create a winter study session in Havana; and his view of artists as artists, not defined by medium. Ben Tré also recalls Anthony Parker, Italo Scanga, Ron Onorato, Alice Aycock, Ferdinand Hampson, Steven Polander, Karen LaMonte, among others.

Biographical / Historical:

Howard Ben Tré (1949- 2020) was a glass artist from Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Josephine Shea is a curator from Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan.

General:

Originally recorded 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 3 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Occupation:

Glass artists  Search this

Topic:

Art commissions  Search this

Civil rights -- United States  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Glass art -- Technique  Search this

Peace movements  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews

Sound recordings

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.bentre07

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-bentre07

Interviewee:

Anderson, Edgar, approximately 1922-  Search this

Interviewer:

Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this

Fallingwater (Pa.)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Philadelphia College of Art -- Faculty  Search this

Pratt Institute -- Students  Search this

Taliesin Fellowship  Search this

Woodstock School of Painting  Search this

Anderson, Joyce, 1925-  Search this

Eco, Umberto  Search this

Grotta, Lou  Search this

Grotta, Sandra  Search this

Hornbostel, Caleb  Search this

Johnson, Philip, 1906-2005  Search this

Kelsey, John, 1946-  Search this

Meier, Richard, 1934-  Search this

Rand, Ayn  Search this

Roman, Paul  Search this

Slivka, Rose  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Sperber, Robert  Search this

Wright, Frank Lloyd, 1867-1959  Search this

Extent:

78 Pages (Transcript)

24 Items (Sound recording: 24 sound files (5 hr., 52 min.), digital wav)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Place:

Liberty State Park (Jersey City, N.J.)

Date:

2002 September 17-19

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Edgar Anderson conducted 2002 September 17-19, by Donna Gold, in Morristown, New Jersey, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Anderson describes his philosophy of nature, and the genetic affinities between trees and humans. He discusses childhood in Jersey City, New Jersey; his parents; his grandfather, who was a bookbinder and leather craftsman; and other influences from his childhood, including his uncles and the Stickley family's Craftsman Farms. He recalls that his mother was an accomplished painter and amateur architect; his father was responsible for constructing the foundations for the Chrysler Building. He describes his early admiration for Frank Lloyd Wright, and a meeting with Wright to inquire about the Taliesin Fellowship. Anderson did not join the Fellowship. He briefly discusses Ayn Rand and The Fountainhead. He recalls his architectural studies at Pratt Institute, including a structural investigation of Wright's Fallingwater house, and studying architectural rendering with Caleb Hornbostel. He describes his service during World War II, serving in Italy as a platoon commander for the Army Engineers. He talks about meeting his wife, Joyce, and the genesis of their working partnership. After the war, he and Joyce studied at Pratt under Philip Johnson; he recalls his student projects and the continuing influence of Frank Lloyd Wright. He also studied at Chicago Technical College. He recalls his apprenticeship building boats with his uncle. He describes, in technical detail, the early years of the practice, including a discussion of his wood supplier, the Monteath Company. He comments at length on his personal creative process, which includes elliptical references to a wide variety of sources, including Umberto Eco and the film 2001. He describes several projects for Lou and Sandy Grotta, including an anthropomorphic grandfather clock in the shape of a hand and wristwatch, an illusionary headboard, and the Knight table. He also comments on the Grotta house, designed by Richard Meier. He briefly mentions the editorial strategy of American Craft, and later Craft Horizon, and his relationships with editors such as John Kelsey, Paul Roman, and Rose Slivka. He mentions having taught at Philadelphia College of Art. He recalls racing in a demolition derby. He discusses his attitude towards criticism, mentioning Paul Smith, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, at length. He briefly describes his design for a 9/11 memorial at Liberty State Park and the political character of his work. He also reflects on his work relative to the culture at large. He talks about new technologies and new tools, and the evolution of the partnership. He describes his involvement in the craft community at Peters Valley, New Jersey. He comments at length on his apprentice Rob Sperber, and their development of the chainsaw mill.

Biographical / Historical:

Edgar Anderson (1922- ) is a woodworker from Morristown, New Jersey. Donna Gold (1953- ) is an art writer from Stockton Springs, Maine.

