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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
March 4, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop:
Cabinetmaker – This past week, John had been getting lots of work done on his chairs, finishing the
splats, shaping out the crest rails, and beginning the glue-up process of the backs of the chairs. Bill has been
puzzling out the complicated drawer to his writing table, and Jeremy has been going through chair designing,
combining features he likes into something pleasing to his eye.
The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Apothecary – Exciting news from the Shop as Sharon has recently completed her transcription of GaltBarraud Ledger A! As the weather warms up, we're looking forward to preparing new batches of syrup of
violets with the wildflowers that spring up around the Historic Area. Mark and Margaret are also on the hunt
for millipedes (see: "Millepede Wine"), so if anyone has leads on millipede sightings, let us know.
The Apothecary Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – For the last two weeks, the Armoury has undergone periodic maintenance. While the
Shop was closed, we had a brief opportunity to travel as a group for study and team building – a luxury that
comes infrequently to a seven-day operation like the Armoury. While we devoted part of our closing time to
winter training, we also managed a research trip to Pennsylvania. Our Mechanic’s Adviser reports for the next
few weeks will share highlights of our trip and visits to collections of other museums.
I want to start by thanking the Davee Foundation for their generous support of our educational travels,
and give a special thanks to Shari Monaco, Historic Trades Administrative support, for her work in finalizing
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�arrangements for transportation and lodging, including some last minute changes. All the arrangements
worked out perfectly. Thanks, Shari!
In the course of our trip, we visited the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; The Museum
of the American Revolution in Philadelphia; historic sites relating to the Muhlenberg Family in Trappe,
Pennsylvania; the Winterthur Museum in Wilmington, Delaware; and the Mercer Museum in Doylestown,
Pennsylvania. I have asked each member of the travelling party to give a write-up on one of the sites and
share the experiences over the next few weeks. I will be sharing our experience with Winterthur.
The Historic Trades Department has enjoyed a decades-long working relationship with Winterthur and
the University of Delaware through their graduate program in Early American Decorative Arts. We have
hosted University of Delaware – Winterthur graduate students for most of my forty year career here at
Colonial Williamsburg. It has been a great partnership that has introduced many graduate students to preindustrial technology and better understanding of materials, which fosters a better understanding of early
material culture, strengthening their skills as curators and conservators at museums and institutions around
the country. That large fellowship network has fostered the reciprocal relationships that give us extraordinary
access to collections such as the ones that we visited on this trip. It is quite rewarding to see museum
professionals, with whom we shared a Historic Trades experience, now managing programming, curating
collections and libraries, and performing restoration and conservation on important pieces of our common
material culture.
When contacting Winterthur to arrange this trip, I reached out to Metals Curator Ann Wagner, a
graduate of the UDEL/Winterthur program, and she graciously welcomed us into the collection, sharing
highlights of the extraordinary ironwork in the museum. Winterthur has many of the classic American iron
objects from New England and the Mid-Atlantic – styles that we residents of the Chesapeake can only dream
of making, since we largely have to live within Virginia’s preference for the “simple, plain, and neat” style.
New Englanders, the Dutch of New York, and German-influenced iron of Eastern Pennsylvania, had a much
more exuberant style than the early settlers of Eastern Virginia. We do see some of the Pennsylvania German
influence in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, but alas, that is a bit out of our range of influence.
For most of our time working with University of Delaware/Winterthur graduate students, the leader of
the “American Craftsman before 1800” Class was Charles Hummel, Former Chief Curator and Curator Emeritus
for Winterthur. Over the years, I developed a friendship and good working relationship with Charlie, and I
always viewed him as a giant in the field of scholarship in Early American Industry and Technology. Charlie
authored one of the best books to analyze a surviving eighteenth-century business, the Dominy Family of
craftsmen from Long Island, New York, in his work titled With Hammer and Hand. It is a classic study of a
multi-generational business that began in the mid-eighteenth century, which examines the business through
documentary and material study – as do our Historic Trades workshops. Charlie’s writings were a major
influence on my early career and taught me how to analyze and interpret workshop records and material
culture – tools and products of the shop.
Although Charlie is in his 90’s and has lost much of his mobility, when I contacted him about a possible
meeting during our visit, he responded “I would love to be your host at Winterthur, but my age does not
permit that. I have alerted Ann Wagner and Catherine Roeber, in the hopes that one or both may
accommodate the best hand metalworkers still functioning in this country”. High praise for our program
from one of the giants in our industry. Charlie did contact me to say that he could not miss us on our visit, and
so we met with him for about an hour and a half in the Winterthur Library.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�More on what we saw in our next MA installment.
The Blacksmith Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Tinsmith – The Tin Shop is open Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Brickmaker – The Brickyard is open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week in the Carpenters Yard, we finished hewing the locust posts for the wagon shed
project for the Farm site. We also completed the framing for the Armoury gates. They still need to be hung
and the pales installed. We are also starting the process of building new sawhorses. These are always
something we seem to need more of.
Most importantly, we want to welcome our newest Apprentice, Shelby Christensen. She joins us
originally from Michigan, where she studied Sociology at the University of Michigan. She moved to Richmond
a year and a half ago with her partner and two cats. She spent a summer as an instructor at a timber framing
school and has worked as a historic preservation carpenter.
The Carpenters will be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Colonial Garden – This week marks two events relating to the hotbed. The first hotbed was filled with the
awaiting manure that has been heating in our back work yard. When the temperature cooled to 110F, we
heaped 6-8 inches of soil on top of the manure. The next day, the hotbed measured 100F. Two days later, the
hotbed was sown with parsley, calendula, various flowers, and artichoke. In preparation for the second
hotbed, our entire Shop, and Summer Intern, picked up fresh horse manure from the Bassett Hall pasture.
Two large flowerpots were filled with soil and sowed with Indian Cress (Nasturtium) then placed in the
corners of an unheated hotbed. The plants will vine out and spill out over the pathways making quite a show.
Another spring activity was pruning the Muscadine grape vines on our arbor. The peach tree is the next and
the last of the spring pruning, just in time as spring is arriving early. Not to be fooled, we are ever ready for an
icy blast which we know is quite possible this time of year. We’re happy for the fact that we have straw mats
waiting in the wings to cover the hotbeds when needed.
Weeding continues as always. The asparagus bed is usually the first very weedy spot that needs
attention before the spears start to appear. And yes, two asparagus spears have already poked their heads
above ground.
Blooming are anemones, daffodils, tulips, Redbud tree, and wild plum. The Green Gage plum is still
giving quite a show.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�The Colonial Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather permitting.
Cooper – The Cooper Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraving Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Foodways – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – The Foundry is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-4:30).
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith Shop is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Joinery – Hello from the Joiner Shop! We’ve had quite a few Homeschoolers and Guests through the Shop,
even with this roller coaster weather. Projects are moving along and starting to take shape. Scott’s corner
cupboard is living up to its name and fitting perfectly in one corner of the Shop. He’s looking to have it
finished by the fall.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�Scott assembling the mortise and tenoned frame for the lower door of the cupboard
Laura is dimensioning some yellow pine stock for her work bench drawer using a marking gauge. She’ll use
this board for one of her drawer sides.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�Brian is refining the reeding on the Warren House Pilaster using a hollow moulding plane.
The panel goes here
named into the
rebate.
The inside of the portico with an
ovolo/quarter round moulding
Peter has sawn out the curved stiles for his portico, chopped out the mortise for the mid rail, and has secured
the piece to his work bench to plane out the rebate for the panels and carving out the ovolo moulding.
Menokin Portico showing the frame and panel construction
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�Steve is inspecting his work on his walnut pipe box. His next step is to dovetail a small drawer.
The Joinery is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Military Programs – Military Programs staff continue to make use of their winter to attend trainings
and prepare for the spring season. Staff also continue to work on their goals and projects. Kevin and
Matthew are researching bat and ball games and recreational games that soldiers played, and anyone who
sees military staff playing Cat on the Market Square or by the Magazine are encouraged to come and join in!
Alex continues to prepare for his Hennage Talk on defending the Delaware River and other research pertaining
to fortification and military engineering. Ren is working to finish their project with Michael Ramsey on the
71st Highlanders and will be going to the Archives to work on transcribing the pocketbook of John Lysle, a
member of the 71st, which includes his account of the battle of Yorktown. Chris continues to learn the skills
necessary to become an Armorer and is working on critically needed maintenance to the muskets in our
collection to get them looking ready for our main season!
We have an adorable addition to the Military table display this week. The baby booties were made as
part of a collaboration between Ren and the Shoemakers. They are a recreation of the Davenport pair by
Shoemaker Apprentice Victoria. Made from scraps of British uniforms provided by Military Programs, deerskin
soles, and silk ties, the original
booties were made by Sgt.
James Davenport and his wife
Esther from a captured British
uniform. We hope to help
facilitate questions and
interpretation about soldier’s
families, camp followers, and
prisoners of war, so Guests
have a more holistic
understanding of a soldier’s life
and the army as a career. A
career that, for better or worse,
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�shaped not just soldiers’ lives but that of their wives and children.
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Tuesday, and Thursday
through Saturday (9:30-3:00).
Musket Range – February is in the books, and March has
arrived. Our seventh year-in-operation anniversary. We
cannot wait to see what the next seven years has in store for
us. We would like to introduce our new Instructor, Andy
Prochnow. Andy came to us from the Florida Park Service,
where he was a Park Ranger at Fort Clinch Park, which was a
3rd system fortification from the Civil War era. Andy brings us
experience in the emergency services where he was a
dispatcher and firefighter. He and his wife Kristian moved
here recently for her job in the Navy. Help us make him feel
welcome to the CWF Family.
The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday,
and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and
3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office – The Printing Office is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Bindery – The Bookbindery is open Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday through Saturday.
Silversmith – A whole host of items are being created at the Silversmith Shop. Megan has filed and fit the
base for her bowl and is working on polishing the bottom before soldering it into place. She is also working on
her first sleeve buttons. Bobbie and Chris have finished two types of sleeve buttons for the Milliner’s
program. Bobbie has made silver octagonal buttons, and Chris has made
them in brass. Chris is continuing to stone her tray. Bobbie is chasing and
setting the well of her tray. Preston has been working on more silver bowls
and helping Megan with hers. George has been hammering out another
ingot that will eventually become silver sheet.
Megan’s sleeve buttons in progress
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�Chris’ sleeve buttons in progress
Bobbie’s finished sleeve buttons
Preston’s finished bowl (left). George annealing a silver ingot (right). The dull red color indicates it has reached 1100F.
The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – We have selected the date of our first Dye Day of the year: March
22nd. Over the next few weeks, we will be preparing our materials for the dye pot and cooking down dye
stuffs. The preparation process takes a few days at the least, and weeks at the most. If you have anything
you'd like us to dye, please bring it to us no later than the 15th.
The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – This week has had the Wigmakers elbow deep in full bottom styling. The full bottom is a late17th-century to early-18th-century wig that involves many loose, flowing, luscious curls (think of Captain Hook).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�We're also continuing regular maintenance. Edith, Debbie, and Benton continue working on their respective
projects. It's been a busy week!
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Anthony Hay Shop – John Peeler (Cabinetmaker); Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Armoury –
Kenneth Schwarz (Blacksmith); Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Colonial Garden – Eve Otmar; Joiner – Brian Weldy;
Military Programs – Alex Arnold; Musket Range – Jeffrey Thomas; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Weaving,
Spinning, and Dyeing – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Edith Broward Edds
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 9
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 9, March 4, 2023
Creator
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023-03-04
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
February 18, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop:
Cabinetmaker – This past week in the Cabinet Shop, John has been devoting hours to the shaping of
elements of his side chairs. He recently finished the work on the shoes that hold the splats in the center of the
chair back and has gotten most of the piercing work done on the splats themselves. Jeremy has gotten his
tabletop and drop leaf attached to the frame and now only has finishing touches left to do. Bill is cutting the
joinery on the drawer to his writing table, which is only the beginning to this elaborate work.
The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Apothecary – The Apothecary Shop is open Sunday through Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Tinsmith – The Tin Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Brickmaker – This week in the Brickyard, the crew continued their work unstacking the kiln while also
preparing to build piers for our tool shed. With the bricks staged, the next steps are to raise the building up,
dig below grade, and to prepare the mortar. Once that is completed, the tool shed, a structure moved from
our old Yard, will sit on bricks once again.
Otherwise, this week, we received two deliveries of wood, out of a total of eight, which will be used in
future kiln burns. With such an abundance of wood comes an abundance of stacking. If there is only one
thing more exciting than stacking bricks, it has to be stacking cord wood. It's as good as done with the
combined powers of Apprentice Nick's gumption and Journeyman Kenneth's strength and agility.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�The Brickyard is open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters continued work on the Farm
storage building at the Windmill site. We will have it completed on
Saturday, February 18th. The siding is completed, and the shuttered
windows are almost all installed. Just one remains to be fit. The
Gunsmiths might recognize the boards that make up the shuttered
windows as the salvaged boards from your old forge roof that we
replaced last year. By early next week, we will be back at our Yard
focusing on the next project. Finishing a building project is a fun feeling,
but now we have to try and forget all of the numbers we’ve been storing
in our head and reset for a new set of numbers.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�The Carpenters will primarily be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Colonial Garden – Signs of an early spring are beginning to appear all
around the Historic Area. Daffodils, crocus, and Roman hyacinth are all in
full bloom in the Historic Garden. As is tradition, the Gardeners planted a
row of pease on Saint Valentine's day. The variety we chose this year is
marrowfat, a lovely English shelling pea. This week, we also transplanted
lettuce seedlings into individual pots and harvested lettuce and turnips for
the Historic Cooks at the Governor's Palace Kitchen. The pile of horse
manure we collected last week is heating up quite nicely, and we will soon
be filling our first hotbed of the season. Last Friday, the Gardeners were
able to witness the relocation of the Bray School building. We were
delighted to realize how visible the new site is from our Garden, and we
look forward to watching its transformation over the coming year.
Spring crocuses in bloom at the Historic Garden
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�Apprentice Historic Gardener Marc planting peas
The Bray School viewed from behind the Historic Garden
The Colonial Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather permitting.
Cooper – In the 18th century, a cooper in need of material to make iron hoops could simply walk into a store
like John Greenhow's and purchase hoop iron. It was material produced specifically to meet the demand for
such stock in coopers shops. Today, getting material to make our iron hoops is a little more involved, and it
requires the help of our behind-the-scenes staff here at Colonial Williamsburg. The metal arrives at CW in
large sheets which we cut down into the strips we need to make the hoops, as we did this week.
The Cooper Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraving Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Fifes and Drums – It's been a quiet week so far at Fife and Drum. We are fine-tuning our music and
marching for our President's Day performances this Sunday and Monday. Come out and see us at the 1:00 pm
ceremonies! In other news, I'd like to welcome Private Parker McHugh to the Junior Corps! He is the sixth
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�member of the 2020-2021 Recruit class to pass up and join the Junior Corps. That's all for now. Wish us luck
at President's Day...s!
Foodways – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – The Foundry is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-4:30).
Gunsmith – In the Gunsmith Shop, Darrin has been getting some help reaming his pistol barrels, which
takes two people to operate. Each reaming bit cannot be any larger than 1/64" bit-to-bit, or else it is much
too tough on the person cranking the wheel. After running five bits through the barrel, Darrin had to stop and
repair one bit and make another one in order to continue.
The Gunsmiths also had a welcome visitor for a few days. Broadus from the Anderson Blacksmith Shop
worked with them while their Shop received some well-deserved maintenance.
Study material is from various issues of the Virginia Gazette and the Pennsylvania Gazette as well as
the book The Gunsmith in Colonial Virginia by Harold Gill, Jr.
The Gunsmith Shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Historic Farming – The soil amendment project has begun at Ewing
Field! One half was removed to one foot deep due to quarry rock the size of
walnuts every four inches. The rest was spread out, and now 455 cubic
yards of a soil/compost mix is being applied. Farmer Ed learned a lot about
soil amendments at Great Hopes Plantation, where he turned two acres of
ground-up parking lot into fertile fields. This project will take multiple years,
and this is a great start!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�Joinery – Hello from the Joiner Shop. Peter is in his last week at Winterthur, and we hope to see him back
on Monday. Scott has moved on from planning and dimensioning stock to chopping out mortises for the
lower door frame on the Corner Cupboard. (So maybe not so quiet.) In addition, Scott presented a program
on Thomas Jefferson and John Hemmings for the Joiner Shop’s Hennage Program. Brian finished attaching the
last moulding on the pedestal from the Warren House pilaster and will move back to working on the fluting.
He had a little trouble with the blade for his fluting plane chipping. He’ll take it over to the Blacksmiths to see
if something can be done with it. Perhaps the metal was too hard and brittle, or the bevel was too fragile and
thin.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�In the meantime, he’s finished planing out the base moulding.
Laura continues working on her dovetailed drawer while learning about plane maintenance, dimensioning
stock, and layout. She took a study trip over to Bruton Conservation Collections to measure a stool as a
possible Apprentice project.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�The Joinery is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday.
Military Programs – Military Programs staff continue to make use of their winter to attend trainings
and prepare for the spring season. Staff also continue to work on their goals and projects. Kevin and
Matthew are researching bat and ball games and recreational games that soldiers played, and anyone who
sees Military staff playing Cat on the Market Square or by the Magazine are encouraged to come and join in!
Alex continues to prepare for his Hennage Talk on defending the Delaware River and other research pertaining
to fortification and military engineering. Ren is working to finish their project with Michael Ramsey on the
71st Highlanders and will be going to the Archives to work on transcribing the pocketbook of a member of the
71st, John Lysle, which includes his account of the battle of Yorktown. Chris continues to learn the skills
necessary to become an armorer and is working on critically needed maintenance to the muskets in our
collection to get them looking ready for our main season!
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – In between training sessions, preparations for our three March
programs continue. Rebecca has completed alterations on a cotton gown and petticoat for "Disaster
Strikes!". Without time to make something completely new, we decided to channel our 18th-century mantuamaking foremothers and update (except that we back-dated in this case!) an already existing gown to the
fashion of the year required. In this case, we took a gown and petticoat cut for 1775 and have time-traveled it
back to 1769 with some alterations to the sleeves, the neckline, and the petticoat trim. With that done, she's
now trimming a reproduction of a cloak that will also be featured in the program.
Meanwhile, Kate diligently pushes forward with her stays. She also spent some time researching
imagery of pregnant women who are actively working, so that we can study more closely how clothing styles
and choices changed to reflect a woman's lifecycle and the demands of her everyday reality. Kate has come
up with a collection of very intriguing depictions that we're all looking forward to examining in greater detail
soon.
Janea has been focused on the second of our Delaware gowns, this one a 1798 white muslin with long
sleeves and a drawstring bodice. As fabric decreased in weight and increased in fineness towards the end of
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�the century, the quality of stitching in the garment construction had to increase as well. This gown is thus
being stitched at 16-18 stitches per inch; to give you a comparison, many gowns from earlier in the century
were stitched at only 8-10 stitches per inch.
We also received news that the Weavers have finished the fabric for our March 4th "Gown in a
Day". The plotting of the gown's style can now begin in earnest. There's never any rest for our needles!
The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is finalizing its interviews this week. We've already hired one new
staff member and hope to have the other within the next week.
In between training and operating the range, Scott has been learning more about inletting this week. The
process of carving out the necessary wood to insert a metal part. Used in the process of creating stocks for
firearms, Scott will use this in the future to help repair Musket Range stocks as the wood erodes in certain
places or in the event of accidental breakage. The Range would also like to thank our Landscaping folks for
helping us with a fresh coating of Marl on the shooting pavilion and pathway areas on the site. This not only
helps get rid of low spots that pool water when it rains, but also provides a fresh and tidy look for guests
coming out to see us.
The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office – The Printing Office is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Bindery – Good day from the Bookbindery. The month of February has been good busy. We would like
to acknowledge and thank all the people who made the Winter Training Symposium possible. I am constantly
reminded of the talent throughout this Foundation, and this is no exception.
The Bookbinders each have personal research projects to keep us busy over the coming year. Our
Supervisor, Dale Dippre, is reading an interesting book called Trust and Inspire by Stephen M.R. Covey. Donald
Mason is looking at the effects that Committees of Public Safety and the shadow government had on Loyalist
Virginians, with a more in-depth look at Printers and Bookbinders.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�Barbie Swanson is researching the history of an interesting book that was bound here in 1744 for the Byrd
family of Charles City County. The New York Conspiracy is an account of the trial surrounding the Revolt of
1741 by both enslaved and indentured people. We will keep you posted on our progress. Cheers!
The Bookbindery is open Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Shoemaker – Val and Nicole have just finished their Library and Brafferton training. The Shop went through
internship applications and will start the interviews in March. Nicole resumes work on her Hennage Talk, and
Val continues with the book, Trust & Inspire. Victoria is getting ready to start another pair of slippers with
mock round closing, and then she will be on to dancing pumps. Nicole is working on a pair of strong shoes for
herself, and Val is fixing a pair of pumps for Robert Weathers.
The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Monday through Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday.
