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1.TINSMITHING I
June 9-13 (5 Days) Limit 8 Students Fee: $440.00
An introduction to the art of tinning designed to provide a basic working knowledge of the late 18th & early 19th century tinning tools, construction techniques & pattern layout. The history of American tinning is covered. Students construct several pieces of tin ware based on traditional designs, using period tools & methods.
William McMillen, Master Tinsmith, Glenmont NY
2. HISTORIC WINDOW RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION
June 16-17 (2 Days) Limit 10 Students Fee: $ 275.00
This program familiarizes participants with all the varied equipment, techniques & materials available today to preserve & restore historic windows. Topics covered include planning & organizing the job; lead safe work practices; finish removal; glass replacement; wood repair and weather stripping techniques. The safe use of chemical strippers & the more recent use of steam stripping for both finish & glaze removal are investigated. Appropriate wood repairs, many types of weather stripping, Dutchmen, replacement, epoxy consolidation & filling are discussed. Thomas Kronenberger, Jr., President, Kronenberger and Sons Restoration, Inc., Meriden CT
3. SLIP DECORATION ON ORNAMENTAL AND UTILITARIAN EARTHENWARE-1650-1850
June 27-29 (3 days) Limit None Fee: $465.00
One of the most common & beautiful forms of decoration found on British pots from the 17th century to the mid-19th century is produced with a variety of techniques which all involve the use of slip. From utilitarian dishes to the most elaborate ornamental vases, from simple thrown shapes to the most complicated engine turned forms; the manipulation of this thin layer of liquefied, colored clays turns monochromatic wares into a dazzling array of folk art & a semblance of semi-precious stones. Over the centuries, British potters refined the techniques of slip decoration into a highly technical, often remarkably informal & fanciful art form. We examine both the development of these techniques as well as the products of these potters over several centuries through lectures, investigating original objects, & demonstrations by practical potters.
As always, there is large display of production shards from a number of British sites & whole objects to examine during the program. Participants are encouraged to bring interesting examples of early ceramics to share.
Lectures & demonstrations include:
- “The Best is Not Too Good For You”: English Slip-decorated Earthenware: Leslie B. Grigsby, Curator of Ceramics& Glass at Winterthur Museum in Delaware, has published widely on English ceramics and has a deep affection for the bold shapes and ornament peculiar to 17th- and 18th-century English slipware. In her talk, Grigsby discusses manufacturing techniques, the regionality of slipware in England and, via archaeological evidence, importation of such wares into colonial America.
- Slipware Making in North Devon Excavations in Barnstaple & Bideford have produced much evidence of the slipware made there in the 17th century. These include the substantial remains of three kilns. The pottery is well known on both sides of the Atlantic having been widely distributed throughout the West Country, the Caribbean & along the eastern seaboard of the United States. A rich ceramic tradition has led to a resurgence of interest in the 19th and 20th centuries. Oliver Kent is a Bristol, England-based ceramic historian & lecturer with a particular interest in the making & firing technology of early earthenwares. Bristol UK
- "Slipware from Alexandria: The Archaeological Evidence” Archaeologists have collected a vast quantity & variety of slipware in more than forty years of excavation in Alexandria VA. This includes locally made earthenware & stoneware, English & American earthenware, & English diptwares. Potter Henry Piercy & his contemporaries produced Philadelphia-style slipware in Alexandria from 1792 until about 1810. Before that time, Alexandria’s kitchens used slipware imported from England & from other American ports. Alexandria’s tables were set with English creamware, pearlware & other whiteware, including colorful diptwares. We examine slipware from the collection of the Alexandria Archaeology Museum, excavated from sites where it was manufactured, sold, & used. Barbara Magid, Assistant Director, Alexandria Archeology, Alexandria, Va.
- Techniques of Slip Decoration. A working demonstration of a variety of complementary forming & decorating techniques in the production of traditional redware & salt-glazed stoneware pieces. Questions are welcome as fresh wares emerge from the potter's wheel. Jan presents her care & skill in applying trailed decoration. Jonathan & Jan Wright, proprietors of Crocker & Springer, Ltd., Elsah IL
- German Stoneware & Earthenware: Their influences on American Ceramics: Somewhat surprisingly, it is rare that direct comparisons between “German” ceramics & the American wares influenced by them are examined. Leslie Grigsby identifies some particularly strong design links between the earthenware (especially slipware) & stoneware of the two countries.
- Slipware and its Influence on Long Island Pottery. This lecture is based on shards excavated at the Suydam house in Centerport Long Island, collections at the Huntington Historical Society, the Greenlawn Centerport Historical Society & several private collections. Trying to make sense of the changing use of slip & how its adaptations revolved around the changing market. Anthony Butera, author, collector & independent scholar, Huntington LI NY.