General:

Originally recorded 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 24 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 52 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Art -- Political aspects  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001  Search this

Woodwork -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Woodwork -- Technique  Search this

Woodworkers -- New Jersey -- Interviews.  Search this

World War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- Italy  Search this

Function:

Memorials

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.anders02

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-anders02

Interviewee:

Anderson, Edgar, approximately 1922-  Search this

Anderson, Joyce, 1925-  Search this

Interviewer:

Gold, Donna, 1953-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

American Craft Council  Search this

American Crafts Council. Museum of Contemporary Crafts  Search this

Chilton Professional Automotive (Firm)  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

United States. Agency for International Development  Search this

Campbell, David Robert, 1907-1963  Search this

Cooke, Edward S., 1954-  Search this

Grotta, Lou  Search this

Grotta, Sandra  Search this

Larsen, Jack Lenor, 1927-2020  Search this

Malarcher, Patricia  Search this

Maloof, Sam  Search this

McPhee, John, 1931-  Search this

Meier, Richard, 1934-  Search this

Milan, Emil, 1922-1985  Search this

Smith, Paul J., 1931-  Search this

Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this

Takaezu, Toshiko  Search this

Tibbs, Thomas S., 1917-2002  Search this

Webb, Aileen O.  Search this

Wegner, Hans J., 1914-  Search this

Wirkkala, Tapio, 1915-1985  Search this

Wyman, William, 1922-1980  Search this

Extent:

143 Pages (Transcript)

34 Items (Sound recording: 34 sound files (5 hr., 56 min.), digital, wav)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Place:

World Trade Center Site (New York, N.Y.)

Honduras -- Description and Travel

Date:

2002 September 17-19

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Edgar and Joyce Anderson conducted 2002 September 17-19, by Donna Gold, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Morristown, New Jersey.

The interview begins in the home of their frequent patrons, Sandra and Lou Grotta, in Harding Township, New Jersey. The Grottas are not present. They discuss several of their pieces in situ, including tables, beds, a piano bench, the grandfather clock (carved in the shape of Edgar's arm wearing a wristwatch), and the Knight table. Many of these pieces are discussed in detail in terms of their design and construction. They also allude briefly to other pieces in the Grotta's collection by Toshiko Takaezu, Hans Wegner, Bill Wyman, Sam Maloof, and Bob Stocksdale. The Grotta's house, designed by architect Richard Meier, is also discussed. Edgar recalls that Meier designed the house to accommodate the collection. They also talk about the Grotta's participation in the American Craft Council, and the relationship among collectors. The interview continues at the artists' home Harding Township, New Jersey. They discuss several projects for other clients, and they reflect on the relationships that developed. These include: a gaming table for Doug Dayton of Monteath Lumber Company, a jewelry chest for Thelma Newman, collaboration with Newman on a book for Chilton Publishing Company (not published), and a figural chest for Mako Stewart, which is still in the artists' private collection. They reflect on their private and professional partnership and the balance of skills they shared. They recall that their early success was bolstered by a New York Times article by Betty Pepis. This publicity led to new clients, such as Reverend John Mason of the Episcopal Chapel at the University of Maine, who is discussed in detail along with his wife Elizabeth Mason. They explain their expertise in humidity and wood shrinkage, including their work as consultants for the Museum of Contemporary Crafts, before it became the American Craft Museum. There is lengthy discussion of the Andersons' own house, which they designed and built themselves over a period of years. Frank Lloyd Wright was an influence. They discuss other church commissions in general, speaking of the influence of their spirituality. St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Haworth, New Jersey, is discussed in some detail. Edgar briefly talks about a local World Trade Center memorial which he has been working on. They recall the importance of the support of the American Craft Museum, Aileen Osborne (Vanderbilt) Webb, and David Campbell. They discuss in depth their time in Honduras, under the sponsorship of the USAID program, teaching craft techniques to local inhabitants. Joyce describes this as a Kennedy era demonstration program. Other participants in the Honduras program included Dave Chapman, Roy Ginstrom, Bill Wyman, and Emil Milan. They also recall participating in a similar program in Antigua. They also recall Herb and Marje Noyes, Ruth Martin, Patricia Malarcher, John Geraci, Mike Langan, Bob and Rowena MacPhail, Sterling North, Zelda Strecker, Paul Smith, Tom Tibbs, Walker Weed, Lois Moran, Toshiko Takaezu, Tapio Wirkkala, Jack Lenor Larsen, Edward Cooke, Michael Stone, John McPhee, and Dot Blanchard.

Biographical / Historical:

Edgar Anderson (1922- ) and Joyce Anderson (1923- ) are woodworkers from Morristown, New Jersey.