Silversmith – Work never stops at the Silversmith
Shop. Megan has soldered the base for her bowl, and
Preston is teaching her how to round out the base
and angle in the top. Megan and Bobbie continue to
work on sleeve buttons for the Milliner and Mantuamaker’s upcoming March program, Bobbie has
soldered the wire backs to the octagonal sleeve
buttons made with the Blacksmith’s punch. Chris has
started the process of stoning her tray, a very time
consuming but necessary rough polish. Bobbie
continues chasing and setting the well of her tray.
Preston has polished a number of jewelry pieces for
the retail store. George continues work on his mote
spoons and ingots. The whole Shop has been
attending the Winter Symposium training sessions at
the Hennage.
The base for Megan’s bowl
Chris stoning her tray with a Water of Ayr stone (left). Bobbie’s sleeve buttons (middle). Preston’s jewelry and bottle tickets (right).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – Wig maintenance continues as usual. Edith is blending and separating hair in preparation for
weaving. Benton continues frizzing and weaving, and Debbie's net continues to grow. As always, if you have
any tonsorial needs, please reach out to us.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Anthony Hay Shop – John Peeler (Cabinetmaker); Brickmaker – Madeleine Bolton; Carpenter –
Matt Sanbury; Colonial Garden – Teal Brooks; Cooper – Jon Hallman; Fifes and Drums – Rebecca Sterner;
Gunsmith – Darrin McDonal; Historic Farming – Ed Schultz; Joiner – Brian Weldy; Military Programs – Alex
Arnold; Milliner and Mantua-maker – Rebecca Godzik; Musket Range – Justin Chapman; Printing Office and
Bindery – Barbara Swanson (Bookbinder); Shoemaker – Val Povinelli; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Wigmaker
– Edith Broward Edds
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 7
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 7, February 18, 2023
Creator
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023-02-18
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
February 11, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop:
Cabinetmaker – Things are settling back down in the Cabinet Shop with this year’s conference now
behind us. John has resumed work on his walnut side chairs and is moving along quite well with fitting and
shaping parts for the chair backs, and Bill has returned to working on his mahogany writing desk.
Jeremy has made good progress over the past couple weeks on his corner table. The table is now
standing on its own three legs with a bottom nailed on. The final stage is to complete making the triangular
tops. One top is attached to the main table with a pair of hinges, which effectively turns the entire table into a
standing, lidded box. The second top is a drop leaf which hangs down in front of the table. It will be hinged to
the first top with a rule joint along the long edge of the tabletop. The entire table is really quite unique and
has been a great skill-building exercise. One of the skills Jeremy was able to explore was cutting dovetails in a
45-degree corner joint. In the Shop, we frequently employ dovetails at 90-degree joints, but seldom do we
find ourselves straying into other angles. This was a good opportunity to revisit the procedure of dovetailing
and really focus on it a little more.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�All three Cabinetmakers have also been making time in their schedules to attend the staff Winter
Symposium training going on this month at the Hennage Auditorium. There has been a lot of good historical
information shared, and we look forward to more still to come.
The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Apothecary – This week, we all continue to attend winter trainings. Margaret gave a Public Hospital
lecture segment on February 7th and is excited to reprise it for the second training session on the 14th.
Continuing his research into specialty subjects, Mark will be preparing and performing a lecture for a group of
rheumatology professionals in May (including a discussion on gout, his personal favorite subject.) Sharon
found an intriguing entry in the Galt-Barraud Account Book - a double amputation performed for "Jacob"
under John Allen's 1786 account. According to the entry, the doctors were paid for a month's worth of care,
and that month's care cost Allen 22 pounds 10 shillings. We don't have a daybook for 1786, so this is the first
mention of this case, and we're still wondering about Jacob's identity - a fascinating case!
The Apothecary Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith Shop is open Saturday. It will be closed February 6-17 for maintenance.
Tinsmith – The Tin Shop is open Saturday. It is closed February 6-17 for maintenance.
Brickmaker – This week, the Brickyard crew continued their efforts to unstack the kiln as more pallets of
brick make their way to the soon-to-be Bray School site. As the kiln shrinks, we begin to see the color
variation of well-fired bricks going from a red to a deep brown. Soon, the tunnels themselves will be the only
part left to unstack!
Otherwise, this week, Journeyman Kenneth and Apprentice Nick paid the Blacksmith Shop a visit to fix
some brickwork. With the Shop closed, they were able to lay some bricks, fix up a forge, and redo some
paving.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�The Brickyard is open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters have continued to work on the Farm site. We should be finished up
next week. We’ve got the door widened, cut to height, and hung. We’ve also continued to make half lapped
boards for the shuttered windows. Mary and Harold have only a couple more courses of clap boards to
install. We’re all happy to be this close to the end of the project.
The Carpenters will primarily be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Colonial Garden – The true harbingers of spring in the Garden are the appearance of the first daffodil and
the cleaning of pastures of manure for the first hotbed. With warm temperatures, it made for easy work.
Once the bed of the truck is full, the contents are moved to the Garden, where it is piled high with a mix of hay
and some water. We have found that dry piles do not begin to break down and give off heat. Many thanks to
Coach and Livestock for the horse manure.
This week, cauliflower was harvested and taken to the Palace Kitchen, where I am sure it will be
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�cooked and presented in only the very best way. Training continues with the Winter Symposium, and
everyone in the Shop has a research project that they are working on. In the winter season, we close to the
public two days a week, but we still must tend to the Garden with opening the cold frame, hot beds, and
uncovering the lettuce and parsley. Watering the cold frame where lettuce and onions are germinating with
warm water and checking for slugs on lettuce all still need to be done daily. We order seeds and supplies and
tend to all the usual Shop maintenance like first aid kits. Spring is close by.
Harvest of cauliflower
First pasture cleanings for the hotbed
The Colonial Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather permitting.
Cooper – Asking about the projects in the Cooper's Shop, our Apprentice, Jackie, is currently working on a
tub for the Palace Kitchen. The walls are done and the bottom is underway.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�The Cooper Shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – In the Engraving Shop this week, we have been enjoying the training classes. William has been
working steady on his ships copperplate, and Lynn has been working on some custom orders and finished up
the buckle pattern for the Founders to use.
The Engraving Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Fifes and Drums – We made it through our Annual Meeting! For all of January, Staff at F&D has been
preparing for our meeting with every Corps member and their parents. We talked about the year we've had,
did a set of annual trainings, planned for the year ahead, and gave out awards to truly outstanding Corps
members. Thank you to everyone who helped make this event run smoothly, especially our trainers, Laura
Sinclair, Katherine Pitts, Burke Humphrey, and Mike Capone! Among the topics discussed was a change to our
spring schedule. Starting in mid-March, we'll be marching Wednesday-Saturday. Saturday will be a march
from the Capitol to the Palace, followed by the kids themselves doing an interpretation on their instruments
for Guests. We ended our meeting with announcing the 2023 winners of our Memorial Awards.
Congratulations to David Degaraff, Isabel Kantor, and Duncan Pavlak! Another round of congratulations to the
Junior and Senior Corps winners of the Outstanding Achievement Award, David Degaraff and Chase West!
Staff thanks you all for your hard work over the past year and for the excellent role models you have been for
your peers! That's all for now as we buckle down to prepare for President's Day(s) with the Senior Corps.
Foodways – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – We actually have to start with some news from a couple weeks ago that we missed: Apprentice
Leanne completed her first brass pour! Again, we just melted some scrap into ingots, but she was able to get
used to the feel of a different metal, and we were able to clear up some clutter. This week, we were able to
share our expertise a little more than usual. Journeyman Mike had the chance to Zoom call with a 5th grader
and his mom from California who decided to pick brass casting as his research project for his school’s Colonial
Day! We also sent along some photos and a video of some casting so he could get a better idea of what it’s
like. Apprentice Drew and Leanne also got a chance to pass along some knowledge when Alex from Military
Programs came down to our Shop to learn more about musket ball casting. We’re also looking forward to
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�some brand new projects with preparations underway for our part of Apprentice Wheelwright Murphy’s plow
project.
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-4:30).
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith Shop is open Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Historic Farming – Earlier this month, Farmer Ed gave a presentation to all CW interpretive staff at the
Hennage Auditorium as part of the Winter Symposium. The theme is “Connecting to Historic Agriculture”.
Shown in the photos are the first segment in which the audience is encouraged to connect with farming as
part of one’s own history and the history of Virginia in the 18 th century. The message in this part is that we are
all farmers through our connection to farming, whether we think of it at breakfast, lunch, or dinner; through
our great-great-grandparents who farmed with horses like mine; or the people that we interpret here at
Colonial Williamsburg. Farming is at the core of their existence and ours as well. It is what made the colonial
Capital of Williamsburg possible.
Ed connects the audience with farming, “You are the farmer” (left). Interpreters portraying real people share their connection with
farming, “They are the farmers” (right).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�Joinery – Hello everyone. It’s been a little quiet in the Shop Guest-wise, but we’re keeping busy with many
projects and a bit of training. Laura is working on one of her apprenticeship requirements by making a
dovetailed box in the form of a drawer for her workbench. For the next few weeks, Peter is studying painted
furniture at Winterthur Museum in Delaware. He’ll be back the week of February 19th. Though much of
Scott’s time this week has been spent in training, he has made progress on the framing members for his
corner cupboard’s door. Brian is finishing work on his Woodworking Symposium 2023 pilaster project, before
moving on to the Bray School, and a few in-house projects.
Above is a moulding Brian created for the pedestal. It’s held upside down in a “sticking board” to help
plane the moulding. You can see in the picture below part “H” is the piece being worked. From The Magnum
of Parvo, Halfpenny.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�A particularly beautiful shot of the Bray School move taken by our Apprentice, Laura Hollowood.
The Joinery is open Monday through Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday.
Military Programs – In addition to divisional trainings this week, Military Programs has been working
on preparing for upcoming Hennage Talks as well as putting the finishing touches on site cleanup and
reorganization of the Guardhouse. We are looking forward to hearing Alex's upcoming talk on defenses of the
Delaware river in April. Chris Grieb has been diligently working on advancing his knowledge of gun repair and
is in the midst of refinishing two different muskets for the Department. Chris is also getting ready for an
upcoming class in June at the 2023 NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar. He will be taking a six-day class entitled
"18th-Century Carving Practices & Techniques" with gunsmith Mike Miller. He is beginning the process of
learning gun repair with some basic inletting and tool sharpening. Kevin is working diligently on his research
project for the summer to be presented at the Hennage, as well. Ren continues to collaborate with Michael
Ramsey on their 71st Highland Professional Development Grant project, which is producing some interesting
insights on POWs in Virginia. Matt is initiating one of his reading goals for the year, working toward
completing his first stage of the Military curriculum.
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – In between
sessions of winter training, work continues on our
projects for First State Heritage Park in
Delaware. The blue silk gown is nearing completion,
with half of the skirt now attached. All that remains
is to stitch in the other half, attach the shoulder
straps, and sew the hem, so it should be finished next
week. Our March "Disaster Strikes!" program is
rapidly approaching, but we've also made some
headway this week on our long list of garments to be
completed for that, including finishing up a petticoat,
an apron, and some ruffles. We're also proud to
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�report that our NIAHD Intern, Ishbel, has completed her first project as well: a silk workbag to store her
sewing tools.
In behind-the-scenes news, we spent Tuesday morning filming a segment for our upcoming
Livestream. The Livestream will focus on the concept of sustainability in fashion - remaking garments,
updating trims, upcycling fabrics - and will integrate the three-gown project we did for “Gown in a Day” this
past summer. To introduce the audience to our process and the research that went into creating the program
and the gowns that it featured, we wanted to include a short video that shows the extant 1810 gown and our
study approach while in Collections. Many thanks to Neal Hurst for making this possible, and for the
Livestream team (especially Bill, Lane, and Justin) for their patience in listening to us gush about an old gown
all morning.
The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range has conducted 90% of our interviews to fill our two open positions for
Musket Range Instructor. Jeff is beginning to work through the process of learning Kronos as a new
Supervisor, as well as attending Ted Boscana's Trust and Inspire Leadership training this week. Scott is also
endeavoring to learn gun repair, alongside Chris Grieb from Military Programs, to enable the Musket Range to
be more self-sufficient. He has begun learning inletting starting with a side plate as well as starting to learn
basic sharpening. Scott is also looking forward to attending a class at the NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar in
Bowling Green, Ohio, in June to take a six-day class entitled "Assembly & Finishing of a 1760’s Colonial Kit Rifle
or Southern Iron Mounted Rifle Kit by Jim Kibler" with gunsmith instructor Wayne Trout. In addition, the
Musket Range is still selling enough to keep Jeff and Scott busy in every other moment. We're so very looking
forward to having some new folks coming on board!
The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office –
Charlotte Larsen from The College of William and Mary setting type for a broadside containing the lyrics for a
new song regarding events in Boston Harbor, December of 1773.
The Printing Office is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�Bindery – Good day from the Bookbindery. When applicable, the Colonial Williamsburg Printing Office
creates our Master and Journeyman Certificates. The type for these certificates was meticulously set by
Journeymen Chad Jones and David Wilson. The typeface is Caslon. The paper pictured here was handmade in
Kent, England, and may be of interest as the mill at which it was produced closed decades ago. As usual, I am
in awe of my multi-faceted and talented colleagues. Cheers!
Dale Dippre signing a Journeyman Certificate
The Bookbindery is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemakers have been taking advantage of our Research Day falling on Thursdays to
attend sessions of the Winter Symposium. In the Shop, Val has been preparing us for upcoming projects by
transporting and clicking (cutting) sole bends. He’s currently starting a pair of common shoes for Tim
Logue. Nicole finished a pair of common shoes for Teal Brooks, and the Blacksmiths kindly made rims to
reinforce the heels. Victoria is putting the finishing touches on a pair of heeled slippers before starting her
first pair of dancing pumps. All three Shoemakers have cobbling to do alongside new work. The Leather
Breeches Makers continue to be gracious hosts, and we’re doing our best to avoid staining their lovely buff
leather with our Shoemaker’s wax!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Silversmith – The Silversmiths are once again busy silversmithing. Megan continues to work on her bowl,
the base of which is coming along nicely. She and Bobbie are also working on sleeve buttons for the Milliner
and Mantua-maker’s upcoming March program. We would like to thank the Blacksmiths for making us a
punch to use in the making of some of the sleeve buttons. Chris has been diligently working on cleaning up
the solder on her tray feet and filing some small imperfections away. Bobbie continues chasing and setting
the well of her tray. Preston has polished a number of jewelry pieces for the retail store and is helping Megan
with the vase of her bowl. George continues work on his mote spoons and ingots. Bobbie and Chris ventured
to Collections to study sleeve buttons for the Shop to reproduce.
Megan’s sleeve buttons in progress
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Chris’s tray
Bobbie’s tray
Volume 9, Issue 6
�Preston’s trade silver and bottle tickets
George’s mote spoons
The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – Annie's huck is off the loom, which means it's time to set up the
next project! We will be making an all-brown bed rug for a customer. We often get asked how long it takes to
set up our looms, and we generally budget an hour per hundred threads. This could take days or hours
depending on the project at hand. Luckily, this bed rug should only take three hours. Pictured is the warp on
our mill.
The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Wheelwright – We apologize for the lack of updates, but the Shop has been busy. Other than the
mandatory Winter Symposium sessions, we have continued on the Velocipede, nearly finishing the front
wheel. We are also building a Market cart for Coach and Livestock to deliver feed and transport critters about
the town.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�Front wheel of the Velocipede (left). An image from W. M. Pyne's Microcosm (center). Murphy testing the cart seat (right).
The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – Greetings and salutations! The Wig Shop doesn't have much new to report this week, as we
have been deep into Winter Symposium training. Edith continues to make progress on her Journeyman wig,
while Benton continues to separate and frizz his horsehair. General maintenance is ongoing, and we've begun
some early Spring cleaning of both the Shop and John Coke Office. On that note, we have seven cloth covered
wig boxes with zipper fronts that we're willing to part with if anyone has a need for them. Just reach out to
Debbie if you're interested. As always, feel free to ask if you have any tonsorial needs or questions.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Anthony Hay Shop – Jeremy Tritchler (Cabinetmaker); Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Brickmaker
– Madeleine Bolton; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Colonial Garden – Eve Otmar; Cooper – Jon Hallman; Engraver
– Lynn Zelesnikar; Fifes and Drums – Rebecca Sterner; Foundry – Leanne Bellouny Historic Farming – Ed
Schultz; Joiner – Brian Weldy; Military Programs – Justin Chapman; Milliner and Mantua-maker – Rebecca
Godzik; Musket Range – Justin Chapman; Printing Office and Bindery – Peter Stinely (Printer) and Barbara
Swanson (Bookbinder); Shoemaker – Nicole Boileau; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Weaving, Spinning, and
Dyeing – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 6
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 6, February 11, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-02-11
-
https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/2079628f47a875b124f9c85b427652cf.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=E3FlZliE1lRKoJNdX74Gu6xnn1YFJHfO%7ED1XJg6EhyggV9C51r9qXa1%7EQO-3DU-YWWQ5WudMVIla2x35ZHfFmdp437r2UILyn-151fEu3soA9vM410EMgyNK-E%7EKOjfhODVq0EwwrVqzZtZ6y6g%7EYUS%7E8yj0Sj6Wqxx4zfRuX4LTpl0b7MKqshQ8GsaAi7Acbtn4%7EG0vThXlrxDJwfBl%7EW1AMWtHJAua8AA%7ET6OXCiUz8WEcr3dYVP-lDoYUbKSSPqaRm0yJ-U-y7zp8vy6keiPmOzCBVgOHu9BnDpHJt7M%7EXCg9atvCCS0%7Er8MeUS5caYnzroTlMgUX4z2on%7EWRJw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
February 4, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop:
Cabinetmaker – Life for the Cabinetmakers is slowly returning to "normal" after a long weekend
hosting and presenting at the 25th annual Working Wood in the 18th Century conference. The event, which
focused on a wide variety of furniture and architectural ornament, was a great success with about 200 inperson attendees (for the first time since January 2020) and approximately 150 virtual attendees. The
Cabinetmakers led a variety of pre-conference activities with Jeremy Tritchler teaming up with the
Harpsichordmakers to host a Hay Shop open house, John Peeler discussed furniture in the Everard House as
part of a special buildings tour, and Bill Pavlak led a tour at the Art Museum of furniture made and used in
Williamsburg. Our Volunteers, Chris Viewig and Steve Roberts, also stepped up and assisted with the building
tours and open house.
The conference has always aimed to be a place where scholarship and craftsmanship come together
or, as we often phrase it, a bridge between benchwork and book work. We lived up to that promise as a cast
of in-house and guest presenters illuminated the lives and work of early craftspeople through object study,
craft processes, and documentary research. Our renowned pool of guest presenters included scholar Brock
Jobe, woodcarver Mary May, cabinetmaker Frank Strazza, and craftsman/interpreter Jerome Bias. Colonial
Williamsburg staff contributed many programs as follows: Master Joiner Brian Weldy demonstrated fluted
architectural pilasters, Journeyman Joiner Peter Hudson explored making a paneled archway, Apprentice
Carpenter Harold Caldwell introduced attendees to African-Virginian carving and symbols, Conservator Chris
Swan and Intern Claire Martin explored the art and science of Japanning, and Curator Tara Chicirda spoke on
one of Colonial Williamsburg's most distinctive tall case clocks. In addition to playing the role of conference
host, Master Cabinetmaker Bill Pavlak teamed up with Apprentice John Peeler to offer two presentations on
the sculptural features of a Rhode Island block and shell bureau table from the Collection. Regular readers of
the Adviser will be familiar with the preparations they had been making for the past couple of months. Bill
focused on carving shells and shaping the drawer fronts and prospect door. John focused on
shaping/decorating drawer dividers, creating curved moldings, and sculpting the swelled ogee bracket feet.
In addition to the dedicated work of presenters, the conference owes its success to the knowledge and
skills of many people from across the Foundation. As we roll the credits on this year's event, we would like to
extend a heartfelt "thank you" to all involved!
First, we'd like to offer a tremendous amount of gratitude to Whitney Thornberry, Manager of Educational
Conferences, who works tirelessly to make all of this possible.
From Historic Trades and Skills: Ted Boscana, Brian Weldy, Peter Hudson, Laura Hollowood, Harold Caldwell,
Mary Herbert, Matt Sanbury, Melanie Belongia, Ed Wright, John Peeler, Jeremy Tritchler, Bill Pavlak, Ken
Schwarz, Josh Graml, Steve Roberts, and Chris Viewig.
From Museums, Preservation, and Historic Resources: Tara Chicirda, Chris Swan, Claire Martin, Dani Jurowski,
Matt Webster, and Amanda Keller.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�From Development: Karen Hartman and the staff of the St. George Tucker House.
From the Art Museums: Mary Cottrill, Cari Rillo, Christian Crabbs, Michelle Smith, Valerie Eppilito, Eric App,
the Museum Cafe staff.
Camera Operators: Charles Tinsley and Mike Durling.
Banquet and Hospitality Staffs at the Williamsburg Lodge and Art Museums.
Educational Conferences Team: Whitney Thornberry, Debbie Walden, Natalie Stevenson, Season Gallagher,
and Tom Savage.
The conference planning committee consists of Ted Boscana, Tara Chicirda, Bill Pavlak (chair), Chris Swan,
Whitney Thornberry, and Brian Weldy.
