Audio
Jennings Chestnut relates how he was first introduced to bluegrass music...Woodworking
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.
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Within this Series
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Ike Carpenter is a third generation woodcarver, cabinetmaker, and carpenter who lives in the small Edgefield County town of Trenton. His grandfather was known throughout the area as a talented...Photo
At age five, Harold Wayne Turner picked up a banjo for the first time. Within a short period, he taught himself to pick out a rough approximation of “Cripple Creek.” This childhood experience began a...Document
Audio transcript for: Carving Model Boats Carving Spoons Carving Wildlife Doesn't Paint His Work Gathering Cedar Learning Young Other Types Of Wood Working With WoodPhoto
Charles "CeCe" Williams has been making handcarved walking canes for over twenty five years, and cast nets since he was a boy growing up fishing with his father in McClellanville. As Chief Detective...Photo
Archie Hunter of Florence belonged to the third generation of a family of traditional chairmakers. His grandfather began selling his handmade chairs to supplement the meager income from his Kershaw...Audio
How he went from carving canoes to carving larger boats in detailAudio
His feelings on the disadvantages of painting wood carvings.Audio
He also carves wooden spoons with various human head shapes on the handle