- 18th century American Redware: Lecture illustrates the differences between 18th & 19th century redware. Using images of extant examples, as well as shards from various sites, we explore the differences between both periods; what it looked like, & where it was made, both in New England & Pennsylvania. Sam Herrup has been a dealer in American furniture & ceramics for over 35 years. He brings some of his personal collection of American redware.
- Recent Dipped Ware Discoveries: Details, Details, Details: When he published his book in 2006, Jonathan Rickard knew that further evidence in the form of marked examples & archaeological discoveries would emerge. As David Barker wrote in the book's foreword, it was being published "at a time when the subject was moving forward at a great pace". Indeed, new information that eluded the author is included in his lecture along with a study of extreme details that in time, may provide further conclusions. Jonathan Rickard, graphic designer & author of Mocha and Related Dipped Wares, 1770-1939
4. TINSMITHING II
July 7-11 (5 days) Limit 8 students Fee: $475.00
Course is designed for those who already have experience & a good basic knowledge of construction methods as well as the use of standard tin tools. Students have access to a large collection of tin sconces, lanterns, chandeliers, candle sticks, crooked spout coffee pots, roasting kitchens, etc. which they are invited to examine, measure & copy with the expert help of the instructor. All tools & tin are supplied for the workshop but participants are encouraged to bring examples of tin ware & tools for examination, discussion & use.
William McMillen, Master Tinsmith, Glenmont NY
5. THE GREEK REVIVAL HOUSE IN AMERICA: 1830-1865
August 11-13 (3days) Limit none Fee: $435.00
The Greek Revival Period in America was a major rethinking of our love for classical architecture that reflected the spirit of this new nation. The more delicate Roman designs copied from the remains of ancient buildings in the early 19th century were replaced with much bolder statements found amongst Greek ruins. The new & fashionable homes of this period were created on a larger scale & were known for their robust moldings, massive columns & projecting cornices. Both architecture & furniture were richly colored & patterned. Growing commerce & advances in technology allowed a greater number of Americans to share in this explosion of “TASTE” as well as increased domestic comforts. Factory made furnishings, newly patented lighting devices, heating systems, & advances in alternative materials such as cast iron, metal roofing, & machine-made millwork all changed the shape & methods of construction from then on.
Lectures include:
- The Spirit of a New Nation: The ideals of America in Society, Art, Architecture, & Furnishings
This lecture focuses on the variety of influences, which contributed to the development of what became known as “The National Style.” We examine political, historical, literary, religious, social & other movements/trends/influences that helped create a remarkably coherent and long-lasting style available to rich and poor alike.
J.P. Maney, author, collector, & independent scholar, Cooperstown, NY
- The Development of the Greek Style in American Furnishings: American furnishings evolved in concert with Greek Revival architecture but with greater variation. The classical forms revived by French & English furniture designers in the early 19th century began to merge by the 1830s. The new simpler & massive proportions fit both Greek Revival architecture & the needs of the growing American middle class in furnishings. Ironically, the expanded knowledge of history also inspired interest in other historical periods & by the 1840s, furniture was made with reference not only to the Greek, but also to Gothic & Rococo design. This aesthetic was followed from high style to mass-produced to local vernacular furniture. The same evolution is seen in ceramics, silver, glass & textiles.
Dr. Gilbert Vincent, consultant in American art, architecture & decorative arts, past president of the NY State Historical Association & The Farmers' Museum, Cooperstown NY
- The Emergence of Domestic Technology in the Greek Revival Home: The impact of the emerging industrial revolution affected not only construction technology, but also hastened improvements in domestic convenience & comfort within the American home. These improvements in many instances led to new conceptions of internal arrangement & room use & changed the concepts of heating, plumbing & cooking.
John I Mesick, Restoration Architect & Partner; Jeff Baker, Restoration Architect & Partner, and Eric Gradoia, Restoration craftsman & architectural historian, all are with Mesick, Cohen, Wilson, Baker Architects, Albany NY
- Lighting the Greek Interior, A discussion & practical burning display of lighting devices available to everyday Americans during the Greek Revival period. Demonstration includes a wide variety of patented lamps & the chance to see a rare version of an Argand lamp made entirely of glass allowing viewers to see the entire workings of one of these lamps, including the flow of oil to the burning mechanism.