Bill Pavlak roughs out a blank for a convex shell carving
Guest lecturer Brock Jobe gives the opening keynote
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Guest presenter Frank Strazza demonstrates marquetry techniques
Guest presenter Jerome Bias discusses Thomas Day
Guest presenter Mary May carves Philadelphia rococo elements
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�John Peeler demonstrates ogee bracket feet
Some of the demonstration samples Bill and John made for the conference
The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Apothecary – Sharon met with Jennifer Guadagno of the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress to talk
about research. Together, they focused on locating period resources about women's health concerns and
stay-wearing. Mark has just completed a key research project for Level 4 of his apprenticeship: a report on
18th-century infant feeding recommendations! Come see the brand-new binder in our Shop and be sure to
ask him about this exciting topic. Meanwhile, Margaret has been continuing with the Public Hospital work,
putting the final touches on her part of the Winter Symposium session.
The Apothecary Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith Shop is open Sunday. It will be closed February 6-17 for maintenance.
Tinsmith – The Tin Shop is closed February 6-17 for maintenance.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Brickmaker – This week, the Brickyard crew continued their efforts to unstack the kiln and move the fired
bricks off site. While we do love unstacking and restacking bricks, we had the distinct pleasure of participating
in the winter training. Master Josh was particularly inspired by Farmer Ed's jovial and informative discussion
of farming throughout time; he thought fondly of his ancestors cultivating potatoes. Otherwise, this week, we
paid a visit to our friends the Wheelwrights to discuss the potential of a new wheel well, quite a bit more
robust compared to the original.
The Brickyard is open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters are continuing to install the last of the siding on the Farm storage
building. We also are running half laps to build four shuttered windows. The Blacksmiths did a great job
making the hardware for the door! We are re-using one of the front doors of the old Blacksmith Shop on this
building. Unfortunately, only the strap hinges were left on the door. The smiths made the rest of the
hardware for us to hang the door.
The Carpenters will primarily be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Colonial Garden – Beyond the winter planting of leafy greens, visitors to the Historic Garden will note the
presence of cover crops. Cover crops are, as the name suggests, planted to cover the soil rather than to be
harvested. While preventing ground erosion during wet weather, cover crops also enrich the beds – notably
adding nitrogen to soil. Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) was promoted as a cover crop in the 18th
century and currently can be found in the bed designated for the American Indian Garden. Our crimson clover
is a bit lower to the ground than we may like due to the presence of hungry rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus).
Two naturally occurring covers share the bed with the clover. Henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule) and
speedwell (Veronica officinalis) are early spring weeds that many lawn owners are familiar with. These
Eurasian herbs are naturalized in Virginia, edible, and have some medicinal history. Speedwell, in particular,
was used as a tea substitute by France during the 18th and 19th centuries when British maritime blockades
cut Europe off from sources of Camellia sinensis.
Henbit (pink blooms) and speedwell (blue blooms) among crimson clover
The broad beans (Vicia faba) continue sprouting out of the ground, promising an impressive number of plants
for the spring.
Shells and gravel kicked in from the pathways accumulate in the soil
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�This week’s research centered around searching 18th-century editions of The Virginia Almanack, many of
which were published in Williamsburg, for references to “monthly observations on gardening”. These fruitful
efforts will be the subject of a future article or lecture. Of note, however, was the discovery of an early use of
the term lima bean in Virginia.
Title page from 1776 almanac in New York Public Library
The Colonial Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather permitting.
Cooper – The Coopers attended the first sessions of Winter Training this week. Production in the Shop is
currently focused on buckets and tubs for use in the Historic Area.
The Cooper Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – This week, goals were entered. Lynn is updating William's progress for the year, and together,
they are coming up with ideas to meet apprenticeship requirements this year. And like for everyone else,
winter training has begun. William's copperplate work continues as the sunlight allows, as well as some
drawing exercises. Lynn is continuing work on Wheelwright Murphy's protractor. William also fit in a sterling
silver ladle the Silversmiths made.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�The Engraving Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Fifes and Drums – It's been a quiet month at Fife and Drum, but there's been a flurry of activity behindthe-scenes. The adult staff are preparing for the Annual Meeting with all Corps-members and their families.
There, we will talk about the year we've had, give some reminders to the group, do most of our annual
trainings, look to the year ahead, and give awards to those who have been truly outstanding. Among these
awards are three scholarships for graduating seniors. We will proudly announce the winners in next week's
edition! In addition to all that prep, we have been using this time to work on the fundamentals with both
Corps and prepare for the upcoming year of performances. To help with this process, we appointed David
Degaraff as Sergeant Major. This leadership position is the highest a Corps member can rise in our program.
Congratulations, Sergeant Major Degaraff! We'd also like to welcome Morgan Shimp, Darian Guillory, Dominic
Le Gouellec, AJ Harvey, and William Mason to the Junior Corps as new Privates. Lastly, a big thank you to the
Foundry for making new J-hooks for the drums! We'll get going on replacing the old ones and start our year
sounding our best!
Foodways – Foodways has had quite the busy few weeks! We successfully made it to England and back
again, having seen and learned much. Over the course of the trip, we delved into the kitchens of two Royal
Palaces, a fellow living history site, The British Library, the Victoria and Albert Museum, a walking tour of
London, and the Mill at Winchester. The fellow historians and interpreters that we worked with and met
along the way were all wonderfully accommodating and invaluable in their knowledge on historic foodways
during the 18th century and the surrounding periods. Since being back in our newly painted Kitchen at the
Governor’s Palace, we have started the projects that will follow us into 2023. Dom has been diligently putting
together a presentation for future talks and trainings on the operations of the Governor’s Kitchen in relation
to the household. Abbey put together a full report on the research trip to England (complete with pictures),
Barbara will be looking to add new 18th-century cookbooks to our collection, and Frank has been guiding us
while we gear up for the spring Workshops and programs. This coming week, we will be traveling to
Richmond for the 20th annual Historical Chocolate Society Convention, hosted by MARS, INC.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – Another week has passed, and another Workshop has sold-out. We were also able to attend
the beginning of the Winter Symposium. Journeyman Mike has continued to work on the silver shoe buckles
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�for the Millinery Shop, while Apprentice Leanne finished up her Courthouse Key, and Drew finished another
order of 500 musket balls for the Musket Range.
Leanne & Drew’s Courthouse Keys
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-4:30).
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith Shop is open Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Historic Farming – Retired Historic Farmer Wayne Randolph, who farmed at Colonial Williamsburg for
thirty-seven years, visited us to talk about our barshare plow. Wayne pioneered the research of the
“Pennsylvania type” barshare, and it is the only known reproduction of one in North American museums. In
2007, we went to the Landis Valley Farm and Museum in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to select an original on
which the replica was based. Historic Trades Carpenter (at the time) Steve Chabra did the woodwork, and
Master Blacksmith Ken Schwarz did the metal work. We have used this plow for fifteen years and know the
dynamics of plowing with it very well.
Wayne Randolph
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Underside of plow
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Wayne plowing in 2012
Joinery – The Joiners are finally loosening their cravats and letting down their hair now that the 25th
Woodworking Conference is behind them. The presentations were top-notch, and everyone has taken a bit of
inspiration back to the Shop with them.
Scott has been dimensioning and dressing the stock he'll be using for his corner cupboard's paneled
door. He's been using a combination of hatchets, draw knives, and planes to do that work.
Laura is planing material for her first dove-tailed drawer that will give her much needed storage space
on her workbench. The drawer will be built of pine, so she's getting a better feel for the predominant material
used in the Shop.
Brian has been hard at work finishing the pilaster that was part of his presentation at the conference
and is now eyeing the lathe that he started back in 2020.
Peter is going to be menacing for a Maker's Fellowship with the Winterthur Institute for the next two
weeks, but before leaving, he has managed to test-fit the first section of his paneled arch! There's a lot going
on, and everyone is excited to keep working on their projects!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�The Joinery is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and
Thursday.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – On Sunday, we relocated to the Education Studio at the Museum to
teach a workshop for the companions of attendees at the Working Wood Symposium. We’ve done workshops
for the conference for years, and it’s always fun
to catch up with the familiar, friendly faces that
return again and again. Since the conference was
virtual the past two years, and we all missed the
opportunity to congregate and sew together, we
decided to make this “return to in-person”
workshop extra special. Instead of offering a
single project, we decided to host a pincushionmaking extravaganza and offered six different
pincushion shapes, both 18th- and 19th-century
in origin, from which our participants could
choose. These included a bunny, a mouse, a
carrot, a heart, a square, or a slipper. From the
smiles at the end of the day, we think we can
safely say that fun was had by all, and we look
forward to seeing everyone back again next year.
In other news this week, the revival of “She Had On When She Went Away” premiered on
Thursday. We’re thrilled to be reunited with Hope, Dierdre, and Zakiyyah to continue to share the selfliberation stories of Betty, Sarah, and Lucy for a new group of Guests this winter. Preparations continue for
our March Hennage program as well. Our needles have been flying through garment after garment to put
together four different 1769 outfits, and we’re starting to feel the pressure with only a few more weeks to go.
In between winter training, we also spent some time in Collections this week studying and measuring some
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�extant pieces that require some reproduction millinery items for the new textiles exhibit that will be opening
in July.
The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Tuesday (12:00-4:30) and Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at
9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office – The Printing Office is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Bindery – The Bookbindery is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday.
Shoemaker – The Shoe Shop’s production continues along the lines of last week. Nicole has one more lift
to add to finish shoes for Teal Brooks, and she is currently building an instep leather for Mark Hutter. On
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Thursday, all three of us attended the “People, Land, and Seasons” training at the Hennage. Val renewed his
certificate for the Historic Area Building Use Agreement and continues reading Trust & Inspire for next
Monday’s meeting. Victoria, alongside Ren Tolson of Military Programs, was contacted as a member of the
Gender and Sexual Diversity Research Committee to give advice and edit a script for PBS focused on
Thomas/Thomasine Hall. This request was based on previous research and programs made about the Hall
case that we have done for June’s Pride and October’s LGBTQIA History Month Programing. She was excited
to be consulted and can’t wait to see the future content!
Shoe for Teal Brooks
Instep leather for Mark Hutter
The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Silversmith – The Silversmiths are trudging through the gloomy weather with hopes of spring. Megan
continues to work on the tray rim, rings, and her bowl. Chris almost finished the repair work on silver arm
bands for our colleagues at the American Indian Initiative. Bobbie has been chasing and setting the well of her
tray. Preston has been polishing his finished bowl as well as a ladle. George has rolled out more ingots and
has gathered up pieces of a silver tankard that has been on the to-do list. Megan has been reading Women
Silversmiths 1685 – 1845.
The arm bands Chris has been repairing
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Bobbie’s tray is more defined after chasing the lines
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Preston’s finished projects
The silver tankard in progress
The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – Our green and red cotton stripe has been up and running for over
a week now, and it's looking lovely. While it may appear like a very fine fabric, in the 18th century, this quality
of fabric wasn't particularly expensive. Our looms are not the latest and greatest 18th-century technology.
Therefore, we cannot hope to produce the nicest things that were being worn and used. The loom this fabric
is on is 11th-century technology at the very minimum!
The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�Wigmaker – Hello from your favorite Wigmakers! This past week, we continued to plow through
maintenance work and progress on our projects. Edith did a filming at the Powell House with colleague Mem
for an upcoming exhibit in the DeWitt Wallace. She dressed Mem's hair on camera, and it came out
beautifully. She has completed the netting for her Journeyman wig, as well. Benton has been doing some
preliminary diving into a new transcription of Edward Charlton's Account Book in coordination with Librarian
Doug Mayo at the Rockefeller Library and Historian Cathy Hellier. Debbie has been reading materials for an
upcoming training and sifting through old documents that pre-date her time with CW to determine what can
be kept and what can possibly be archived at the Library. We have received new requests for Evening
Programs and will begin to style those soon. As always, please feel free to reach out with any tonsorial needs,
large or small.
Photo credit: Neal Hurst
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Anthony Hay Shop – Bill Pavlak (Cabinetmaker); Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Brickmaker –
Madeleine Bolton; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Colonial Garden – Marc Nucup; Cooper – Jon Hallman; Engraver
– Lynn Zelesnikar; Fifes and Drums – Rebecca Sterner; Foundry –Drew Godzik; Historic Farming – Ed Schultz;
Joiner – Peter Hudson; Milliner and Mantua-maker – Rebecca Godzik; Shoemaker – Val Povinelli; Silversmith –
Megan Cantwell; Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 5
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
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2015-
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 5, February 4, 2023
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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2023-02-04
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
January 27, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop – The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Monday and Wednesday
through Saturday.
Apothecary – This week, we're keeping busy finishing our Performance Management SMART goals (that's
Sialogogues, Mundifiers, Astringents, Relaxants, and Thoriacs, right?) but also continuing with some individual
projects. Mark will be making a new batch of syrup of lemon juice, a sweet, acidic agent to cleanse the throat
and cool the body. Sharon is a third of the way through cross-checking the Galt-Barraud Ledger A - finding
individuals like Mr. Godfrey, who in 1798 paid Dr. Galt for six months' board. Margaret gave a virtual talk on
mental illness and the Public Hospital to the Teacher Institute on January 19th and is learning more details of
patient life by going through 19th-century treatment records.
The Apothecary Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – With the woodworking conference in town, the Blacksmith Shop has been focusing on
tools relevant to the attendants: Ken has been working hard on chisels, holdfasts, and hatchets; Mark on
knives for marquetry; and Aislinn, Alex, and Josh on hammers big and small. Broadus has been sticking to
kitchen utensils, filing and finishing spoons and ladles, and Alex has been working on calipers, as well. For this
week’s Guest comment, we heard the following: “We come here to see the Historic Trades, because where
else in the world can you see such unique talents as those of Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Tradespeople?”
During the Shop’s Research Day, most went to the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library to study architectural
drawings of the gates that were reconstructed for the Governor’s Palace. The group then moved on to
archaeology to study pieces recovered from the Anderson site, while assisting archaeologists in properly
identifying objects based on our extensive knowledge of period ironwork. Alex was the main exception,
spending the day at William & Mary’s Swem Library. He read through the Jerdone Family papers for
descriptions of Providence Forge, the nearest ironworks to Williamsburg, which produced bars of iron for
forging, as well as axes, hoes, and a few other implements. Whether decorated or plain, keep it out of the
rain, for all’s well that falls well at the foot of the anvil.
The Blacksmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Tinsmith – This week, our first day was busy in the Tin Shop. We are still down one person, but it did
not feel like it as we had both our Intern Soren and Caitlin, a visiting tinsmith from the Frontier Culture
Museum, working with us. As usual, we are filling out orders, many from outside the Foundation.
This year is the Tin Shop’s “tin anniversary” (ten years), and we had commemorative caps made for
ourselves. The first Tinsmith was hired on July 1st, 2013, and the Shop officially opened that same year in the
fall. Inspired by the Armoury’s logo originally designed by Erik Goldstein, from which the banners, CW initials,
and crossed sabers were borrowed, the Tin Shop logo shows a horn-paned lantern typical of those used in the
navies of the period, and the years 1778 – 1780, the period of activity of the Historic Shop. Yes, all the
lanterns of that type that we have examined were green.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�Both Caitlin and Soren are seen here working on gill cups.
Lately, Steve finished two iron candlesticks and a horn-paned lantern (lanthorn).
The commemorative cap with the logo
The Tin Shop is open Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�Brickmaker – This week in the Brickyard saw continued work on unstacking the kiln, and some paving as
well. The paving in question is under our drying shed, as it requires a level ground surface. Establishing this
paving will allow the Carpenters to have a surface to work off to start on siding. Otherwise, this week, the
crew pondered goals for the months to come, and then some.
The Brickyard is open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters have started to make the half-lapped boards for the shuttered
windows at the Farm site. Mary and Harold have both continued to install the clapboard siding for the gable.
On Thursday, Mary and Matt helped with the behind-the-scenes tour at the Robert Carter House for the
woodworking conference, and Harold will present onstage at the Hennage for the conference, as well. It’s
always a busy time of the year.
The Carpenters will primarily be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather
permitting. The site will be closed 12:30-2:00pm on Tuesday, January 31.
Colonial Garden – It is still very much winter in the Historic Garden, but some of the plants have started
to respond to the lengthening days as we approach spring. Greens from daffodils (Narcissus spp.) and
Leucojum (Leucojum aestivum) are visible around the Garden, our recently planted broad bean (Vicia faba)
seeds are starting to germinate, and our overwintered cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) plants have started to
form heads. This week, the Historic Gardeners finished the annual turning of our compost piles and, on the
warmer days, did some weeding and cleaning around the Garden beds. We sent several lettuces, two
varieties of turnips, sweet potatoes, dried peppers, and an assortment of herbs to the Historic Cooks at the
Governor's Palace Kitchen.
This week also contained a noteworthy date in history for the site of our Garden: January 21st, 1776,
the day that the house formerly rented to cabinetmaker Peter Scott burnt to the ground. In a letter to George
Washington, Edmund Randolph writes, "Mr. Custis's Tenement, where Scott lived, opposite to the Church, was
burned to the ground, by the Negligence of some of the Soldiers, who had been quartered there. The Wind,
being due South, the out-house escaped Flames. The Difficulty of saving the Church became thereby very
great. The Country are surely answerable for this Damage, as it accrued in their Service."
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�A head of cauliflower starting to form (left). Lettuce, turnips, sweet potatoes, dried peppers, and herbs from the Garden (right).
Volunteer Chip and Apprentice Marc turn the last of the compost pile
The Colonial Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather permitting.
Cooper – The Cooper Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraving Shop has been getting used to our new schedule change and working on our
goals for the year. There have been a few custom orders completed, and a few new ones for which we are
preparing. There has been lots of drawing, as usual, and getting in some practice. William has worked on
custom orders including a heart pendant and is today working on a sterling ladle and completing a copper
plate. Hopefully, the Shop will fit in some printing here soon.
Lynn has been working on an 18k wedding ring for the Silversmiths, a pewter buckle pattern for the
Founders is being engraved (this will be a pattern for casting), and Wheelwright Apprentice Murphy’s Paul
Bunyan-sized protractor is being cleaned up. The protractor was delivered with the brass sheet mounted, and
there will be some stoning and hand polishing before the engraving can be laid out. The layout will be
penciled on, then hand cut.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�The Engraving Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Foodways – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – This week started off with another sold-out Workshop. While Apprentices Drew and Leanne
helped guide the Guests through the finishing work on their spoons, Journeyman Mike made sure to replenish
the supply so our full crowd this coming Saturday will be able to, as well. That afternoon, since the forge was
still hot, and we didn’t want to waste it, we all worked on replenishing our supplies of pewter buttons. If you
need any for upcoming projects, be sure to stop by; we have plenty. We Founders have also been looking
ahead for the year to develop our SMART goals, so exciting projects will be coming up soon!
Workshop
Casting spoons
Leanne and Drew both casting buttons
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�Buttons
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-4:30).
Gunsmith – This last week in the Gunsmith Shop, Darrin has been casting some brass mounts for the set of
pistols. After packing the damp sand around the wood patterns, the patterns are then removed, forming the
cavity where the 2000°+ molten brass will flow. There is an old phrase that comes from casting metal, "They
broke the mold when they made you". The mold is destroyed to remove the casting, so each one is unique.
Now the filing begins.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�The Gunsmith Shop is open Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Historic Farming – Apprentice Kevin Tobias
and Ed Schultz did some filming at Ewing Field
this week for the Development Department. The
new Farming site is completely funded by
generous contributions from Donors. We are
very grateful!
Kevin is filmed by Layne Chappell.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�The Innovation Studio filming team of Layne Chappell, Da-Veia Brown, and Leslie Clark, and Farmer Kevin Tobias.
Joinery – The Joinery is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – Greetings one and all from the Leather Breeches Maker Shop. With our
second week behind us, we are beginning to get ourselves settled in and are getting comfortable with our new
direction.
We are very excited this week to have a special guest join us in the Shop. Mr. Sam McGinty has joined
us from the Frontier Culture Museum, where he is their Costume Coordinator. Thanks to an exchange
program that is being developed between The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and The Frontier Culture
Museum, he is here receiving a crash course in the trade of Leather Breeches Making. Sam is no stranger to
the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation having worked for three years with our Military Programs Department
and is excited to be back for this opportunity. Sam will be with us through Monday, January 30th. Please feel
free to stop by to say hello and check out his progress.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�In other, less happy, news, Journeyman Jan Tilley will be taking some time away from the Shop due to the
aggressive advancement of his cancer. He would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming outpouring of
love and support and hopes to be able to reach a point in his treatments where he will be able to return. He
does ask that any and all who feel so inclined come down to the Leather Breeches Maker Shop and write a
small missive in a book that was graciously presented to him by our colleagues in the Bookbindery.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�Thank you to everyone who has stopped by to visit our new operation, and we look forward to serving you in
all of your Leather Breeches needs.
“Non Sanguinem in Corio”
“Don’t Bleed on the Leather”
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Military Programs – Military Programs has been working diligently on finalizing their goals for the year,
as well as adjusting to their new curriculum! Military Programs is officially the second Skill to implement a
curriculum to advance their skills and knowledge as the Department moves into some exciting years ahead.
