At one time woodworking was one of the most common crafts of the American South. All aspects of carpentry and carving, including the selection of wood, were traditions passed from parent to child. Woodworking was an essential skill in rural South Carolina. Before rail transportation, inland residents had little access to imported wares. Local craftsmen made most of the basic furniture and household items – bureaus, chests, tables, chairs, utensils, mixing bowls, benches – the variety is endless. Vernacular furniture was often hand-hewn from native woods. Carved items used for hunting include bird decoys and bird calls. Whimsies, toys, and walking canes were also carved in abundance. While these objects were utilitarian by nature, most of them also incorporated ornamentation that reflected individual and communal artistic expression.
Content is provided by McKissick Museum, University of South Carolina.
For further information about any of the artists featured on Digital Traditions, send your questions and comments to hallagan@mailbox.sc.edu.
Audio
R.C. Hagan talks about how his mother made soap out of meat scraps and ashes.
Audio
R.C. talks about the way he prepares and cooks venison (deer meat).
Audio
R.C. Hagan explains how taxidermists preserve deer heads.
Photo
Woodworking Mr. Herman Ricard is a traditional woodworker from Lexington, South Carolina. He learned the art from watching and practicing with his father in the 1970s. He works with Peanut Wood Craft...
Document
Ahrens, Pat All Male Chorus of Blacksburg Arnold, Mac Ayers, Sara Basket, Nancy Baylor, Amos Bellow, Roger Bennett, Mary Jane Benson, JD Blackwell, Richard Boggs, Horatio Manning Bollack, James Booker...
Photo
Over 40 years ago, Wade Leitner decided to make himself a guitar after seeing one in a downtown Columbia pawn shop. Although his first effort became only a conversation piece, this longtime Lexington...
Photo
A native of Yonges Island, South Carolina, Tom Boozer has been carving decoys for over twenty-five years. He learned the craft from a family friend and local hunter, Olin Ballentine. Ballentine taught...
Document
Video transcript for: Shaping The Decoy Body Undercutting The Primary Feathers Hollowing Out The Decoy Body Carving The Decoy's Head Finishing The Head Painting Techniques Native American Origins...
Photo
Greenwood native Neil Douglas Cost was regarded by many as the premiere turkey-call maker in the United States. According to Donna Branch of the National Wild Turkey Federation, “No call maker has had...