General:

Originally recorded 5 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 34 digital wav files. Duration is 5 hr., 56 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Topic:

Woodworkers -- New Jersey -- Interviews.  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.anders02a

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-anders02a

Interviewee:

Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this

Interviewer:

Mayfield, Signe  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Extent:

52 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2001 February 16-March 21

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Bob Stocksdale conducted 2001 February 16-March 21, by Signe Mayfield, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Berkeley, California.

Stocksdale speaks of his childhood growing up on a rural farm and learning from watching and experiencing; his early education in a one room schoolhouse; how he learned to whittle as a child; buying his first lathe for twenty-seven dollars and fifty cents; his job at a furniture factory called Caswell Runyan Factory; life through the depression; joining the Conscientious Objector's camp during World War II; working for the Civilian [Citizen's] Conservation Corps; his acquaintance with Helen Weinnemore, the director of Winnemore's Arts and Crafts in Columbus, Ohio; how he received wood while in the CO camp; his visits to museums in the city; his trend of signing and dating his bowls; becoming a member of the International Wood Collector's Society; developing tools with Jerry Glaser; two stores he sold items at, Gump's in San Francisco and Fraser's in Berkeley; different collectors including Bob Anderson, who he considers a legend; his exhibitions and how they have evolved; his travels to England with Kay his wife; the difficulty in establishing a price for his bowls; the change in American craft throughout his lifetime; the many types of wood he uses, which come from all over the world; the importance of wood as a means of expression; his first date with Kay and her influence upon his work; different curators he's worked with; the pieces he has within his home; and his current exhibition Bob Stocksdale: Eighty-Eight Turnings at the Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco. Stocksdale also recalls Fran McKinnon, Forrest Merrill, Walker Weed, David Pye, James Prestini, David Ellsworth, Art Carpenter, Griff Okie, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

Bob Stocksdale (1913-2003) was a woodworker from Berkeley, California. Signe Mayfield (1942-) is a curator at the Palo Alto Cultural Center in Palo Alto, California.

General:

Originally recorded on 6 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 41 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Topic:

Conscientious objectors -- World War, 1939-1945  Search this

Turning -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Turning -- Technique  Search this

Woodworkers -- California -- Berkeley -- Interviews  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.stocks01

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-stocks01

Interviewee:

Moulthrop, Ed, 1916-2003  Search this

Interviewer:

Douglas, Mary F., 1956-  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Georgia Designer-Craftsmen  Search this

Georgia Institute of Technology -- Faculty  Search this

Library of Congress -- Buildings.  Search this

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Princeton University -- Students  Search this

Western Reserve University -- Students  Search this

Chappell, Jerry  Search this

Noffke, Gary  Search this

Ruffner, Ginny  Search this

Schreckengost, Viktor, 1906-2008  Search this

Stocksdale, Bob, 1913-2003  Search this

Extent:

39 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2001 April 2-3

Scope and Contents:

An interview of Ed Moulthrop conducted 2001 April 2-3, by Mary Douglas, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Moulthrop's home and studio, Atlanta, Georgia.

Moulthrop speaks of his childhood in Cleveland; his introduction to woodcarving at age 8; buying his first wood lathe in 1932 at age 16; studying architecture at Western Reserve University and sculpture with Victor Schreckengost; his architecture studies in graduate school at Princeton University; the rejection of crafts or "handmade things" in the 1930s; the use of craft in architecture; the beginning of the craft movement in 1965; the government invention of polyethylene glycol which allowed wood to dry without cracking; his process of soaking wood in polyethylene glycol; teaching architecture at Georgia Tech for ten years; his work with architectural firms in Atlanta and designing an addition to the Library of Congress; selling his first pieces at The Signature Shop & Gallery, in Atlanta, in 1970; the progression of the craft movement from clay, to glass, metal, then wood; the importance of the Albert LeCoff woodturning shop in Philadelphia and conferences sponsored by Coff in the mid-1970s; his full-time pursuit of woodturning in 1975; craft exhibitions at the Mint Museum, High Museum, and American Craft Museum; his exhibitions at Arrowmont; teaching woodturning to his son Philip; his scholarship to make watercolors at Fontainbleu; and his interest in design over technique. He also talks about the work of Bob Stocksdale; the qualities of different woods; major woodturning exhibitions at DIA, the Connell Gallery in Atlanta, and of the Mason collection; the necessity of dealers; galleries including The Hand and The Spirit, Heller Gallery, Gumps, and The Signature Shop & Gallery in Atlanta; woodturning as an American craft movement; the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright, Alvar Aalto, Frank Gehry; and the Greene Brothers; the strengths and limitations of wood; commissions for museums and corporations; his preference for ellipsoids (squashed spheres) and other shapes; his search for unusual woods, such as American Chestnut, Yellowwood, American Mahogany, and Box Elder; making his own tools and lathe; developing his own polish; his involvement with the Georgia Designer-Craftsmen with Jerry Chappell, Gary Noffke, and Ginny Ruffner; and his invention of the "Saturn Bowl" (a bowl with rings).