Unfortunately, we are also adjusting to the loss of Josh Bucchioni, who has recently departed from our
staff. We wish him the best in his future endeavors, and as a tribute, would like to show off two of his newest
creations before he left.
FRENCH FLAGS
The flags (Drapeaux) carried by French forces in the American Revolution had a much larger variety of styles
than those used within the British Army. For the most part, the French regiments that served in North
America were divided into two battalions. The 1st of the Battalions carried a Drapeau Colonel or Colonel’s
flag. This was generally a white flag with a white cross and white embroidery, though a few units carried
something a bit different to reflect that regiment’s background. Many American artists and others that tried
to depict or describe the Drapeau Colonel did not do so correctly, and so many modern reproductions based
on these accounts are filled with errors. The 2nd Battalion of the regiment carried a Drapeau d’Ordonnance or
Ordonnance flag, that was usually much more colorful with its four quadrants varying in color and design
depending on the regiment. These designs were reflected in the embroidery upon the Drapeau Colonel.
For much more detailed information, see the upcoming book to be published by Mr. Steven Hill of DuPage
Military flags. Mr. Hill was kind enough to contribute his thoughts and research into the French flags below.
The Régiment de Gâtinais was a new regiment within the French Army that had been formed in 1776
by separating the 2nd and 4th Battalions of the Régiment d’Auvergne. The new unit was numbered behind
the Auvergne in seniority (17th & 18th) within the French designation system. The designs of the
Drapeaux for the Gâtinais was also an offshoot of the Drapeaux used by the Auvergne, of which the cantons
had been violet and black in opposition. For the new ordonnance flags, the outer portion of each canton was
cut off, rotated one canton over, and resewn diagonally. The unit served with distinction at the Siege of
Yorktown, and elements participated in the assault on Redoubt #9. Their performance in the assault earned
them a new regimental title granted by the King, “Royal
Auvergne”, in 1782.
This reproduction (right) is fairly straightforward in its
white-on-white-on-white configuration, with the embroidery
matching the color changes in the Ordonnance flag. Since no
original French flags of this style are extant, there is some
speculation as to how wide and thick the embroidery was on
the flag. The decision was made to perhaps over-emphasize
the stitches in order to have them more visible and show a
difference in texture on the flag. The idea was to have the flag
appear as more than just a “surrender” flag that the average
person assumes it to be.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�This reproduction (left) was slightly more complex because a
number of modern sources not only disagree on the colors
used, but also in their placement on the flag. Going back to
the original French regulations, the Gâtinais used the same
color scheme as the Auvergne, and that was clearly
documented violet and black. The most common mistake is
that many modern sources rotate the flag 90 degrees from the
orientation of this reproduction. The original sources say
nothing about which way is correct, and in fact, it could have
varied at different times. The best source we have depicting
this flag during the war are several versions of the painting
“The Surrender of Yorktown” by Louis-Nicolas van
Blarenberghe. Van Blarenberghe was very precise in his
details of the French Army and had a number of witnesses
give him notes on the surrender. He depicted all of the French Drapeaux with a great degree of accuracy. The
Drapeaux of the Régiment de Gâtinais were depicted as seen to the left, and his works were the guide for
these reproductions. https://americanhistory.si.edu/american-revolution/yorktown-triumph-alliance/siegeand-surrender
Siege and Surrender | National Museum of American History
This French perspective of the Yorktown surrender was the Comte de Rochambeau’s copy of a
painting done for King Louis XVI. It emphasizes the British soldiers, in red, parading in humiliating
surrender at Yorktown before their French enemies, decked in blue.
americanhistory.si.edu
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – Ishbel Newton, our NIAHD Intern, begins her semester adventures into
our 18th-century world today! We hope she will enjoy her time with us - you know, a little sewing, some fun,
some study, and some skilled sharing with our Guests, amongst other good times.
In other endeavors, we are working on the two gowns commissioned by the Delaware First State
Heritage Park and the clothing we are making for our “Women’s History Month” program – Disaster Strikes!
The rational for this program is framed around the idea of:
Whatever is a girl to do if the house burns down and all you have to wear is your sleeping shift,
slippers, and a blanket? Fortunately, you had the presence of mind to grab your pocket with your
pocketbook on the way out the window, so there is money available. Well, a complete outfit from skin
out, head-to-toe, is among the first order of business.
This program explores the cost of one single complete ensemble based on the prices set down in a 1769-1770
daybook from Louisa County. What fun we have had debating the cost of an Irish linen gown at 1s 6d a yard
verses a Virginia Cloth fabric at 2s the yard! Thanks to our wonderful Weavers down the street for helping us
with that particular question.
But our best and biggest news this week: Kate has completed her Apprenticeship curriculum for Level 1
and is now working industriously into the next phase of her studies.
Your regular correspondent will be back next week.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range, as with all other staffs, is finalizing our goals for the year. This is
exciting for us because it's happening while we are in the process of transitioning to a new Supervisor, Jeff
Thomas. Jeff has been with the Musket Range since its creation in 2016, and no one knows the unit
better. We wish him great success as he works into his new role. Also, for the first time since its beginning,
one of our staff, Scott Bradford, is endeavoring to learn gun repair and maintenance along with Christopher
Grieb from Military Programs. They have also been collaborating on some new program ideas for the future
experiences for CW Guests to try out at the Range and see at Military Programs. We will keep you posted as
things develop.
Finally, as mentioned previously, the Musket Range is hiring! We are still accepting applications for
two new Musket Range Instructor positions, so if you know someone who might be a good fit for us, please
encourage them to apply!
The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office – Friday, January 27th, 2023, was a big day for the Printers. We have finished
printing, sorting, and folding sections of “Every Man his own Doctor” and shifted to newspaper printing for the
foreseeable future.
The Printing Office is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Bindery – The Bookbindery is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday.
Shoemaker – Val, Victoria, and Nicole are working on their goals for the 2023 Goal Planning on UKG. Val is
reading Trust & Inspire by Stephen M.R. Covey, for his February and March meetings. Victoria is almost done
with a pair of slippers, and Nicole is nearly done with a pair of common shoes for Teal Brooks. Val is closing
uppers for a pair of shoes going to Tim Logue. To continue with Victoria’s apprenticeship, the Shop just made
a batch of black wax, which is used to coat our sewing threads. Val is starting to put together an order list for
the Shop’s leather dressing project.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�Victoria making black wax
The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Silversmith – The Silversmiths are busy … silversmithing! Megan continues to work on the tray rim, her
mote spoon, trade silver, and her bowl. Chris has flattened her tray and is doing repair work on silver arm
bands for our colleagues at the American Indian Initiative. Bobbie has been chasing and began the process of
setting the well of her tray. Preston has finished a silver gurney bowl and continues to work on more. They’re
very popular items among our Guests. George has been rolling sheet silver from our ingots and has been
hammering out more spoons. Bobbie has been deciphering more of Ann Craig’s will.
Megan’s various projects under her work bench (left). Chris malleting the silver arm bands back into shape (right).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�The silver armbands are starting to look much more uniform.
Bobbie setting the well of her tray with a mallet
Preston’s gurney bowl
The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Tailor – This week, the Tailors have been busy collaborating with other Shops, Sites, and Departments
across the Foundation. Master Mark Hutter has spent several afternoons teaching the interpretive staff of the
Palace to decipher the lists of clothing and textiles ordered for Lord Dunmore and his household, and to better
understand what those items tell us about the people, both free and enslaved, who occupied those spaces in
the 18th century. From silver-laced livery uniforms worn by footmen to strong shoes and durable linen
Oznabrigs worn by those who labored on the Governor's plantation, and from the fashionable earrings "set
like daimonds" (sic) ordered for Mrs. Scott, a high-ranking servant in the household, to his Lordship's own
high-quality but unadorned suits, the clothing described gives insight to the activities, personalities, needs,
and experiences of the people of the past.
Journeyman Michael McCarty has begun working with Mathew Gnagy, the new Manager of the
Department of Historical Clothing and Dress (formerly the Costume Design Center) to learn digital pattern
drafting methods using the Illustrator program. While we will always draft the patterns for the garments that
we make using historic hand-methods, we can employ digital-methods when recording patterns from original
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�garments, which can help to minimize handling of the antique and better ensure its preservation. McCarty is
also working with Gnagy to pattern a new suit for Nation Builder Mark Schneider when he portrays the
Marquis de Lafayette during the hero's return to the United States in 1824. The coat for the new suit is based
in part on a rare original from the collection of The Museum of the Daughters of the American Revolution that
McCarty and Hutter studied, patterned, and published in the exhibit catalogue, "An Agreeable Tyrant."
This week, Hutter and Apprentice Tim Logue spent time with Gnagy and staff examining original gloves
in the CWF Collection. Although glove makers were a trade unto themselves in the 18th century, Hutter and
Logue have previously studied and made gloves in order to have accurate accessories to the clothing that they
produce as Tailors. They are pleased to work with HC&D staff as they venture into glove making to provide
appropriate hand-wear for CW's costumed interpreters. One of the original gloves in the CWF Collection has a
feature of special historical interest: the ink stamp of the original maker, along with a small paper stamp glued
to the interior recording the three-pence duty paid. From 1785 until 1794, a minor tax was levied against the
dealer of each pair of gloves sold in England. This was part of a much larger effort to increase government
finances in order to pay for the late war.
Original coat in DAR collection, accession # 81 (left). Stamps inside original glove in CWF Collection, accession # 1936-596 (right).
Gloves made by Hutter based on originals worn by George Washington.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – We've had an exciting week! We had to do some re-arranging of office furniture in order to
prevent any fire hazards, and it has resulted in both Debbie and Edith being much happier with their desk
placement. Benton is still in his same general location, but his desk orientation has changed a bit, as well. So
far, we've enjoyed having more open space for moving around. In project news, Edith continues to work on
her linen netting for her Journeyman wig. Benton is making headway on his Brigadier wig, and Debbie has
been working on a new netted silk base. As always, feel free to reach out to us for any tonsorial needs.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Armoury –Alex Hinman (Blacksmith) and Steve Delisle (Tinsmith);
Brickmaker – Madeleine Bolton; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Colonial Garden – Teal Brooks; Engraver – Lynn
Zelesnikar; Foundry – Leanne Bellouny; Gunsmith – Darrin McDonal; Historic Farming – Ed Schultz; Leather
Breeches Maker – Jan Tilley; Military Programs – Justin Chapman; Milliner and Mantua-maker – Janea
Whitacre; Musket Range – Justin Chapman; Printing Office and Bindery – Peter Stinely (Printer); Shoemaker –
Val Povinelli; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Tailor – Mark Hutter; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 4, January 27, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-01-27
-
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PDF Text
Text
THE MECHANICK'S ADVISER
September 29, 2023
Apothecary – Stephannie and Margaret have
been busy this week reading, compiling papers, and
prepping for future programs. Margaret continues
to prepare work for the two hospital-related
conferences in October: she'll be at the
commemorative events on Oct. 12-14, as well as
the Omohundro Institute "Contested Freedoms"
conference on the 27th. Stephannie has been
reading and revising our 'shop files' folders,
evaluating currently held research on subjects like
hygiene, occupational health, and currency with
the aim of updating our shop's knowledge for the
future. We also rustled up a simple line of
interrupted sutures for a sewing-themed
photoshoot!
Suturing a piece of leather with a curved needle, linen
bolsters provide support for the skin between knots.
The Apothecary is open Sunday through Thursday.
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith shop is open Thursday through Tuesday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Cabinetmaker –The Cabinetmaker is open Thursday through Monday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Carpenter – The carpenters have been working on clapboards for the drying house walls. Mary has
undertaken the building of her draw bench, and Harold is practicing brace layout/cut and test fitting.
We would also like to welcome our newest apprentice, McKinley Groves. Stop by and say hi.
Clapboards installed on wagon shed.
The Carpenter is open, weather permitting, Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Cook – Over the last couple of weeks, we have been busy over in the kitchen getting our fall intern from
William and Mary, Aubry, accustomed to the foods of the 18th century. Aubry spent about four days with us
as a part of her coursework, and it was a fun and educational experience for all! Aubry has made bread,
cheese on toast, a salad for summer, and stewed shrimp thus far. Since she has been enjoying herself so much,
she has come to spend extra time working with us outside of her required 10 hours a week. This Wednesday,
the team also had the pleasure of heading over to Christiana Campbell's for a tasting with the Chefs from
Hospitality. They have a new menu launching as a part of a special program bringing Native and African flavors
to the dishes created by Campbell's, and we were all thrilled with the selections we sampled, as well as the
opportunity to be included in the tasting.
Aubry with her Manchette bread dough.
Aubry preparing the bake oven for bread.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Engraver – The Engravers have been working hard on many presentation pieces. Emma has been working
on her apprenticeship drawings. William has also worked on trade silver from the silversmiths and bottle
tickets. Lynn has recently finished the print for the Wheelwrights and has been watercoloring them and
capitol seal prints. Also assisting in polishing the Gifts the Founders made.
Clockwise from top left:
Emma's drawing.
Watercolored seal.
Bronze seal.
The Engraving shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Farming – The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market
Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the
Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Gardener – Scarlet runner beans (Phaseolus coccineus) in the American Indian Garden continue to bloom
as we move into fall with even some late Nantikoke squash (Cucurbita maxima) blossoms in evidence. Corn
(Zea mays) and sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) have been harvested with select stalks left in place for the
beans to climb. The crowd favorite castor plants (Ricinus communis) have been removed from the north
quarter in order to turn, hoe, and raise beds for the fall planting. The apprentice's favorite flowers have
prolifically bloomed over the last two weeks: Colchicum autumnale and Mirabilis jalapa.
Clockwise from top left:
The American Indian Garden will be allowed to go fallow this winter rather than be cleared and planted with a cover crop.
A bed cleared and (mostly) turned awaits the fall planting.
All the flowers of genus Colchicum are toxic.
This yellow mirabilis flower displays magenta spots, the plant can have variously colored blossoms on the same plant.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmiths are open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Harpsichordmaker – Greetings from the harpsichord corner....
Melanie has begun joining the spruce pieces that will form the soundboard. Spruce trees do not grow large
enough to make one or even two-piece spinet soundboards. She must glue several pieces together to
accommodate the size of the soundboard. It means really accurate planing of the edges of each piece. This
one, based on the Harris original, is big, so some long joins are necessary!
Ed has begun making bone arcades that will decorate the front ends of the natural keys. The end grain of the
wooden levers was considered ugly, so mouldings or ivory/bone decorations masked that part. He soaks the
bone pieces in vinegar overnight to soften them, then cuts a circular decoration with a profiled drill bit. Then
he saws the circles in half and thus gains two half-moon decorations. Later he will glue the arcades one by
one to each of the keys. The effect will be beautiful. Come see how we are doing all this. Cheers.
Clockwise from top left:
Melanie Jointing Soundboard
Pieces by Planing.
Soundboard Pieces Beigh
Glued.
Ed Drill Arcade Profiles
Finished Arcades for Natural
Keys
The Harpsichordmakers are open Sunday and Monday, Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Joiner – It's been a busy time in the Joiner shop! Laura has been cutting dovetails for the engraver's toolbox
case, which will form the main body of the box, and then will have more joints to cut later for a drawer and
shallow tray. Peter has made himself a new mallet- the head is dogwood, and the handle is hickory- an
indispensable tool at the joiner's bench. Brian had the opportunity while on a much-deserved vacation to visit
the American College of Building Arts in Charleston, SC, which specializes in teaching trades important to
historical preservation like architectural carpentry and stonework, plasterwork, and blacksmithing.
All hands have also been working on creating a set of over 40 cherry gift boxes for donors, to be presented in
October with pieces produced by other Trade shops.
Peter's new dogwood mallet.
Laura's toolbox dovetails in progress.
The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Leather Breeches Maker – Greetings! Last week, apprentices Emma and Wilson had the opportunity
to attend a workshop held at the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, VA. The workshop focused on brain
tanning, a method used by Eastern woodland tribes during the 18th century to process deer and other skins.
The workshop also examined the political, economic, and cultural significance and impacts of the skin trade.
The workshop was taught by Talon Silverhorn, and both apprentices learned a great deal of hands-on skills as
well as amazing historical knowledge and research. This trip was made possible because of gifts to our shop,
and we are very grateful to donors who give to historic trades to enable us to access such opportunities. While
on the topic of thanks, A huge thank you to FCM for hosting this amazing workshop. We also thank the Tailor
and Shoe shops for helping interpret the LBM shop while the apprentices were away.
As a reminder, we are doing
inventory at this time and ask
anyone with leather breeches to
bring them in for review during the
times listed below:
A-L last names, between Sept.
26th- 30th. M-Z last names,
between Oct. 10th- 14th.
Supervisors, please check that
your current (and any former)
reports bring their breeches in to
be inventoried.
Clockwise from top left:
Emma attaching the skin to
frame, preparing to scrape
the epidermis off.
Wilson breaking the skin after
tanning.
Dry scraping the hair off a
deer skin.
Talon, Emma, and Wilson with
a finished brain-tanned and
smoked deerskin.
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Mason – The Brickyard is open Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting.
Military Programs – With the weather changing to cooler Autumn temperatures, Military Programs
has moved core programming indoors while continuing outside drill and musket demonstrations. Staff have
been at work preparing equipment for the first "In Defense Of Our Liberty!" programs by giving the muskets
a good, quarterly deep clean.
Additionally, Military Programs sent a group to the Frontier Culture Museum's "Global Tempest:
Revolutionary War Weekend." CW Staff focused on the 80th Regiment of Foot's presence in Edinburgh,
Scotland prior to sailing for New York. The CW contingent was joined by living history groups from around
the region, including the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.
In tandem with our collaboration with the Frontier Culture Museum, Military Programs also completed its
second Homeschool Group Workshop. We look forward to working with the Homeschool groups again in the
Spring!
Left: "The 80th Regiment encamped, prior to Guest arrival, at the Frontier Culture Museum's "Global Tempest: A Revolutionary War Weekend." “
Right: Looking into the Guardhouse from the north porch windows.
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Musket Range –The Musket Range is open (Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�The Printing Office – The Press continues to work off 5,000 copies of pages two and three of the main
body of the current gazette. David Wilson has a column and a half remaining of typesetting to complete his
news supplement. David has also printed additional labels for the cabinetmakers.
Cecelia Weaver has completed the typesetting for “An American Parody on the old song Rule Britannia.”
Next, Cecelia will set a colophon, proof, correct, then print this item. Copies will likely be given to our
guests as a keepsake for visiting The Printing Office.
The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Silversmith –The Silversmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Tailor – Despite grey skies this week, the tailors have been busy in the shop. Mr. Logue, apprentice, is
working on a coat out of worsted wool. Mr. Hutter and Mr. McCarty have been assisting him in the making of
the 28 "deathshead" buttons for the coat. These buttons are made by covering wooden button molds with
silk twist (thread). In the 18th century, they would have been made in a cottage industry in and around
London, employing women and children.
Deathshead buttons look complicated, but the technique can be learned quite quickly.
The Tailor is open Sunday through Thursday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – This past Tuesday was Dye Day! We spent the month leading up to the
big day spinning as much yarn as we possibly could. We were able to put together ten skeins of our Leicester
Longwool, and we cannot wait to see these go off to a good home. With indigo blue, logwood purple,
cochineal red, and fustic yellow, our handspun yarn is now a veritable rainbow. If anyone ever has fabric in
need of dyeing, please ensure the following: all fabric has finished hems, all fabric is labeled with your name
and desired color, and all fabric is brought to us no less than one week prior to dye day.
Handspun yarn dyed with indigo, logwood, and fustic
The Weaver is open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�Wheelwright –As September nearly closes, this week at the Wheelwright finds Journeyman Carpenter
Ayinde nearly finishing a sandbox for Masonry Trades, Journeyman Wheelwright Murphy nearly finishing
the Velocipede and Master Paul nearly finishing the undercarriage of the wagon.
Above: A Carpenter admiring his work.
Below: A wagon fore-undercarriage assembly.
The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Friday.
Wigmaker – The Wigmakers are open Sunday through Thursday.
Director – Ted will have open office hours: Tuesday 11-12, Thursday 1-3, Friday 12-2
As a reminder, my office is above the Weaver's Shop.
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills publication.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 34
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 34, September 29, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-09-29
-
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Text
THE MECHANICK'S ADVISER
September 8, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Sunday through Thursday.
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith shop is open Thursday through Tuesday.
Bookbinder – I am happy to report that Volunteer Bookbinder Bob Lyon is an enormous blessing! Bob has
jumped right in and fits seamlessly into the flow of our little bindery. Dale Dippre describes Bob as one of the
most knowledgeable people he has ever known on the subject of 18th-century bookbinding, and we are
happily basking in the lessons he gives. He also has a wicked sense of humor, and you can often hear peals of
laughter coming from upstairs when he is around!
Bob Lyon trims paper for the Homeschool Program presented twice in September.
The Bookbinder is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Cabinetmaker –At long last, Bill completed his copy of an 18th-century English writing table based on an
original displayed in the Randolph House. This table looks simple, but that is very deceptive. With multiple
adjusting mechanisms and a complex writing drawer, it can be used by one person sitting or standing, or by
two people - each with their own adjustable writing surface. The drawer space also includes two secret
drawers and a flip-out quadrant drawer for storing quills and ink wells. Meanwhile, John continues to progress
on his cellaret as he finished framing in the spaces and guide systems for its drawers.