Joel Paradis, indepent scholar & proprietor of JP Tinsmith, Westmoreland NY
- “There Is, In Some Sort, A Taste for Decoration Even Here” (Charles Dickens ‘American Notes’) Traditional interior decoration of Greek Revival homes often stresses the dominance of Classical Greek motifs. It is common to find documentary evidence for a wide range of decorative styles within Greek Revival houses. This trend is particularly manifested as the Greek Revival style spread westward & continued into the 1850s, overlapping with the Gothic, Elizabethan & Italian Renaissance revivals. Elements of the ‘latest fashion’ were often brought into homes of purely Greek architectural style. This presentation reviews eclecticism during the Greek Revival period looking at pattern design, trade practices & restored rooms in context with period architecture.
John Burrows, historic-design merchant, historian & owner of John Burrows & Co., Roxbury MA
- Modest Grecian Interiors, 1820-1860 A discussion of the décor of ordinary Greek Revival houses & strategies for recreating it. Grecian interiors combined familiar neo-classical principles with entirely new color schemes, technology, decorative materials, proportion, & arrangement. The mix perfectly suited the countless modest dwellings that are the Greek Revival’s most visible legacy.
Jean Dunbar, Historic Design Inc. Lexington, VA
- Wallpapers in the Greek Revival House, Chris Ohrstrom, expert in the reproduction & design of historic wallpapers & owner of Adelphi Wallpapers, Sharon Springs NY
- “God is in the Details” Working from a large collection of period architectural details, the speakers discuss the actual materials used in construction of Greek Revival houses & compare the changes made to them due to new technologies. Hardware, moldings, roofing materials, framing techniques, siding, fireplaces, ovens, windows, etc. are available for inspection.
William Mc Millen & Don Carpentier
- Textiles in Greek Revival Interiors, Just as Americans expressed their patriotic allegiance to a new democracy by embracing the Greek Revival style in architecture, they also expressed their allegiance to things Greek by adopting new modes of decorating. There were great changes in textiles used in American interiors during this era in both vernacular & high style households; the sheer volume of textiles increased greatly. Because of the changes in technology, the average American consumer who hungered after the more elaborate, new styles was able to choose from a wider variety of patterns & fabrics without having to produce goods at home. Rabbit Goody, textile historian &owner of Thistle Hill Weavers, Cherry Valley NY
- “An Artful Imitation of Nature”: The American Home Garden, 1830 – 1865
While its art respected English order and classical traditions, the new home garden aesthetic expressed a romantic energy derived from an imitation of the natural world. Like the house it framed, a garden reflected the family’s refinement, morality and good taste. The domestic landscape became an extension of the home expanding beyond the purely utilitarian kitchen garden to incorporate ornamental gardens, trees, shrubs, lawns & garden furnishings – a setting for healthful recreation. Economic, technological & social changes enabled & encouraged home gardeners. Improved home heating, larger windows, & even greenhouses and conservatories set the stage for elaborate indoor gardens. Explorers, seedsmen &nurseries introduced new species and cultivars to furnish both garden and parlor.
Christie Higginbottom, research historian, specializing in horticulture & landscape, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge MA
There is a special session held on Monday evening which involves the lighting of an array of historic lighting devices one at a time to observe how colors, patterns & architectural features actually appeared under period illumination. This evening session is preceded by a dinner at the Briggs Tavern, included as part of the workshop & prepared by chef Chip Leis, a specialist in open hearth cooking. This exercise shows the reasons that bright period finishes & colors, while often seeming gaudy to the 21st century eye, were in fact necessary in order to be seen in the presence of early lighting.
6. TRADITIONAL WOODCARVING FOR BEGINNERS
Aug. 18-20 (3days) Limit 6 students Fee: $425.00
Using the same tools & techniques as Early American woodcarvers, students learn the basics of hand carving in wood. The workshop focuses on step-by-step work process & includes tools, materials, techniques, designs & historical sources. After covering the uses of different tools & how to sharpen them, each student progresses through the steps of carving a typical 18-19th century bas-relief design, from layout to final details & finishing. Class is taught through demonstration & individual hands-on instruction in a relaxed atmosphere.
Deborah Mills, Brooklyn-based custom woodcarver with over 17 years of professional experience designing & carving decorative ornament.
7. FIREPLACE AND OVEN BUILDING
August 25-29 (5 Days) Limit 8 Students Fee: $495.00
This course is designed specifically to teach participants to construct, restore & reproduce fireplaces & ovens from the period 1780-1840. It includes in-depth information on masonry techniques & the proper materials to be used. Working in groups of two, participants build complete fireplaces & oven units. A large selection of original fireplace & oven hardware & fittings are available for examination.
William Mc Millen, Don Carpentier & John Mc Millen, restoration specialist & mason, Staten Island, NY
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Historic
Eastfield
FoundationsPreserving
historic trades
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