Biographical / Historical:

Ed Moulthrop (1916-2003) is a wood turner from Atlanta, Georgia. Mary Douglas (1956- ) is the curator at the Mint Museum of Craft and Design in Charlotte, N.C.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound cassettes. Reformatted in 2010 as 5 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 39 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Topic:

Architecture -- Study and teaching  Search this

Sculpture -- Study and teaching  Search this

Woodworkers -- Georgia -- Interviews.  Search this

Turning  Search this

Turning -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Turning -- Technique  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.moulth01

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-moulth01

Interviewee:

Krenov, James  Search this

Interviewer:

Fitzgerald, Oscar P.  Search this

Creator:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Names:

Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America  Search this

Rochester Institute of Technology -- Faculty  Search this

Woodstock School of Painting  Search this

Extent:

38 Pages (Transcript)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Pages

Sound recordings

Interviews

Date:

2004 August 12-13

Scope and Contents:

An interview of James Krenov conducted 2004 August 12-13, by Oscar Fitzgerald, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Fort Bragg, California.

Krenov speaks of immigrating to the United States; making things as a child; learning woodworking from Carl Malmsten; teaching workshops in England, Japan, and New Zealand; working as a cabinetmaker in Sweden; teaching at Rochester Institute of Technology; writing books on woodworking, including, "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook"; helping to found the Program in Artisanry at Boston University; teaching at the College of the Redwoods; using veneers; his teaching method; choosing the appropriate wood; the process of designing his pieces; choosing tools, and his opinion on computerized machinery; his favorite pieces; receiving awards; working for pleasure and working on commission; making joinery; pricing his work; choosing not to work with galleries; and his predictions for the future of woodworking. Krenov also recalls Soetsu Yanagi, Craig McArt, Wendell Castle, John Makepeace, Lois Moran, Yong Chen, and others.

Biographical / Historical:

James Krenov (1920-2009) was a woodworker of Fort Bragg, California. Oscar Fitzgerald is a writer and historian from Alexandria, Virginia.

General:

Originally recorded on 3 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 14 digital wav files. Duration is 2 hrs., 42 min.

Provenance:

This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.

Restrictions:

Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.

Occupation:

Cabinetmakers -- California -- Interviews  Search this

Topic:

Woodworkers -- California -- Interviews.  Search this

Woodwork -- Equipment and supplies  Search this

Woodwork -- Technique  Search this

Decorative arts  Search this

Genre/Form:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Sponsor:

Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America.

Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.

Identifier:

AAA.krenov04

Archival Repository:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-aaa-krenov04

Culture/People:

possibly Woodland Tradition (archaeological culture) (attributed)  Search this

Possible owner:

Robert A. Kercher (Robert Alvin Kercher), Non-Indian, 1919-2009  Search this

Donald O. Boudeman, Non-Indian, 1881-1949  Search this

Bernard F. Gabringer (B. F. Gabringer), Non-Indian, 1890-1988  Search this

Previous owner:

Dr. Edgar Burke, Non-Indian, 1889-1950  Search this

Donor:

Minnie M. Schwab (Mathilde "Tilita" Burke Bradbury Schwab/Mrs. Robert H. Schwab), Non-Indian, 1891-1970  Search this

Alicita B. Lee (Mrs. Frederick S. Lee/Mrs. F. S. Lee), Non-Indian, 1903-1992  Search this

Object Name:

Celt

Media/Materials:

Stone

Techniques:

Ground

Object Type:

Woodworking tools

Place:

Harford County; Maryland; USA

Date created:

1000 BC–AD 1600 (Early to Late Woodland period)

Catalog Number:

22/408

Barcode:

220408.000

See related items:

Woodland Tradition (archaeological culture)

Woodworking tools

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws68576c09b-b4f4-45a6-8634-0c1b131ccf00

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_235286

Culture/People:

probably Late Woodland Tradition (archaeological culture) (attributed)  Search this