Clockwise from top
left:
The completed
mahogany writing
table.
With the top angled
back and the writing
drawer open, the
table is now set for
two people, each with
their own work
surface.
The table with its
rising top for the
sitter to read, write,
or draw in comfort.
The table with its
double rising top
becomes a standing
desk.
The Cabinetmaker is open Thursday through Monday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Carpenter – The Carpenter is open, weather permitting, Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cooper – We continue to work on tubs to complete orders for two other museums. We also presented
workshops for home schoolers these past two Tuesdays.
A tub under construction.
The Cooper is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Engraver – The Engraving shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Farming – The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market
Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the
Play House Stage.
Founder – As usual, the Founders have been trucking along with our CW seals. With their impending due
date, the pewter spoons Apprentice Drew has been working on have taken a back seat. Apprentice Leanne
cast several brass bobeches: four for our "shell" candlestick and one for our candelabra. Journeyman Mike
has begun cleaning those up and says they're looking great.
Rough cast bobeche for the candelabra.
Rough cast bobeches for the shell sticks.
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Gardener – The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmiths are open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmakers are open Sunday and Monday, Thursday through
Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Mason – This week in the Brickyard the crew is starting to work on the site of the kiln to reclaim what
Mother Nature has covered. While we wait for the last bricks of the season to dry, ever so slowly it seems,
the kiln takes priority. You'll find us meticulously stacking the Clampe over the next few weeks.
Work on the kiln begins!
The Brickyard is open Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – This week, we welcomed our fall semester NIAHD intern, Rachel, to
the shop. Rachel has already made impressive progress on her first project - a sewing roll - and is beginning
to learn the shop's interpretation as she informally responds to questions from guests as she works. Janea
continues experimental work on a new "undress" style of jacket and petticoat, which is based on an image
from the CW collection. Rebecca's stays have been fit-checked by Master Tailor Mark and, after just a couple
of tweaks, will be ready for boning in a day or two. Kate has nearly finished the 1793 stays for the Lanah
Sawyer presentation; she has also been researching shawls from the late 1780s and early 1790s as she looks
towards the next phase of that project.
It’s the week of the stays! Kate’s 1793 stays on the left and Rebecca’s early 1770 stay on the right.
The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Musket Range – We recently had the lead removed from the berm at the Musket Range for the first time.
MT2 the company we chose to do the work, came out and performed the reclamation project. They removed
4845 pounds of lead for recycling. They then replaced the berm. We will continue adding lead until our next
reclamation project, which is slated for 2030.
New face on the berm and a barrel full of musket and fowler balls.
The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Printing Office – The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Shoemaker – The work continues as Victoria is nearly finished with a pair of slippers for Josh Graml, and
Nicole is nearly halfway through a pair of channel pumps with overshoes for Mark Hutter. Val has nearly
completed a pair of common shoes for himself. Val has also been in correspondence with the curator at the
Carroll County Farm Museum in Westminster Maryland regrading a cache of concealed shoes that was
recently donated to their institution.
Val looking for an instep leather to get a last up to the proper width.
The Shoemaker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Silversmith – Megan is engraving her fish trowel and working on her tray. Chris is continuing work on her
tray and has started to chase a bottle ticket. Bobbie has been making wire for the homeschool classes and
making more medallions. Preston is working on a fleet of bowls and polishing jewelry. George continues to
hammer ingots and draw wire.
Megan’s Fish trowel.
Chris’ Bottle ticket.
Bobbie’s Medallions.
Preston’s Bowls
The Silversmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Tin Plate Worker – “For by Hammer and Hand all arts do stand”, having traditional Blacksmiths as
neighbors is an immeasurable asset for the tin shop. Master Ken Schwarz has finished work on a sinking
hammer and started on a swaging tool for the Tin Shop. The polished hammerhead is ready for hafting,
something that will be done in the Tin Shop as the handles’ styles follow the preferences of the users. It is
bimetal in that the iron body and the welded steel faces are different metals, as it should be for the 18th
century. The "swage" will be copied from one in our collection that was given to the Foundation by Judy and
Bill McMillen. We did not yet have this specific tool in the shop, and both its style and the swaging pattern it
will form in the tinplate is appropriate for the shop’s period of activity and the 18th century in general. This
tool became necessary to fill out an order for a set of plate covers for Mount Vernon. The small two-bead
swage pattern will add rigidity and impart a touch of style to the otherwise plain covers.
Above: Hammer head ready for hafting.
To the right: Ken drawing the swaging tool from the original in the
collection.
The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – The Weaver is open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Wheelwright –After a long absence, our Junior Wheelwright Liam has returned. This week, he set forth
on making dowels for upcoming jobs.
Young Liam dowelling away.
The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�Wigmaker – Greetings! Our new Intern, Elias, started last week and has already begun to practice the
art of weaving hair. He will be working with Edith on a long term project to produce his own wig. Benton
has begun to work on a new wig for himself as well. Debbie continues to weave human hair for Apprentice
Leather Breeches Maker Wilson and Edith has started an outline for a display wig. As always, please reach
out to us with any hair related needs or questions.
Elias's practice weaving.
Benton hand knotting.
The Wigmakers are open Sunday through Thursday.
Director – Ted will have open office hours: Tuesday 10-12, Thursday 11-1, Friday 12-1:30
As a reminder, my office is above the Weaver's Shop.
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills publication.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 33
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 33, September 8, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-09-08
-
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Text
THE MECHANICK'S ADVISER
September 15, 2023
Apothecary – We have been excited to
welcome Olivia, our NIAHD fall 2023
student, for the past two weeks! Alongside
the regular shop curriculum, she'll work with
Dr. Galt's 1780-82 ledger to decode
treatments that Galt gave during the war.
Stephannie has made a compound
testaceous powder (antacid, with chalk and
oyster shell) and a decoction & infusion of
Peruvian bark (antimalarial, among other
things!) Sharon completed her full statistical
analysis of Galt-Barraud daybooks 1 and 2,
and Margaret completed a chart comparing
Public Hospital entries in the daybooks
versus ledgers.
Stephannie's compounded medicines:
a white, chalky compound testaceous
powder and a dark brown infusion of
Peruvian bark with mild sediment at
the bottom.
The Apothecary is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Blacksmith – This week in the Anderson Blacksmith shop, Ken has been working on claw hammers and a
tinsmith's rounding hammer. Mark has been finishing paring knives for the kitchen and spoon bits for the
carpenters and working on a bracket. Aislinn has been working on her fire tongs and sharpening pinking irons.
In apprentice land, H-L hinges are still at the top of the list, with Ken teaching the apprentices. Alex has also
finished a dozen framing chisels for the carpenters, Broadus has started a fireplace shovel for Mt. Vernon,
and Josh has made some corner braces for a sand box going to the brickyard. As ever, all's well that falls well
at the foot of the anvil.
An H-L hinge, a pinking iron, and a spoon bit for a brace.
The Blacksmith shop is open Thursday through Tuesday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Cabinetmaker –The Cabinetmaker is open Thursday through Monday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Carpenter – We have been focusing on the gates at Ewing Field these past couple of weeks. The
Blacksmiths made the hardware, and we mounted the hardware and installed the gates. One pair remains to
be installed but needed extra utility marking before the posts could go in. Harold and Shelby did a great job
on the three around the windmill.
The completed Wagon shed. The single gate hung by Shelby. The double gate hung by Harold and Shelby.
The Carpenter is open, weather permitting, Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Cook – Since launching into the Fall season, the kitchen has changed to be open Friday through Tuesday at
the Palace Kitchen. We also had the first of our fall chocolate programs, which will be on the first Monday of
the month from 9-noon. After the program, we had some lucrative research time, where Dom and Abbey
continued their training presentation on dining at the Governor's dinner table. At the same time, Barbra
worked on her presentation on herbs for the conference in November.
Crab Pie was made earlier last week in the cooler weather.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Cooper – The Cooper is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engravers this week have been working on apprenticeship projects and exercises as well
as continuing silver medals for the Brafferton Indian school project. Also, the print for the Wheelwrights trip
gifts is nearly done.
Top: Apprentice work.
Bottom: Brafferton engraving (less than3/4" tall), Wheelwright Print
The Engraving shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Farming – The soil at Ewing Field will need to be improved annually over the next five years. Today was
the first application of compost since the original work in February 2023. Check out the black gold in the
photo. Meanwhile, Ed was in Pennsylvania at the Landis Valley Farm and Museum looking at plows in their
collection last week. In other news--- we are so grateful for the shed that the Carpenters recently completed
at the site! It will provide much-needed shade for us and guests and serve as a workspace.
Compost on Ewing Field.
Looking at the details of a plow.
The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market
Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the
Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Gardener – The Historic Gardeners have been busy the last two weeks removing plants from the garden
that are no longer producing to make way for our fall seedlings. One of the plants we pulled up was cockscomb
(Celosia argentea var. cristata). If properly dried, its colorful flowers can be saved for decoration indoors. In
a letter to John Custis IV of Williamsburg, English botanist Peter Collinson describes the process for a similar
flower, "Gathered in full flower and hung up with the heads downwards, will keep their Colour for many
years." In a very exciting update to the caterpillars described for you two weeks ago, the Gardeners are
thrilled to report that a chrysalis of the monarch caterpillar was found on our milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).
Left: Cockscomb flowers hanging up to dry at the Historic Garden.
Right: The chrysalis of the monarch butterfly on a milkweed plant.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Gunsmith – This last week in the Gunsmith shop was very exciting with the completion and delivery of the
latest rifle. The customer and his sons came to our shop to take delivery of it and by their reaction, very happy
indeed.
The finished rifle.
The Gunsmiths are open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Harpsichordmaker – From the harpsichord corner... Melanie's keyboard has taken full character. The
pearwood chromatic key blocks with the thin black caps will undergo a black dye. This is a very regular method
of manufacture for those pieces. Ed has returned to the jacks, fitting the pivot tongues to the forks and drilling
the axles on our little bow drill setup. The drill is patterned after one illustrated in Andre Jacob Roubo's
woodworking treatise of 1772. There are lots of parts to a spinet's mechanics. Best to you all.
Top: Bow Drill Based on Roubo 1772.
Bottom: Keyboard to Date by Melanie
Bow Drill Image from Roubo 1772.
Jacks Drilled for Axle Pins by Ed
The Harpsichordmakers are open Sunday and Monday, Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Joiner – The Joiner Shop is still feeling the departure of our friend and colleague Scott Krogh, who is
moving to Alabama. Seven and a half years ago, Scott joined the shop with Amanda and Peter to become
the first three apprentice joiners in CW history. This past winter, he and Peter became the first to complete
that apprenticeship. His wisdom, knowledge, wit, work ethic, and kindness enriched the people around him.
There wasn't a project that he was afraid to tackle, and that courage inspired the same quality in others. We
will all miss Scott terribly. Please join us in wishing him and his family all the best for this next adventure
that they have embarked upon.
Clockwise: Scott, Amanda, and Peter on their way to start learning to carve, 8/20/16
Scott with his completed Food Safe before it is delivered, 6/17/22
Scott and Peter receiving their Journeyman Papers, 3/8/23
Scott with his reconstruction of the Finney House mantelpiece, 8/30/23T
The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Leather Breeches Maker – Greetings!
We are asking all employees/volunteers who have been given a pair of leather breeches from the shop or
Jay Howlett to bring those breeches to our shop so we can do inventory. We will mark, wash, and mend
your breeches and get you on the maintenance schedule. You may also be asked to sign some paperwork if
you still need to do so. Supervisors, please check that your current (and any former) reports bring their
breeches in to be inventoried.
A-L last names, please drop your breeches off between Sept. 26th-30th
M-Z last names, please drop your breeches off between Oct. 10th-14th.
In other news, apprentice Wilson just finished his second pair of breeches, which were issued to Joe the
Weaver!
Joe is sporting his new leather breeches.
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Mason – The Brickyard is open Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Military Programs – Military Programs Staff continue working on research and curriculum projects,
including finishing the 71st Highlander uniform hunting shirts and preparing for invited talks and archive visits
in Philadelphia.
Additionally, Military Programs is developing and refining Homeschool Group Workshops over the next two
weeks. Students learn about 18th-century military lifeways through participatory activities, including
equipment interpretation, cartridge rolling, military drills, and bat-and-ball games. The workshop culminates
with a fire demonstration of either the 3-pounder cannon or musket volley.
A big thank you to all our collaborative partner units (especially Weavers, Courthouse, Joiners, and Engravers)
who have provided security for the daily cannon demonstrations!
Matthew works on sewing his hunting shirt, a curriculum and research development goal.
Kevin stands in front of the Guardhouse to welcome the student group.
A selection of military equipment, including cartridge rolling materials, for this week's student workshop.
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker are open Tuesday through Saturday.
Musket Range –The Musket Range is open (Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
The Printing Office – The Press continues to work off copies of pages two and three of the main body
of the current gazette. David Wilson is beginning the setting of the final page of the news supplement, which
contains news from China taking 13 months to get to Williamsburg.
Typesetting begins this week on “An American Parody on the old song Rule Britannia.” A new volunteer from
The College of William and Mary will set, proof, correct, and print this item while with us this Autumn. The
song appeared in Pinkney’s gazette, its last two lines:
Rule Britannia, rule the waves,
We’re subjects, but we’re not your slaves.
The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays.
Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Silversmith –The Silversmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Tailor – Mr. Logue, Apprentice, got to photograph
this waistcoat he made for Mr. Zelesnikar, Master
Wheelwright. Made of mohair velvet and wool, it
should be an excellent warming layer for this winter.
Velvet with a mohair (hair from Angora goats) pile
was a common choice for men's breeches in the 18th
century, especially for servants and coachmen.
Master Wheelwright, Paul Zelesnikar
The Tailor is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – The Weaver is open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Wheelwright –The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Friday.
Wigmaker – The Wigmakers are open Sunday through Thursday.
Director – Please join me in congratulating the following members of the Historic Trades and Skills Team
for achieving their next career milestones:
Wilson LeCount, Leather Breeches Maker, has achieved Level Two in his apprenticeship.
Mary Lawrence Herbert, Carpenter, has achieved Level Three in her apprenticeship.
Benton Parker, Wigmaker, has achieved Level Three in his apprenticeship.
Pamela Russo, Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer, has achieved Level Three in her apprenticeship.
Tim Logue, Tailor, has achieved Level 4 in his apprenticeship.
Joe Wixted, Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer, has completed his apprenticeship and is now a Journeyman.
Ted will have open office hours: Monday 11-1, and Friday 2-4
As a reminder, my office is above the Weaver’s Shop.
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills publication.
Editor: Ted Boscana
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry: Blacksmith – Alex Hinman; Carpenter –Matt Sanbury; Cook –
Abbey Shoaf; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Gardener – Teal Brooks; Gunsmith – Darrin
McDonal; Harpsichordmaker – Ed Wright; Joiner – Peter Hudson; Leather Breeches Maker – Emma Cross;
Printer – Peter Stinely; Tailor – Michael McCarty
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 32
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 32, September 15, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-09-15
-
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THE MECHANICK'S ADVISER
September 8, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Sunday through Thursday.
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith shop is open Thursday through Tuesday.
Bookbinder – I recently had the pleasure of visiting Historic Annapolis, where a group of talented
interpreters brought bookbinder and stationer William Aikman's shop to life, circa 1773.
It was interesting to discover that Mr. Aikman also ran a Circulating Library, which is a fee or subscriptionbased library. Recently, the Bookbindery at Colonial Williamsburg has come across more and more
information showing the different functions that people in the Print and Bookbinding/Bookselling Trades
sometimes served. For instance, William Parks, our first Printer, wore many different hats, one of them being
that he provided schoolbooks for the children at William and Mary through our shop, and also bought the
books back when they were no longer needed. Though I have found no evidence yet that Parks ran a
subscription Library, William and Mary did-- something I will share about more in the future.
It's fun to put all the pieces together, and it is valuable to see what a sibling museum is doing to bring history
to life! Bravo, Historic Annapolis!
Historic advertisement explaining the fee system
and terms for Aikman's Subscription Library.
Books that Aikman would have sold
or rented out of his shop in Annapolis.
An interpreter explains how
the Circulating Library works.
The Bookbinder is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Cabinetmaker –Bill has been hard at work with the finishing process on his writing table, building up
layers of seedlac. It takes a lot of time to apply a finish like this, but this table has been worth it. John is in the
process of gluing up the lower case for his cellaret, a big milestone in the project. Our volunteer, Sarah, has
finished up her time with us, and also a carved panel-in-frame project. We will get it all finished out for her
to take home soon. Well done, Sarah!
Sarah's frame and panel project
The Cabinetmaker is open Thursday through Monday.
Carpenter – The Carpenter is open, weather permitting, Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Cooper – It is with a degree of sadness that the Coopers announce the departure of our apprentice, Jackie,
for new fields of endeavor. She starts her new job within the Foundation next week as an assistant curator.
We wish her well in her new position, but we will sorely miss her in the shop. Meanwhile, we continue our
work to complete several orders for other museums.
These cannikins are just part of an order for the Lewes (Delaware) Historical Society.
The Cooper is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Engraver – The Engraving shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Farming – The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – We are getting ready for a busy couple of weeks here at Fife and Drum. Our next big
performance will be for Constitution Day on September 17th on the Art Museum Lawn. Meanwhile, the Jr.
Corps is growing in numbers as more recruits join and have their first marches. Lastly, congratulations to
Lance Corporal Duncan Pavlak, Lance Corporal Jude Pelletier, and Private Alex Wade for passing up to the
next rank!
Recruits march behind the Jr. Corps to celebrate Private Collin Frey's first march.
The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market Square, Saturday at 12:30
pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the Play House Stage.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Founder – The Founders have been busy this week continuing work on the donor gifts of the CW seals.
We plan to make some molds this Friday for a private order and cast the brass for them on Saturday.
A completed cast iron CW seal; we also make them in pewter, bronze and sterling silver.
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Gardener – The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmiths are open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmakers are open Sunday and Monday, Thursday through
Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Mason – This week in the Brickyard the crew steadily lost their numbers as several of the summer crew
are leaving the nest to take the gospel of brick far and wide. Otherwise, this week production of coping
bricks continued and are being moved into the carpenter's saw house as they dry. This size of brick will
likely be what finishes out or summer in the next few weeks.
The coping bricks fill up our drying bed quite fast.
The Brickyard is open Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – Janea has dedicated this past week to an 1818 bonnet that will
complement a brown silk pelisse in the Mary D. Doering exhibit when it opens in the new textile’s gallery
later this fall. The guests have enjoyed seeing it mature from its skeleton frame to a fully-realized version of
its printed source image and we can't wait to see how it looks over the beautifully dressed mannequin hair
that our wigmakers have supplied.
Kate continues research and stitching for the 1793 Lanah Sawyer project. With the gown now complete, she
has moved on to the stays, which are closely based on an original pair in CW's collection that she studied and
patterned a couple of weeks ago. After pausing to attend to some necessary shift-mending, Rebecca also
continues work on her own stays. The channels should be completed today, so the boning process will begin
over the weekend.
On the left: The bonnet's main components: the wire
frame and its pleated silk cover.
On the right: The pleated brim covering in place.
On the left: Covering the back is one of the trickiest
parts...
On the right: Nearing completion! Just some trim to
the brim and the ties to go...
The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Musket Range –While we were closed for reclamation our staff got to explore the Historic Area and the
Yorktown Battlefield. We all visited The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown where we found Doug's
relatives. We will reopen on Friday September 8th.
Mann Page 1st Doug's Great Uncle 8 times removed.
Col John Page Doug's Great X10 Grandfather
The Musket Range is open (Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
The Printing Office – The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Shoemaker – Val has almost completed a new pair of common shoes for himself, as his present ones are
falling apart. Nicole has nearly finished the first of a pair of channel pumps for Mark Hutter. Victoria is
wrapping up a pair of slippers for Josh Graml and will soon begin a pair of turn shoe pumps for herself.
We wish the best for our summer intern Tyler Swartz
as he resumes his studies in New England.
Completed shoes waiting to be issued out to staff.
The Shoemaker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Silversmith –Megan is planishing her matching set of mugs and working on her tray. Chris is continuing
to work on her tray and the silver skewers. Bobbie is polishing the medallions and soldering buttons.
Preston is raising his large and small bowls and polishing the medallions. George is forging out ingots and
gave the forge an overdue cleaning.
Chris' Tray
Megan's Tray
The cleaning of the forge
The Silversmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Tailor – The Tailor is open Sunday through Thursday.
Tin Plate Worker – This week, Steve and Jenny have been working on patterns and prototypes for a few
items in the Mount Vernon kitchen order. Both items are based off of originals in the Mount Vernon
collection, which Steve was able to visit earlier this summer. From his measurements and photographs, Jenny
has been working on a very, very large canister for storing dry goods. It's been quite tricky due to a lot of
sections that have to be pieced due to the dimensions of 18th century tin sheets. Steve is working on a spice
box with a deep domed lid and sections inside the box for the various spices. The trick with the lid is stretching
the material evenly without hammering it to the point that it tears.
Steve starting to raise the shape of the lid in the morning.
Smoothing out the domed lid at the end of the day.
The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – This week in the shop Annie completed their third overshot coverlet.
This blanket was in black and white and the fourth and final blanket will be woven with a cochineal dyed wool
weft. Be sure to wish Annie luck during this home stretch! While the coverlets have been Annie's alone to
work on, we have all been setting up the second run of government set tartan. This marks the halfway point
for this project.
Pictured is Annie's third overshot and partially built tartan warp
The Weaver is open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Wheelwright –This week at the Wheelwrights has Paul finishing the repair of the new (ish) Stage Wagon
wheel, Ayinde continuing his alterations of the seating for the Wagon, and Murphy continuing his work on
the Velocipede and Lathe.
Repaired front wheel and fore undercarriage.
The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Wigmaker – Maintenance continues, as usual, especially as the summer season is winding down and Fall
programming gets started. Debbie is building a new dark brown human hair wig for Apprentice Leather
Breeches Maker Wilson, while Edith practices different outlines for wigs. Benton is now working on a new
hand knotted base. We will be welcoming NIAHD Intern Elias to the shop this week as well. Please stop by
and say hello to him. As always, please reach out with any related needs or questions.
Debbie is adding a support tape to Wilson's wig
Edith's practice outline
The Wigmakers are open Sunday through Thursday.
Director – Ted will have open office hours: Monday 3-4, Tuesday 9-11, Thursday 9-11, and Friday 12-1:30.
As a reminder, my office is above the Weaver's Shop.
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills publication.
Editor: Ted Boscana
Contributors: Bookbinder – Barbara Swanson; Cabinetmaker – John Peeler; Cooper – Jonathan Hallman; Fife
and Drum – Rebecca Sterner; Founder – Andrew Godzik; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton; Shoemaker – Val
Povenelli; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Tin Plate Worker – Jenny Lynn; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar;
Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 31, September 8, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-09-08
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THE MECHANICK'S ADVISER
September 1, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Sunday through Thursday.
Blacksmith – This past week, with the Master and Journeymen away, the Apprentices were left to play.
All three worked on HL hinges in preparation for the many upcoming building projects. HL hinges are a staple
of 18th-century English hardware. Apart from hinges, Josh worked on the gridiron. Alex worked on a cleaver.
And Broadus on a cooking fork. As always, all's well that falls well at the base of the anvil.
The work of the Apprentices.
The Blacksmith shop is open Thursday through Tuesday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Bookbinder – Dutch Gilt Paper, as it is known now, was not Dutch but most likely imported from Italy
and Germany and popular in English children's books in the 18th century. It was either imported from the
Netherlands or 'Dutch' was a corruption of Deutsch. At the time, it was called 'Dutch Floral Boards,'
'emboss'd paper,' or 'gilt and flowered paper,' among other names. The Gilt was made from "a very
malleable alloy of 11 parts copper and 2 of zinc, beaten into thin leaves, and used as a cheap imitation of
gold leaf. Not common in the world now, our Volunteer Bob Lyon found a place that keeps the craft alive in
the Orkney Islands, U.S. It has been informative and fun to see what a new book done in Gilt looks like,
compared to its older one. We have found several examples of the paper not only on children's books but
also on a 1771 Almanac printed by Williamsburg Printers Purdie and Dixon belonging to St. George Tucker.
The older book in the picture shows a children's book, circa 1775, with the Dutch Gilt faded, and what it
would have looked like when it was new. We will be exploring how it was made and will keep you posted.
A children's book circa 1775 covered in Gilt sits next to a modern incarnation.
1771 Almanac by Purdie and Dixon covered in gilt.
The Bookbinder is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Cabinetmaker – Things don't look too different in the Hay Shop this week, but projects are progressing
nicely. Bill is in the middle of varnishing his mahogany writing table with all its moving parts disassembled to
make that long process a little easier. John, meanwhile, is making parts to support the drawers and guide
their movements in his walnut cellarette. He has also been teaching our volunteer, Chris, the ins, and outs of
mortise and tenon joinery.
The mahogany writing table was scattered around the shop, with the cellarette rising in the background.
John instructs Chris in chopping a mortise.
The Cabinetmaker is open Thursday through Monday.
Carpenter – The Carpenter is open, weather permitting, Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cook – We have been playing with Deceits over in the Palace
Kitchen this week. An 18th century Deceit is the equivalent of
today's "Is it cake?" viral videos: a dish meant to look like something
other than what it really is. Beef In The Sausage Fashion, which are
flattened beef steaks filled with sausage stuffing, rolled and stewed
to look like sausages, as well as Pigeon au Poire (pigeon to look like
a pear), have both made their way to the table. Pigeon au Poire is
always a treat when guests come in and think it's a "pear" when
really it is a whole stuffed pigeon wrapped in breadcrumbs, pearlike, with its leg sticking out of the top as a stem. During a three-hour
18th-century dinner, it's nice to have some edible whimsy on the
table for the guests of the Governor to enjoy.
Pigeon au Poire made by Dom.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Cooper – The Coopers have been busy of late working on items to fill a number of orders for other
museums. A photo of some of the tubs we made for one of the orders is included.
Tubs made of Atlantic White Cedar with iron hoops.
The Cooper is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Engraver – This week, the Engravers have been busy with apprenticeship projects. William has been
working on cutting brass rings with mourning designs. Emma is well into her required drawing. As well as
working with some brass and practicing on pewter. Lynn is working on two special projects. One project is for
the Wheelwrights, and one regarding the Brafferton School. Photos will be presented when they are done.
The Engraving shop is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Farming – The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market
Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the
Play House Stage.
Founder – The Founders spent their Professional Development Day rearranging and cleaning the Foundry
last week. Our back room has again been turned into a usable interpretive space, so come check it out! Many
thanks to Apprentice Engraver William and Journeyman Joiner Scott for some of the heavy lifting. As for our
work, we've continued working on the CW seals and, to give our muscles a break, started on some pewter
spoons, too. Most excitingly, Lob has returned! We're very happy to have him back.
The newly refreshed molding room.
Mike is back!
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Gardener – This week saw the Gardeners identifying caterpillars. While all these juvenile visitors will eat
and damage plants, some species are important as pollinators (once they metamorphize into butterflies),
while others are heavy feeders that must be eliminated. Black swallowtail caterpillars (Papilio polyxenes) and
monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillars are left unmolested as much as possible-though sometimes, it is
necessary to move these larvae to protected locations. Southern armyworm moth (Spodoptera eridania)
caterpillars do damage to such a wide range of vegetables in the garden that they are squished when
encountered.
1
2
3
1 Papilio polyxenes caterpillars are also known as parsnip worms.
2 Danaus plexippus caterpillar on milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).
3 An ill-fated Spodoptera eridania caterpillar.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – Richard is wrapping up the rifle build with the carving and engraving complete. Next is bluing
the barrel and finishing the stock. Darrin's pistol barrels are ready for reaming, and then the outside will be
filed and polished. Brad is building his first flintlock, which is quite a project when it's the first one.
The carving behind the cheekpiece and behind the tang.
Darrin's pistol barrels are still in one tube, ready for reaming.
The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Harpsichordmaker –
Greetings from the harpsichord corner… on the harpsichord, the keys pivot
around a thin iron pin. We first drill the hole for this pin in both the key and the fulcrum rail. The hole in the
lever must be opened so that the lever can pivot. Here's the secret trick: a shaped nail, gently hammered into
the hole, crushes the soft pine fibers to form the hole into a V-shaped one. It doesn't take much work and
requires little or no cleanup with cutting tools. Come see us as we fit up the new keyboard!
Balance Hole Nail Opener.
Balance Pins in New Key Pivot Holes.
The Harpsichordmakers are open Sunday and Monday, Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Joiner – This week, we are saying goodbye to our Journeyman Scott Krogh. After 11 years with the
Foundation, the last seven in the Joinery, Scott will start a new chapter of his life with his family in Alabama.
We will miss his hard work, humor, and knowledge, and we wish him the best in all his future endeavors.
Thank you, Scott, for your excellent work and good company. Scott has labored hard this week to finish the
construction of and glaze (add the glass panes to) the sash so he can hang both doors on the front of his
corner cupboard, completing the main construction of the body of the piece.
Scott, with his food safe, reproduced from one in our museum gallery. Scott with his finished William Finnie House mantle in the St. George Tucker House.
Scott with fellow (then) apprentices Peter Hudson and Amanda Doggett.
Scott and Peter with corner cupboard carcass.
The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Leather Breeches Maker – We would like to introduce our newest apprentice, Wilson! He started in
the shop at the end of May and has been sailing along in his first level. Wilson is a recent Mary Washington
College graduate with a historic preservation degree and a minor in museum studies. He is a wonderful
addition and has helped the shop achieve great things. Watch a new video about our shop on the CWF
YouTube channel and see him in action.
Wilson is working on his second pair of breeches.
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Mason – The Brickyard is open Wednesday through Sunday, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open
Musket Range –The Musket Range is open (Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
The Printing Office – The Press is working off copies of pages two and three of the most recent
Virginia Gazette while our guests look on. David Wilson has made great progress distributing the types from
page one and has two columns set for page five.
Newly set portion of page five.
Stitching of books going to William Prentis for sale.
The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Silversmith – Megan has been planishing her matching set of mugs and working on her tray. Chris is
chasing the bouge of her tray, and she and Bobbie are making templates for our fall jewelry class. Bobbie
continues making the buttons for the medallions while Preston polishes them and works on his silver bowls.
George has been hammering out ingots. The shop visited Collections and would like to thank Tina and Eric
for allowing us to study their mace.
Studying the mace in Collection.
Megan's matching mugs.
Preston's bowls.
Chris' tray.
The Silversmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Tailor – There is plenty of summer weather left here in the Tidewater! Journeyman McCarty has been
mending some well-worn summer garments to make them last till cooler weather arrives. 18th-century
tailors in Williamsburg would have been doing much the same at this time of year; it is too late in the
season to have new summer garments made but too early to place orders for fall or winter garments.
Intern Percy Autera is working on a pair of lightweight summer breeches.
The Tailor is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – The Weaver is open Sunday through Wednesday and Saturday.
Wheelwright – The Velocipede is almost complete! Murphy has finished the paint and varnish and has
assembled it! A few more tweaks, and she's ready for the customer. The Wagon refit is moving along, with
Ayinde removing the headboard and crates and Paul repairing the fore undercarriage.
Top: Velocipede varnished and assembled.
Bottom: Wagon repair in progress!
Front wheel in repair.
The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�Wigmaker – Greetings! Maintenance continues as the Summer winds down. Edith has nearly finished Mr.
Wythe's latest wig. Debbie has pivoted on the base she has created, and it will now be worn by Apprentice
Leather Breeches Maker Wilson if all goes well. Benton has been deciphering Alice M. Earle's Two Centuries
of Costume in America (1903). We bid a fond farewell to Stella this past week, but we will be bringing on a
new NIAHD Intern, Elias, for the next couple of semesters. On the unusual side of things, this week Edith had
the opportunity to plastic wrap and tape the heads of both Mr. Washington's for better wig fittings. As always,
please reach out to us with any related needs or questions.
Mr. Wythe's wig, nearly complete
New base for Apprentice Wilson
Edith wrapping Ron's head with plastic and tape
The Wigmakers are open Sunday through Thursday.
Director –
I am happy to announce the following HTS team members have achieved level increases in their 5-level
curriculum for our department:
Tim Logue, Apprentice Tailor, is moving to level four.
Mary Lawrence Herbert, Apprentice Carpenter, is moving to level three.
Wilson LeCount, Apprentice Leather Breeches Maker, is moving to level two.
Please join me in congratulating them on these milestones.
Ted will have open office hours: Tuesday 10-12, Thursday 11-1, Friday 12-1:30
As a reminder, my office is above the Weaver's Shop.
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills publication.
Editor: Ted Boscana
Contributors: Blacksmith – Broadus Thompson; Cabinetmaker –Bill Pavlak; Cooper – Jonathan Hallman; Cook –
Abbey Shoaf; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Founder – Leanne Bellouny; Harpsichordmaker – Ed Wright;
Gardener – Marc Nucup; Gunsmith – Darrin McDonal; Leather Breeches Maker – Emma Cross; Silversmith –
Megan Cantwell; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 31
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 31, September 1, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-09-01
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
August 25, 2023
Apothecary – Stephannie has compounded three new medicines this past week, including a lovely
pectoral decoction containing raisins, barley, licorice root, and fresh HA figs. This would have been drunk for
“defluxions of the breast and lungs” (coughs) & was prescribed without strict dosing instructions. Sharon, in
the Galt-Barraud account books, has identified multiple different names for the same medication – spirit of
hartshorn/ammonium carbonate – and theorizes that because multiple people contributed to the entries,
they may have had their own way of identifying medicine names. Margaret has been over to Archaeological
Collections to see more Public Hospital artifacts & study field notes from the site excavations.
The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Blacksmith – This week in the blacksmith shop, Ken spent some time with each of the apprentices to teach
us the making of HL hinges. We will be making a number of these for the Bray School restoration and the
other constructions coming up in the next several years. The apprentices are excited to get to contribute to
the intensive restoration of this original building. The forging of these hinges has its challenges, but after
several sets, we are getting the hang of efficiently forging this project. The Mount Vernon Kitchen project
continues with work done on a nicely filed cooking fork, meat cleavers, and a second gridiron style beginning
to be worked on.
HL Hinge fit temporarily fit up with drift pin.
A fork in the midst of filing and gate hinges in progress.
The Blacksmith shop is open Thursday through Monday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – This week, John got the base assembly for his cellarette joined together and up on its
feet for the first time. There’s still a long way to go, but the first dry-assembly is always an exciting milestone
in a project. Bill’s writing table is now oiled and waiting to be varnished. We allow the oil to dry for at least
10 days prior to varnishing, so rather than watching the oil dry, Bill is making varnish and plans for his next
project – some chairs for January’s Working Wood in the 18 th Century conference.
The Cabinet Shop is open Sunday (11:30-5), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Carpenter – This week in the carpenter's yard, we have wrapped up the finishing touches on the wagon
shed and have started on the next and last phase of construction at Ewing Field. We have got five gates to
construct for the site to enclose the site and the windmill. These should keep us busy until the beginning of
next month. The blacksmiths are hard at work getting a pile of hardware ready for these five gates. Once the
gates are made and the hardware is in hand, we will hang the gates as well.
{Two of the five gates assembled.}
The Historic Carpenters are open at Ewing field (Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday), weather
permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Cook – Since last week, we successfully had our photoshoot for the website. We had so much fun taking new
pictures of the four of us at work in the kitchen. The table this week also saw some of our favorite recipes
come out to play. The BBQ pork we made for Marc Meltonville’s cookbook is out on the table and turned out
as wonderful as always. One of the most expensive 18th-century dishes, Macaroni, was cooked up by Barbra.
Frank whipped up melon soup as a trial run for another recipe we hope to bring to the new CW cookbook.
This is very akin to a sweet melon custard, almost in the same realm as a butternut squash soup. Before we
lose this season’s squash blossoms, we also put together forced (stuffed) squash blossoms, filled with cheese,
shallots, garlic, hot peppers, herbs, salt, and pepper, with eggs and breadcrumbs to bind it together, dipped
in batter and fried. A tasty way to use the overabundance of blossoms the vines produce. Just remember to
look out for the bumble bees who love to sit and gather nectar from inside the flowers!
One of our fun outtakes from the photoshoot; sometimes it’s dangerous being Master of the shop.
The Kitchen is open at the Governor’s Palace Wednesday through Sunday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday and Monday and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Farming – Ewing Field is like a laboratory that experiments all the time with different methods and crops
to understand the past. This year, one of these experiments is cowpeas, which is an advanced method of
making a crop while improving the soil. Most of us today know these as “black-eyed peas.” They were brought
to America in the slave trade for food. Once here, they entered the foodways of most people. The vines are
excellent food for cattle. We planted them in June, and they took off! We know today that they fix nitrogen
in the soil, and so our corn jumped considerably two weeks after sowing the cowpeas. They also provide
excellent ground cover and suppress weeds. Check out the picture. It really works!
Cowpeas in the corn.
The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Gardener – This week, the Gardeners kept a watchful eye on our
pots of new seedlings. We had excellent germination overall, and
the fastest-growing plants have already been moved into larger
pots. These will probably be planted into the ground towards the
end of September. The muscadine grape vine continues to produce
ripe fruit, and we harvested another full basket of grapes for the
Historic Cooks at the Governor’s Palace Kitchen. We are also still
harvesting vegetables from many plants in the garden, including a
beautiful Nanticoke squash from the American Indian Garden. Late
summer flowers such as the red spider lily (lycoris radiata) have
started to bloom, assuring us that fall and cooler weather are on
the way.
A Nanticoke squash harvested from the American Indian Garden
Red spider lily, Lycoris radiata
Fall seedlings in pots in the Historic Garden
The Historic Garden is open 7 days a week, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Gunsmith – Recently, the Gunsmiths took a weekend shop trip to the 27th annual Contemporary Longrifle
Association show in Lexington, Kentucky. It was a wonderful gathering of hundreds of Contemporary artisans
of the Longrifle culture from all over the US.
It truly started here at the Colonial Williamsburg Gunsmith shop in the 1960s with Wallace Gusler. Wallace
was the first master Gunsmith here in Colonial Williamsburg and revived some of the historically lost
techniques that are vital to building these firearms the way it was done.
Jim Wright made a display paying tribute to Wallace by displaying six rifles made by Wallace as well as a
pistol and five tomahawks.
Wallace was kept very busy talking with interested visitors the whole weekend.
The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Harpsichordmaker – Greetings from the harpsichord corner…
A keyboard begins as a board, literally. After drawing the visible portion (the portion of the keys that is seen
and played upon) from a fixed template, we shape and glue on the bone covers for the natural keys. This
way, we can later saw out both wood and bone in one act and finish each lever more consistently.
Melanie had earlier glued up thin sheets of ebony to blocks of pear wood. While Melanie finished the bone
applications and scraped all surfaces even, Ed refined the size of the pear/ebony blocks. Melanie’s gluing was
so good that both pear and ebony still hung together in the individual shavings. Yessss!
After marking where the plucking jacks sit on the keyboard (see the dents and marks in the picture below,
Melanie drew out the back ends of the keys so that each key front correctly aligns with its respective jack.
Now we clamp the keyboard to its bed frame and drill holes in both the keyboard and bed for all pins that
guide and control each lever’s movement. By drilling both the keyboard and bed in situ, everything aligns.
Then the sawing begins…. Wish us well. This is the scary part.
Scraping Bone plates
Pear and Ebony Shaving from Melanie’s Glue Up
Planing Accidental Blocks
Final Keyboard Drawing with Jack Position Marks
The Harpsichordmakers are open Sunday and Monday, Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Mason – This week saw the Brickyard crew continuing their task, churning bricks out in some surprisingly
nice weather. Recently, our good pal Mr. Hudson from the Joiner’s shop brought by the highly anticipated
coping brick mold. As variety is the spice of life, even in a Brickyard, we jumped into trying it out, which
required some creative offbearing. This new mold and the other Gunpowder Magazine brick mold will help
finish our summer of production.
Out with the old and in with the new!
The Brickyard is open daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker are open Sunday and Thursday
through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Musket Range – We at the Musket Range welcome Doug Giglio, our new instructor. Doug comes to us
from Arizona, where he was an Online auction fulfillment expert. He and his family made the move to the
area to be with their family. He can trace his roots back to one of the original Virginia founding families, the
Page family. Doug worked at the Freedom Trail Foundation in Boston for several years, portraying a 10th
Regiment of foot soldiers. Doug was also a soldier in the US Army. He belonged to the oldest unit in the
United States, the 182nd Infantry Regiment, which traces its lineage back to 1636 with the Massachusetts
Colonel Militia. Doug is just starting his training at the Musket Range, and after completing it, we will finally
be able to open to six shooters per session. Doug enjoys writing and is in the process of writing a historical
fiction novel. Doug is married and has 2 kiddos along with 2 fur babies. Doug is very excited to explore our
Historic Area and meet everyone!
The Musket Range is open (Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday)
The Printing Office – This past Wednesday, the printers hosted six Graduate students attending a
workshop hosted by The Omohundro Institute of Early American History & Culture at The College of William
and Mary. These students set some metal type and pulled a copy of the Virginia Gazette at the press before
going back to checking quotes and citations.
Image: Masthead of The Viginia Gazette from The New Printing Office.
The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays. On Tuesday the 29th we will be closed. Starting September
5th, we will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Silversmith –The silversmiths are incredibly busy working on the thirteen silver trays order. With a heavy
heart, we say goodbye to our intern, Jacob, and wish him the best in his graduate studies! Megan continues
to work on her cups and tray. Chris is working on skewers and her tray. Bobbie has been making buttons and
planishing the forty-two medallions on order, as well as making tray rims. Preston continues to work on the
large bowl and multitudes of small ones. George is hammering out ingots for wire.
Chris’s tray is nearing its final stages.
Megan’s tray is in the early stages of chasing.
The Silversmith Shop is open at the Sign of the Golden Ball Monday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – Tin Plate Workers – This week at the Tin Shop, Jenny has been making
priming tube boxes for one of the apprenticeship requirements. They’re complicated little things due to the
construction of the hinges and the fit of the lid on a rectangular base, but they are coming together quite
nicely. She’s also been finishing some large canisters (though these are the smaller ones in the order) for
George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Steve is teaching the Tin III workshop at Eastfield Village in New York.