Expedition leader:

Alanson B. Skinner (A. B. Skinner/Alanson Buck Skinner), Non-Indian, 1886-1925  Search this

Expedition sponsor:

Samuel Riker, Jr., Non-Indian, 1868-1936  Search this

Object Name:

Celt

Media/Materials:

Stone

Techniques:

Pecked, ground

Dimensions:

5.90 x 4.80 x 1.00 cm

Object Type:

Woodworking tools

Place:

Pit 3; Clason Point site (Snakapins), Soundview and Leland Avenues; New York City, Bronx, Clason Point; Bronx County; New York; USA

Date created:

AD 1300-1600

Catalog Number:

8/6861

Barcode:

086861.000

See related items:

Late Woodland Tradition (archaeological culture)

Woodworking tools

On View:

NMAI, New York, NY: Native New York, Manhatta (Ex08)

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6eeb649c4-eb39-470e-8657-ab1b82b99ded

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_93866

Culture/People:

probably Chonnonton (Neutral/Attawandaron) (archaeological) (attributed)  Search this

Possible owner:

William Clement Bryant (William C. Bryant), Non-Indian, 1830-1898  Search this

Previous owner:

William Letchworth Bryant (William L. Bryant), Non-Indian, 1871-1947  Search this

Seller:

William Letchworth Bryant (William L. Bryant), Non-Indian, 1871-1947  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Harmon W. Hendricks (Harmon Washington Hendricks), Non-Indian, 1846-1928  Search this

Object Name:

Gouge (Image withheld)

Media/Materials:

Stone

Techniques:

Ground

Object Type:

Woodworking tools

Place:

Point Abino; Niagara Regional Municipality; Ontario; Canada

Date created:

probably AD 1575–1650

Catalog Number:

10/3731

Barcode:

103731.000

See related items:

Chonnonton (Neutral/Attawandaron) (archaeological)

Woodworking tools

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws67c64b789-6843-420f-a0f5-15596ad70441

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_112125

Culture/People:

probably Multiple archaeological cultures (attributed), including Archaic and Woodland Traditions  Search this

Possible owner:

William Clement Bryant (William C. Bryant), Non-Indian, 1830-1898  Search this

Previous owner:

William Letchworth Bryant (William L. Bryant), Non-Indian, 1871-1947  Search this

Seller:

William Letchworth Bryant (William L. Bryant), Non-Indian, 1871-1947  Search this

Presenter/funding source:

Harmon W. Hendricks (Harmon Washington Hendricks), Non-Indian, 1846-1928  Search this

Object Name:

Celt

Media/Materials:

Stone

Techniques:

Flaked/chipped, ground

Object Type:

Woodworking tools

Place:

Fort Erie; Niagara Regional Municipality; Ontario; Canada

Date created:

6000 BC–AD 500 (Middle Archaic to Middle Woodland period)

Catalog Number:

10/3694

Barcode:

103694.000

See related items:

Multiple archaeological cultures

Woodworking tools

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws6a20df0a9-5d87-43b2-8c5d-3606dd74402d

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_112088

Culture/People:

possibly Woodland Tradition (archaeological culture) (attributed)  Search this

Possible owner:

Robert A. Kercher (Robert Alvin Kercher), Non-Indian, 1919-2009  Search this

Donald O. Boudeman, Non-Indian, 1881-1949  Search this

Bernard F. Gabringer (B. F. Gabringer), Non-Indian, 1890-1988  Search this

Previous owner:

Dr. Edgar Burke, Non-Indian, 1889-1950  Search this

Donor:

Minnie M. Schwab (Mathilde "Tilita" Burke Bradbury Schwab/Mrs. Robert H. Schwab), Non-Indian, 1891-1970  Search this

Alicita B. Lee (Mrs. Frederick S. Lee/Mrs. F. S. Lee), Non-Indian, 1903-1992  Search this

Object Name:

Celt

Media/Materials:

Stone

Techniques:

Ground

Object Type:

Woodworking tools

Place:

Dryden; Lee County; Virginia; USA

Date created:

1000 BC–AD 1600 (Early to Late Woodland period)

Catalog Number:

22/253

Barcode:

220253.000

See related items:

Woodland Tradition (archaeological culture)

Woodworking tools

Data Source:

National Museum of the American Indian

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ws647dc8799-dbb2-49bd-928f-8d9a60d8e1e5

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:NMAI_234961