Both Steve and Jenny have been producing cups for Prentis Store and hope to have some available there
soon.
The Tin Shop is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Annie is now part of the way through their third overshot coverlet!
The stark contrast of the black wool on the white linen helps to show the complexity of the pattern. The
wooden bar in the top right of the photo shows a tool called a temple. When one weaves, the width of the
fabric becomes less than the width of the warp, so the temple stretches out the top edges of the textile.
This ensures that the edges remain square and that no undue pressure is applied to the outermost warp
yarns. Since everything on a loom experiences constant friction, anywhere we can alleviate stress to our
warp is a priority.
Annie’s Overshot Coverlet in black and white
The Weaver’s Shop is open Sunday and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday for
workshops ONLY.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Wheelwright – RIP Virginia Wagon. The bed has given up the ghost. We will need to rebuild, but like a
Phoenix rising, she'll return! Stay tuned.
Hey, remember the Blue wagon? It is being reinterpreted as a Stage Wagon. Stage Wagons were often freight
wagons converted with seats into a low-end mass transit vehicle. Think of a Greyhound Bus. Any more
questions? Come on by!
The Wheelwright is open Sunday, Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�Wigmaker – Wig Shop – Work continues on Mr. Wythe’s new wig. Stella is in her last week with us
and has made incredible progress on the weaving and stitching of rows for this wig. We will greatly miss her
when she returns to school next week, but we know we’ll see her often over the coming months. We will be
doing an interview for a NIAHD intern next week. Benton has been working on his hand knotting and
continues to research Robert Lyon’s mortgage papers. Debbie continues to work on a new wig which may
go onto display in one of our exhibition buildings.
The Wig Shop is open Friday through Tuesday. Beginning the week of September 3 rd, we move to Sunday
through Thursday.
Director – Ted will have open office hours for Historic Trades and Skills (HTS) staff as follows:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
10 – 11 am
10 – 11 am
2 – 3 pm
2 – 3 pm
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Ted Boscana
Contributors: Apothecary –Margaret Perry; Blacksmith – Josh Rachita; Cabinetmaker – Bill Pavlak; Carpenter –
Matt Sanbury; Cook – Abbey Shoaf; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder –; Gardener – Teal Brooks; Masonry –
Madeleine Bolton; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright –
Paul Zelesnikar; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 30
�
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 30, August 25, 2023
Creator
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-08-25
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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/45914/archive/files/e1a7c290c5278bbd1ce7270e9ce5b0f1.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=dzQUbQe3OvOiOpMGBMK0vHiAVQjCKQeudNqLVdX5ZHSlF4SYyGDAPhqQiRHzYPI4rDJ1RaxGj%7EqBrsOOCKXRJkVk7wBoxGwDvHXUMTRoKVrOzZLy7tjyRW1xI3MtW6QRuiKFejaXJ1QxsM7RuPYaFqKZJKJZ1Du0kGXbar8x%7EQjFc81cnKslCa5b5ZcI-qcs9s5QlwjDGldwhNT4wmWb81rPIMjV4q4saWKgdRwmFUEg3L7B2pp2CkzWxef%7E-va-PjxJk-FK29HrMbsU1qQU-sjqA8DtsUZiXrcyqZ-GEsFodyZrNkWBWXsEqOPuSx33iISvPtq9tZaNwqs580Snbg__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
d099521d93be7a57d03f98c3d2a044d4
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
January 20, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop:
Cabinetmaker – This week, John and Bill are busy pulling together materials and content for their
presentation at this year's Working Wood in the 18th Century Conference. They are making last-minute
demonstration parts and getting their thoughts together to show attendees. Jeremy has gotten the difficult
parts done on his corner table, joining one of the sides of the triangle table to the others with angled dovetails
at 45°. He will be finishing off the table in the coming month.
Harpsichordmaker – From the harpsichord corner … Melanie has finished the basic assembly of the
register, which will guide the jacks. Now, it needs very careful final shaping in anticipation of mounting it early
into the spinet’s basic assembly. That’s a ways off,
though. We are re-sawing big (for us) white pine
boards that will later come together for the baseboard
of the case. Lots of sawing, planing, and constant
sharpening of tools. The floor of the corner starts
looking like a hamster cage.
Early in the process comes the bending of the oak
board for the one curved wall of the case. So, we must
make slats that fit into the main form and adjust them
to the correct heights. Once the oak has been softened
in water for a few days, we bend over the slats with the
block and wing nut screws. It can stay there until
needed later. It’s hard to imagine that a musical
instrument will become the end result of all this
strange prep work. Come visit and see where we stand
Assembled register ready for refinement
on this first phase.
Bending form
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
White pine baseboards and frame saw
Volume 9, Issue 3
�The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday and Monday.
Apothecary – The Apothecary Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – This week, the Armoury got to take a field trip to the Frontier Culture Museum in
Staunton, Virginia. We were joined by Tinsmith Jenny, as well! We caught up with old colleagues, while they
took us around their site and into their collections. The highlight of the trip was seeing a very nice pair of fiveleaf "Cocks Head" hinges on an original 17th-century door. These were a rare example because they had a
foliated decoration in between the top and bottom sections on each hinge. In addition to our field trip, we've
remained hard at work on kitchen utensils, hardware, and wrapped up items for sale for the woodworking
conference next week.
We'd also like to share our favorite Guest quote this week. A repeat visitor told us that his motivation for
coming back was "getting to see the best of the best" when it comes to Trades. We always are motivated
when we hear these reviews and hope the rest of our colleagues do also from this Guest's comment.
The Blacksmith Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Tinsmith – The Tin Shop is open Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Brickmaker – This week in the Brickyard, our favorite past time (unstacking bricks) continued with all the
vim and vigor we have. As we unstack layer by layer, the gradient of brick hues becomes clearer, from lighter
orange to deep red. As the kiln gets smaller, the bricks are palletized so that they can leave the Yard for future
use. You'll have to forgive us for some modern intrusions as we won't be storing them on site.
Otherwise, this week, Apprentices Nick and Madeleine visited their pal Sean Devlin in the Archaeology
Collections to learn more about what flat roof tile looked like in Colonial Williamsburg. This visit, plus their
previous research, will help greatly in the experimental phase of tile making this summer.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�The Brickyard is open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters have split their time between the Farm site and our Yard. Mary and
Harold installed the upper window trim and kept installing the siding. Bobby and I have been focusing on reworking the door. We’ve had to plane and half lap a new board to make it the width we need. While at the
Yard, we’ve continued to hew the locust posts for the next couple of projects. The next step for us is making
four shuttered windows. That work should start next week.
The Carpenters will primarily be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather
permitting.
Colonial Garden – The Colonial Garden is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Cooper – Following up on an inquiry from our colleagues in the Tin Shop about staved canteens, we're going
to spend some time researching the subject in hopes of finding a good example from our period that we can
try to reproduce. We started out by looking at examples of staved canteens in our collection here at Colonial
Williamsburg. Included are some pictures of one of them.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�The Cooper Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraving Shop is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Foodways – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – This past week saw another group of Guests work with us as temporary apprentices for the
second of our sold-out Winter Workshops. It already looks like tomorrow’s Workshop has sold out, too.
Journeyman Mike was busy this past week. He poured pewter spoons to replenish our stock for the
Workshops, filed the pewter patterns we made of the drumhead tensioner hooks for the Fifes & Drums Corps,
and began work on the sterling silver shoe buckles that were ordered by the Milliners for one of their
upcoming Hennage programs. Apprentice Leanne completed her first silver pour by pouring the molds she
and Drew made last week, which contained the above-mentioned shoe buckles, as well as tray feet for the
Silversmiths and some salt spoons. Leanne also continued working on her bronze Courthouse key, while Drew
cut all those musket balls off their gates and has begun filing them for the Musket Range. They haven’t asked
for musket balls for a while now, but we know they’ll come calling before long.
Leanne’s first silver pour
Sterling silver castings
The Foundry is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday (11:30-4:30).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�Gunsmith – The Gunsmith Shop is open Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Historic Farming – Looking over the year: Tobacco
The tobacco crop was good in 2022 with vigorous growth and just the right amount of rain. Here are some of
the highlights of the year:
A good-looking tobacco plant after a good rain
We found some tobacco hornworms, but not many.
Tar on Ed’s hand after fifteen minutes of checking leaves for worms (left). Mike Cecere cutting a tobacco plant (center). Tobacco
hanging to cure (right).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�Apprentice Kevin Tobias’ first hand of tobacco
Chris Custalow planting “rustica” tobacco that North American Indians grew.
Tobacco Hogshead carrier made by Wheelwrights.
Joinery – The road to Working Wood in the 18th Century 2023 continues (but the end is in site - next
weekend!). Brian and Peter continue to prepare for their respective presentations. Brian’s pilaster has some
new parts to it. Since pilasters, like other popular architectural forms, are often modeled off of Greek and
Roman examples, not only is there the upright section with fluting (decorative channels), there is also a
decoratively molded base and capital. Much like the columns they are meant to imitate, there can be a range
of styles used. Brian has based his off of Smith’s Fort (Warren House), a historic home in Surry County. Peter,
meanwhile, is working on the very top of his portico, where the arch sits. He’s busy shaping out the curves,
which is aided by a plane specially made for the job. This is because most of the planes in the Joinery are
meant to be used in a straight line on a flat board. Special shapes call for special tools. The photo below
shows one of the four pieces he needs to complete. Two of the curves meet together to make the full
arch. When finished, this portico will have raised panels covering it.
Scott has been making headway on his corner cupboard. In addition to the face frame added on last
week, the casing has now enclosed around the shelves with two returns. These returns fill in the space
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�between the face frame and the back of the cupboard, which faces the wall. Eventually, these returns will
have pilasters as well, lending a nice polish to the finished item.
Laura has made a couple sample dovetails, so now it is time to apply these to making boxes. Her first
box will actually be a drawer for her workbench. After deciding on the size of the drawer, she’s just begun to
prepare her stock of pine boards, planing them to the correct size and ensuring they are flat and square.
The Joinery is open on Tuesday.
Leather Breeches Maker – We are pleased to report that the Leather Breeches Maker Shop opened on
the 15th of this month with great success! We have had the opportunity to speak to amazing Guests and are
happy to say that our new Shop has been well received. We are very thankful to our fellow Trades for the
help provided in moving items and getting the Shop ready. Thanks also goes to Curatorial for their advice in
this process. The work of making is well underway with two new pairs cut this week and the finishing up of
other pairs. We look forward to your visit soon!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�Apprentice Emma cutting a new pair of breeches on the first day (left). Master Jay and Journeyman Jan, opening day (right).
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Tuesday and Thursday
through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at
9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office – We are not only printing pamphlets. We also have some newly stitched Gardening
books to trim. These will go to Prentis Store for sale.
The Printing Office is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�Bindery – The Bookbindery is open Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday, Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday.
Silversmith – Multiple projects are on the docket at the Silversmith Shop. Megan continues to work on the
tray rim and is laying out a mote spoon to pierce. Chris has been filing and fitting the steel plates used to
flatten the trays. Bobbie has been chasing the body of her new tray. Preston has soldered the base onto a
small silver bowl. George has been rolling sheet silver from our ingots and has been hammering out more
spoons. Bobbie has been deciphering more of Ann Craig’s will.
Megan’s mote spoon with a pressing and a drawing of the original spoon in collections (left). Chris’ tray and one of the steel plates
she has been fitting (right).
Bobbie chasing her new tray (left). We would like to thank our friends at the Leather Beeches Maker for giving us a piece of leather
for use in the tray chasing (center)! Preston’s small silver bowl (right).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�George’s spoons
The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – We have finally finished all the blankets! The final run was pulled
off the loom just moments ago (Thursday afternoon). The next warp is already loaded, and we are beginning
threading. We predict the threading will take us around nine hours to complete, and then we will be ready to
weave a red, green, and white cotton pinstripe. This fabric is copied from the sample book Joe and I studied at
the Met back in November. I find it rather moving to be making something that hasn't been made for
centuries. Bringing it to life again sparks such a unique feeling. We are looking forward to seeing what it will
become in the skilled hands of our Milliners/Mantua Makers.
The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – Hello from the Wig Shop! We have been making our way through all of our maintenance
lately. As programming goes down for the Winter, our maintenance picks up because it's a perfect time for
everyone to bring in their items. So, if you need us, you're likely to find us elbow deep in shampoo,
conditioner, mousse, and hair! Edith has made great progress in the linen netting for her Journeyman Project
and is continuing to collect the other materials needed. Benton has been separating, frizzing, and weaving
horsehair for his Brigadier wig. Debbie has nearly finished the curls for Robin and has been concentrating on
maintenance. As always, please feel free to reach out to us for any tonsorial needs.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Anthony Hay Shop – John Peeler (Cabinetmaker) and Ed Wright (Harpsichordmaker); Armoury –
Joshua Rachita (Blacksmith); Brickmaker – Madeleine Bolton; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Cooper – Jon
Hallman; Foundry – Drew Godzik; Historic Farming – Ed Schultz; Joiner – Laura Hollowood; Leather Breeches
Maker – Emma Cross; Printing Office and Bindery – Peter Stinely (Printer); Silversmith – Megan Cantwell;
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 3
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-01-20
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 3, January 20, 2023
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
August 18, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Blacksmith – This week at the forge, Ken has been showing the apprentices the process of
making H-L hinges, in preparation for the dozens needed in upcoming building projects,
including the Bray School. Mark has been working on a couple of block knives for woodwork.
Alex has been forging cleavers and hardening and tempering framing chisels, so they are
ready for grinding. Broadus has worked on buttonhole chisels for leatherworkers. Josh is
working on one more grid iron, this time with a pan for collecting drippings from meat.
The Blacksmith Shop is open Thursday through Tuesday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – This week, John has been cutting in the tenons to the side of his cellaret
lower case, experimenting with the best was to create the joint efficiently. Bill will be getting
around to the next layers of finish on his writing table, which is now turning a lovely shade of
dark red, brought out by linseed oil and eventually seedlac.
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Carpenters – This week at Ewing Field we’ve completed the remainder of the siding for the
wagon shed. We still have 5 gates to assemble and hang in the upcoming days, but it certainly
feels good to be complete with the building.
The Historic Carpenters are open at Ewing Field Sunday – Tuesday and Friday, Saturday
weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Cook – This week in the kitchen we have been happily working away on dishes using gifts
from our friends at the Colonial Gardens. Cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, grapes, and other
assorted seasonal goods have been coming to us in abundance. We have also been using what
will most likely be the last round of soft fruits for the season, like plumbs, peaches, pawpaws,
and figs. We will be posing for new headshots for the CW website on Friday morning, so that
our page can show the team as it is now, with Frank, Barbra, Dom, and Abbey. Abbey has also
been in touch with our fellow food historian and interpreter Marc Meltonville (who we last
saw on our trip to England in January after partnering with him on some of the recipes for his
book, The Tavern Cook, which is now published.) As a fellow archaeologist and 18 th century
cook, Frank has suggested that Abbey utilize his wealth of knowledge as she begins to outline
and begin the introduction for her graduation paper, which will focus on 18 th century
archaeology of food. They will be having a zoom meeting in the coming weeks to flush out
some of her ideas.
This week’s table, with Dom sharpening knives and Barbra making rags.
The Cook is open at the Palace Kitchen Wednesday through Sunday.
Cooper -- The Cooper is open Sunday and Monday and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Farming – The Farming Trade is collaborating with the Weaving Trade on the dye plant
called indigo. There was an indigo craze in the 1750’s and early 60’s in the Tidewater region
and planters like Phillip Ludwell were successful in growing and processing it for export. The
pull of the tobacco trade was too strong though and the indigo craze fizzled when the prices
for tobacco went up after the French and Indian War. Trades is all about doing it to
understand it so we struck a deal- Farming will grow it and the Weave shop will process it.
We are heartened that it was successful the first year and about 30 pounds of plant material
was given to the Weavers last month. They have done exciting things with it so check out
their post as well.
Doesn’t look like much, but this was a money-making plant!
The Farming Trade is open at Ewing Field Tuesday- Saturday, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Fifes and Drums -- The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40
pm in Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the
Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Founders continued working on the CW seals this past week. The Musket
Range also stopped in and picked up their order of 500 musket balls and placed an order for
500 more. We fired up the forge and cast as many as we could before their pewter pot ran
dry. We also began work on an order of pewter spoons that will be headed over to Military
Programs. The core making experimentation continues without any successful results. When
we think we figured one obstacle out, another presents itself… but we’re not giving up. We
would also like to extend our thanks to Wheelwrights Paul and Murphy and Carpenter Ayinde
for repairing our molding bench and sand bin.
The Geddy Foundry is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Historic Gardeners – This week, to stay cool, the Historic Gardeners have been thinking
about fall. We sowed seeds for many hearty greens, and even a few flowers, that will flourish
as we move into cooler weather. We started most of these in clay pots where they can be
closely monitored for insect damage and protected from the intensity of the summer sun.
One exception is carrots, which we seeded directly in
the ground. To prevent the seeds from drying out, the
Gardeners constructed a stick frame to support a
straw mat, which will cast shade on the carrot bed
until the seeds germinate. Another good garden
activity for hot days is cleaning seed. The gardeners
collected seeds from carrots and beans earlier in the
season that need to be removed from their dry
flowers and seed pods before we store them. The
native fruit-producing trees and vines in our garden
also start to produce in August and we were able to
take a basket of muscadine grapes (Vitis rotundifolia)
and pawpaws (Asimina triloba) to the Historic Cooks
at the Palace Kitchen. The snapdragon (Antirrhinum
A shade for the carrot bed
majus) flowers that bloomed beautifully in the spring
and early summer met their match with the heat and had to be pulled from the garden beds,
but the cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata) plants are still putting on a stunning
display of color and texture in the garden.
Celosia argentea var cristata in bloom
Cleaning seeds in the Historic Garden
The Historic Garden is open seven days a week, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and
Thursday through Saturday.
Joiner– The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday and
Wednesday through Saturday.
Mason – This week found the brickmakers hard at work in the brickyard plugging away at
bricks for the upcoming work at the gunpowder magazine. These are some big bricks; much
larger than the ones we made earlier this season for the First Baptist Church project. We’re
running through a lot of clay making these things! Our friend Mr. Hudson over at the Joiners’
Shop is fabricating a mold for us right now. This will be a coping brick, also destined for the
magazine. Coping bricks are the half-round bricks found atop walls; Colonial Williamsburg
hasn’t made this particular brick since the 1930s!
Additionally, Journeyman Kenneth has been seen cavorting with the Wheelwrights this week
while he straightens out a little brick paving for them.
Behold the bounty! At last count we were around 10,000 bricks!
The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker– It’s been a busy week in the Margaret Hunter shop! We
said our goodbyes (for now) to our summer intern, Ishbel. Apprentice Kate has been working
on patterning a pair of 1790’s stays and is currently doing stitch tests to determine whether
some fabric in our stock is appropriate for this project. Journeywoman Rebecca is preparing
for a conference presentation and finished a bedgown for our newest engraver, who models it
below. Mistress Janea has been hard at work planning our keynote presentation for our
upcoming 2024 conference, building a framework for an illustrated lecture to show how we
use different kinds of collections to inform our practice of our trade. Her needle has been
flying through petticoats as she makes progress on her time-studies and has tackled items
from our unfinished projects drawer, finishing some lovely handkerchiefs.
Engraver’s Apprentice Emma modelling her new striped linen bedgown, Intern Ishbel working on a quilted petticoat.
The Margaret Hunter shop is open Sunday, alternating Wednesdays, and Thursday through
Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and
Saturday, with 9:30 am, 11 am, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm sessions.
The Printing Office – David Wilson has begun the typesetting of the final two pages of
Clementina Rind’s Gazette from September 2, 1773. We have news from China which has
taken more than a year to reach us, along with reports of battles between Russians and
Turkish forces. Other items of note include information of the structure of the East India
Company and news about tea to be sent to America. I wonder what will happen to the tea.
Image: Masthead of The Viginia Gazette from The New Printing Office.
The Printer is open Sundays through Thursdays.
Shoemaker– The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Silversmith –
Jacob poured his first silver ingot
Megan is planishing her matching mugs
Chris is working on her tray
Preston is working on large and small bowls
Bobbie is soldering buttons for the medallions
George is hammering out ingots to draw into wire
The Silversmith Shop is open at the Sign of the Golden Ball Monday through Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, Dyeing – The Weavers and our Farmer have partnered up
recently to try our hand at preparing indigo for dyeing. We have taken indigo plants grown by
Ed on site and processed the raw plant material into usable dye. This powdered form of
indigo was shippable and storable making it excellent for global trade. While we found
success with this first round of processing, we look forward to honing our technique for
future batches of dye. If any should care to see the effects of indigo dye on fiber do stop by
the shop Friday, August 18!
Pictured is the indigo crop grown by Ed and our processed indigo dye
The Weaver’s Shop is open Sunday and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on
Monday for workshops ONLY.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright is open Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�Wig Shop – Greetings from the Wig Shop! We’ve been busy as usual, trying to beat the
heat while working on maintenance. Edith has been working with Stella and Alexa on Robert
W.’s newest wig. Debbie has begun a base for a new wig for Dan M. as well. Benton has been
doing extensive research into Robert Lyon’s mortgage dated 1751, from the York County
Records, Book of Deeds Volume V. He has found references to bought hair (87.5 pounds!), 46
pre-made wigs, and four enslaved men (William Duncan, George Ridley, John Ashwell, and
Thomas Hewet). Conversations with the Tailors, Silversmiths, and Cabinetmakers, as well as
with Tara C., Curator of Furniture, have given us some insight into the use of certain
terminology for the period. We’re excited to learn more from this document in the coming
days. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with hair related needs or questions.
On the left, outline for Dan M.’s wig; On the right, Human & Horsehair on the tressing frame for Robert W.’s wig
The Wig Shop is open Friday through Tuesday.
Director – Please schedule a time if you would like to meet with me next week, I am
looking forward to seeing you at the Town Hall meetings next week.
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills’
publication.
Editor: Ted Boscana, Director, Historic Trades and Skills
Contributors: Apothecary; Blacksmith – Alex Hinman; Bookbinder; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury;
Cook – Abby Shoaf; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder – Drew Godzik; Fife and Drum; Gardener –
Teal Brooks; Mason – Josh Graml Milliner – Kate Hargrove; Printer – Peter Stinely; Shoemaker;
Tin Plate Worker; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright; Wig Shop – Debbie
Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 29
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 29, August 18, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-08-18
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THE MECHANICK'S ADVISER
August 11, 2023
Apothecary – We've been busy as always! Sharon solved another set of medical mysteries from the GaltBarraud account books: aqua mercuriale, as it's listed in entries there, refers to black mercury water/Aqua
Phagedaenica & was made with corrosive mercury sublimate. (She's also discovered several similar
preparations of lead acetate listed under different names according to their medicinal strength.) Stephannie
has compounded her first medication, a handsome conserve of mint for nausea & upset stomach, and it
makes a great pair with the orange peel conserve prepared weekly by workshop participants! Margaret has
been researching the material culture of institutional mental health care, compiling information on Public
Hospital patient clothing over time, and comparing conditions to Bethlem, St. Luke's, and other like places.
(Some patients in Williamsburg were issued fitted clothing like gowns, jackets, and breeches as early as
1773/4!)
The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Blacksmith – This week at the blacksmith shop, we enjoyed a much cooler week than last. Many of the
same projects have continued to be worked on. Josh now has five gridirons done and is ready to fit up the
sixth and final of this style. He also spent some time drawing a second style from collections which features
a drip pan to catch grease from the food cooking. This new one will definitely be a skill builder in accurate
layout, precise joinery, and sequential assembly. Broadus also is nearing completion on his chisels and had
time to get to the tool shop to do some finish grinding on them. Broadus also is working on buttonhole
punches for the Leather Breeches Makers. Alex continues his work on large, socketed chisels. Mark has begun
work on some block knives for an outside commission. He has forged out one and just needs the finish work
on it. Ken has been finishing up a variety of hammers- claw hammers, bench hammers, and rounding
hammers for the tinsmiths.
The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Bookbinder – Good Day from the Bookbindery.
Research shows that quite a few books circulating in the colonies were "books in boards," that is, books
that were sewn to cords, attached to boards, and covered in paper or canvas. They were more economical,
especially after the 1760s when bookbinding leather became increasingly expensive. Volunteer Bob Lyon
and Barbie have been covering several books in this way, including Tom Thumbs Primer, much to the delight
of our tiniest guests. The book covered in green paste paper is an 18th Century example. Thank you, Mary
Hannah! German marbled paper and blue paper could be found covering books in Williamsburg. Dutch Gilt
paper was also used here-- more to come on that subject in the future.
The Bookbinder is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through
Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Carpenter – This week in the carpenters' yard, we've been installing clapboards on the end of the farm's
new wagon shed. We have a bit more on one side before we start on the other. The task is relatively
straightforward; what's slowed us down is the processing of the material. We've had to clean, straighten, and
join the board's proceeding with the installation.
The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Cook – This week at the Palace Kitchen, we have been busy working on some long-term preservation of
seasonal fruits and vegetables. Frank has been stringing up chili peppers to dry (the kitchen looks like we
have some chic 70's bead curtains made of chilis all about), Barbra has been pickling seasonal veggies and
candied fruits in sugar, while Abbey has been making all sorts of soft fruit jams for the third level of her
apprenticeship. In the 18th century, these preservation methods were key to ensuring that when items
went out of season for the year, the household could still have these delights out on the table. Barbra has
been involved with a couple of collaborative projects. She has been working with Michail Twitty, a
renowned historian of African foodstuffs, as he prepares for a November conference to present recipes of
African heritage through the lens of 18th-century foods. He will present our 18th-century macaroni (mac n
cheese), black-eyed pea fritters, and our favorite at the kitchen, BBQ pork. She also baked bread using
Farmer Ed's revitalized 18th century Red May Wheat so that they could bring the grain front and center to
our friends over in Hospitality, as they work together to bring our historic wheat into the dishes they
prepare at the Inn, Lodge, Taverns, and Bakery. Both endeavors have proceeded with great success. Frank
has also been working on the 18th-century recipes that will be included in the new Colonial Williamsburg
Cookbook, which will highlight 18tch century culinary plants, with both modern recipes brought from our
Chefs and our 18th-century recipes from the kitchen, side by side. Both Abbey and Dom have begun
translating our 18th-century recipes from their historical texts into modern recipes to meet the standard of
a modern kitchen.
Enjoy the picture of our lovely summer table spread over in the kitchen.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday and Monday and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Farmer – The Nationbuilder at the Ewing Field program has been going really well. It is a program where
guests of all ages can chat with someone who loves agriculture. The Nationbuilder has usually been Colonel
or General Washington and sometimes James Madison. The guests love it!
Colonel Washington tells tales of his boyhood on the farm.
Showing a tobacco hornworm always captures interest.
The Farmer is at Ewing Field Wednesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Fifes and Drums – We bid farewell to our graduating seniors at the start of this month. They will be
missed, but the Sr. Corps has been doing a great job stepping up and sounding like a Corps double their size.
We have a lull in special events and will use this time to get used to our new Sr. Corps, prepare for a new class
of October recruits and get more tunes up and running to play in the Historic Area. Our next big event will be
Constitution Day on September 17. Lastly, congratulations to James Schleif for passing up to the rank of
Private!
The Fifes and Drums will perform Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market Square, Saturday at 12:30
pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – While we continued with our various seals, we also incorporated other work this week. We
cleaned up a batch of buttons to head over to the Military Programs' staff. A day was spent casting pewter,
replenishing our stocks of spoons and buttons, as well as relearning the taperstick mold. Soon the latter will
be used to practice blowpipe soldering. We also started experimenting with core making for Journeyman
Wheelwright Murphy's velocipede wheel boxes. None have been successful yet, but we think we know where
we went wrong, and we shall try again! Finally, many thanks to Journeyman Silversmith Chris for showing us
around the modern buffing machine and soldering setup.
The Foundry is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Gardener – Two delightful flowers graced the Historic Garden this week. A carefully cultivated purple
passionflower unfurled its unique blossom to the delight of bees and guests. At the other end of the garden,
the okra in the West African vegetable plot bloomed despite the depredations of rogue deer that cut a swath
in the sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas).
The bloom of Passiflora incarnata only lasts a single day.
Abelmoschus esculentus arrived in Virginia in 1679.
This week also marks the departure of Intern Will, who persevered through the hottest summer days. Will
turned beds, built trellises, and proved capable at many tasks. However, it will be his natural gift at
interpreting to the public, which will be missed the most!
Will displays some of the soil alchemy he has learned from the gardeners.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker –From the harpsichord corner, greeting…
As Melanie completes the veneer decoration on the case, Ed has begun sorting and sizing the bone covers for
the keyboard—small but important steps. The veneer will be scraped flush and sanded for its final finish, and
the bone goes on the uncut keyboard so that later we may saw out the wood levers and the bone together.
Come see the work as we progress to new stages! Melanie and Ed.
The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Masonry – The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker are open Sunday and Thursday
through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, with 9:30 am,
11 am, 1:30 pm, and 3 pm sessions.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Printer – Hello from the pressmen of the Printing Office. We have been experimenting with a laid paper
from New York State this past week. We have tested how this paper dampens and prints, and we are happy
to report it will be used in our various products. Testing also showed promising results for red and black
writing inks for the Book Binder's many blank books.
One of the more common questions from our guests is, "How long does it take to dry the ink?' We have found
we can print one side of a dampened sheet of paper using modern ink with a cobalt drier, cover it overnight
to keep the paper moist, and then print the other side the next morning with no offset of ink from the first
side. We then made an ink in the shop without any modern drying agent but also without any lead-based
drier and found we had to wait 24 hours before no ink came off while printing the other side.
The Printer is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Shoemaker – Our intern Tyler's last day was on Thursday. He will be taking a well-deserved rest before
heading back to school. While in the shop, Tyler made four and a half pairs of slippers, which will be used
throughout the Historic Area. Nicole has built up a last and is patterning a pair of uppers for Robert Weathers
(Mr. Wythe). She also continues work on a fine pair of channel pumps with overshoes for Mark Hutter (Tailor
Shop). Victoria is progressing on a last buildup for herself and a pair of slippers for Josh Graml (Masonry
Trades). Once her last is built up, Victoria will begin to learn pattern-making. Val is almost done with a pair
of common shoes for Ron Carnegie (George Washington). He will then start on a much-needed pair of shoes
for himself.
The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – Tin Shop August 11, 2023. Steve was in the shop this week.
A family of four enters the tin shop on the 5th with a mom and a dad and their two girls (about 9 & 11 years
old). I greet them, and as usual, but especially when I see kids, I invite them right away to handle the tinware
in front of them and tell them about the shop. They ask many interesting questions, and I am very engaged
in our conversational interpretation. Finally, a classic inquiry from the eldest girl: "What is the item that you
prefer making?" My answer: "Well, at this stage in my career, and because I've made at least one of
everything you see here, I would say something new, something I've never made before." Laughs. Me: "Well,
there is one object, and it might be because I like coffee, but I like to make coffeepots." Eldest girl: "So you
like coffee?" Me: "I like coffee a lot." So, she hands me a woven coaster/potholder: "Here," she says, "this is
for you." Me: "Oh! Wow! Thank you very much." They leave: "Thank you." Me: "Thank you for your visit.
Also, have a good visit."
The mother peeks back in and tells me that her daughter made it in the car on their way to Williamsburg and
said she would give it to someone she liked. With my hand over my heart, I said, "Thank you, I am very
touched." I got her name to put on a note to accompany her work.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�"L," Hand-woven, Acrylic fiber, 2023
This encounter happened on the last day of a week of interpreting alone in the shop, and this was a shot in
the arm. It made my day, my week. There are certainly more of these interactions than those that show up
in the visitor satisfaction surveys, but they count as much. Note to myself: I do not scare all the kids.
The Tin Plate Worker is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Calling all dye submissions!! Next Friday, August 18, will be our Dye
Day this month. If you want anything dyed, please bring it to us no later than this Sunday at noon. We look
forward to the challenge of your submissions!
The Weaver is open Sunday and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday for two Workshops
ONLY.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Wheelwright – This week on Prince George:
Work continues on the Velocipede, as Murphy has painted and varnished the wheels and is preparing to do
the same to the body. Ayinde has framed out the bed of the Tinker's barrow and has repaired a box for the
Foundry. Paul is continuing to make repairs to the undercarriage of the wagon. Stop by to check out our work
or for a chat!
The Wheelwright is open Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�Wigmaker – The Wig Shop has been busy with maintenance, as usual. The Summer heat is doing no one
any favors, least of all our wigs. Perspiration is an evil foe when it comes to the washing and restyling of our
wigs, and the humidity just wreaks havoc on the drying process as well. Wigs take longer to dry, and curls do
not like to cooperate when the humidity is so high, so that restyling can take longer this time of year. But we
persevere! Edith has begun weaving a blend of human and horsehair for the new Mr. Wythe wig, which is, as
she says, "a beautiful caramel honey" color. We think Mr. Wythe will look quite dashing in this new shade.
Benton, Stella, and Debbie continue to work on netted cauls for future projects. Benton and Stella have
recently organized the source materials on hand for better reference, and research continues into men's styles
and Marie Antoinette's hair. As always, please bring in your hair more often than usual during these hot
months, and feel free to contact us for any hair-related needs or questions.
The Wig Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Director – Ted will have open office hours for Historic Trades and Skills (HTS) staff as follows:
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday:
10 – 11 am
10 – 11 am
2 – 3 pm (Virtual through Teams)
2 – 3 pm
10 – 11 am
The Mechanick's Adviser is a Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills’ publication.
Editor: Ted Boscana, Director, Historic Trades and Skills
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Blacksmith – Josh Rachita; Bookbinder – Barbara Swanson;
Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Cook – Abby Shoaf; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder – Leanne Bellouny; Fife and Drum
– Rebecca Sterner; Gardener – Marc Nucup; Printer – Peter Stinely; Shoemaker – Val Povenelli; Tin Plate Worker
– Steve Delisle; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar; Wig Shop – Debbie
Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 28
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 28, August 11, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-08-11
-
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
July 28, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary Staff are saying goodbye to our pharmacy student intern, Joy. She has
been working with us for four weeks and is now moving on to another rotation to complete her pharmacy
degree. She has been a joy to work with, and we wish her well on her future endeavors. Margaret is
gearing up for a video on the public hospital, and Stephannie has been diligently reading the required
material for her first level apprenticeship. Sharon continues work on the Galt-Barraud Daybooks. She has
made an interesting correlation to vermifuge (de-worming) medicines and seasons. It appears that these
medicines are administered more frequently in late summer and early fall than any other time of the year.
As you harvest your vegetables, don’t forget to wash them before eating them.
The Apothecary is open Wednesday- Saturday.
Blacksmith – The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – The cabinetmakers have been doing many mortises lately. Two of our volunteers, Sarah
and Chris, are practicing their technique in preparation for doing a small frame and panel and have spent
much time learning the ins and outs of this procedure of cutting a rectangular slot in the wood. John has
been mortising as well, working on the legs to his next project, a Tidewater cellaret. Bill has been applying
the first coats of finish to his writing table, but more on that to come.
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Carpenter – The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday,
weather permitting.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday and Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – William has been working this week on small jewelry pieces and cutting the Colonial
Williamsburg seal on some pewter dishes. Emma has dived into lots of practice on lettering drawing and
cutting. She has found a few pewter pieces to practice on as well as getting the hand of some watercolor
tinting on some of the prints. She has also been working with Emily on her cursive writing and introducing
her to color mixing and how to build those color layers. She is planning to make color wheels next week
with Emily. Emma’s textbooks will be here soon, and she will begin on her many required drawings for her
apprenticeship. Lynn is setting up interviews for the Foundry’s intern position, working on a copperplate
with the Colonial Williamsburg seal and catching up on paperwork. Both apprentices’ binders (progress
logbooks) are up to date.
The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Farmer – Tobacco has been in the field for about three months and cutting began two weeks ago. I chose
for six good leaves instead of ten based on the growth of the plant on this new soil. It has been hung in the
new shed that the Carpenters are building.
1 Tobacco curing at Ewing Field.
The Farmer is at Ewing Field Wednesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Gardener – The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Harpsichordmaker – From the harpsichord corner, greetings…
We have now turned to the complicated veneer work on the bentside and tail panels of the spinet case.
After working the case side slightly rough, we clamped it entirely to the side of the bench so that we can use
our tools to the surface more conveniently. The positioning also allows the use of go-bars, long sticks of
wood wedged between the glued work and the ceiling.
It might seem a crazy procedure, clamping an entire spinet sideways to the bench, but everything is stable
and tight and appropriately position for the work.
Glue is applied to both sides of the veneer to keep it stable and undistorted. We then press it to the case,
apply our rubbing hammers to remove air and excess glue until the hot glue cools and grabs well. Wet rags
keep the veneer from drying out to quickly before the glue can fully set up its full bond.
By the way, the use of go bars is a very regular practice in stringed instrument work, and mentioned as a
viable method in Andre-Jacques Roubo’s treatise on veneer and marquetry, published in 1772.
Oh, and the wood shaving piled on top? They are insulating everything so that veneer stays stable, not
drying too fast before the glue has firmed up.
Come see the work in progress. Cheers.
The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Masonry – The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, and Thursday
through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions
at 9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It will
be open on Monday for two Workshops ONLY.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright is open Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday.
Wigmaker – The Wig Shop is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Thank you, Shari, for editing this publication and for your many years of
service to the Department of Historic Trades & Skills of Colonial
Williamsburg.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Ted Boscana, Director, Historic Trades & Skills
Contributors: Apothecary- Sharon Cotner; Blacksmith; Cabinetmaker – John Peeler; Carpenter; Engraver –
Lynn Zelesnikar; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder; Gardener; Masonry; Shoemaker; Silversmith; Weaver, Spinner,
and Dyer
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 27, July 28, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-07-28
-
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
August 4, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Blacksmith – The Blacksmiths remain busy this week as we forge on through the heat of July.
The master and journeyman both working on locks, Mark finishing the brass the knobs for a three-bolt lock
for the Bray school he has made.
Ken meanwhile does some repairs to an 18th century lock still in use from nearby Shirley plantation, the
great house there having been completed in 1738. This is a "drawback" lock, from the inside of the door you
have access to a knob which may be pulled back to open the door, however from the outside the only way
to work the lock is with a key, giving the keyholder a greater deal of control over who has access to the
house. The repair needed is general cleaning and a new spring as the original was broken.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Josh carries on work on gridirons for the mount Vernon kitchen project.
Alex has developed a good pile of socket chisels and begins on meat cleavers.
Broadus has a similar pile of firmer chisels and works on farm gate hinges.
As always, all’s well that falls well at the base of the anvil. The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday
and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Bookbinder – Good Day from the Bookbindery.
We highly recommend the book “Trade Bookbinding in the British Isles, 1660-1800", by Stuart Bennett. A
gem found by our volunteer, Bob Lyon, it is helping to put together a more well-rounded view of our craft,
and of the people who practiced it. We often find ourselves informing folks that putting a book together is
sometimes a 30-step process- but as this document attests to, that bit of information just might be in the
eye of the beholder. Cheers!
The Bookbinder is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Cabinetmaker – This week in the Hay Shop, Bill put a coat of boiled linseed oil on parts of his writing
table. You can see how much the color and grain have popped in this photo of the top being oiled. After the
oil dries for about 10 days, he'll begin working up coats of a seedlac varnish to enhance the grain even more
and give the whole a glossy look. Meanwhile, John has had his fill of chopping mortises for his cellarette
stand. Now, he'll get to work filling those mortises with tenons... The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:305:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Carpenter – The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday,
weather permitting.
Cook – As summer moves along over at the Palace Kitchen, we have been pleased to see the slightly cooler
weather roll in this week. For the first time since the heat turned up, we were able to get a cake as well as a
pie out to the table. With the heat in Virginia in the summer, pastry and cakes are detrimentally affected
and do not tolerate the temperature. Pastry turns into gooey paste and cakes never have the body and lift
they need to keep from becoming dense and stogy. Dom made a beautiful Nun’s cake, which is a pound
cake with carraway seeds, orange blossoms, nutmeg and a little touch of mace. Frank also put together a
Potato Pie, with layers of potatoes, onions, and hard-boiled eggs with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and butter in
between each layer. Abbey assisted on the decoration of the pie and Dom ensured it was baked to
perfection. Along with our lovely gifts from the Colonial Gardens (cucumbers and melons galore), we have
also been excited to have a second cropping of artichokes out on our plants at the Palace, which we thought
we had seen the last of in May. Enjoy the snaps of the fruits of our labor and happy August!
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Cooper – In addition to the items we make for use throughout Colonial Williamsburg, the Coopers Shop
often undertakes custom order work for other museums and historic sites. Among our current projects are a
pair of tubs ordered by the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton, New Jersey. Attached are an image of one tub
under construction, and an image of a completed tub.
The Cooper is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Engraver – The Engravers this week: Emma has started her formal technical drawings and been
experimenting with watercolors as well as working on tool control. And lots of drawing and reading in
between. Lynn has been working on the copperplate for the Wheelwrights, doing interviews with the
Founders, and working with Emma. William is away this week on Vacation. Emily was with us this week and
she was practicing her cursive writing with Emma and Lynn’s assistance. The Engravers would like to say
thank you to the Tin Shop folks!! They again have helped us out on containers. This time with small, lidded
containers for our white watercolor. We use it for setups. The metal is painted with it (white watercolor)
allowed to dry then we can draw on the metal. With the lids we can now eliminate the buildup of dust and
metal chips finding their way into the paint. The dust will scratch up the surface of the metal. Thank you
again Tinsmiths!
The Engraver is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Farmer – All tobacco has been cut and is curing in the now roofed shed that the Historic Trades
Carpenters are building. The area in tobacco will be put into turnips and swedes (which we call rutabagas
today). These crops show innovative methods that some planters were using to keep their land going
despite the ravages of soil depletion brought on by tobacco planting. They were intended for cattle and
sheep at the time but will likely show up in soups and stews at the CW Inn or Taverns. The cotton is coming
along nicely and hopefully there will be plenty of it for the Weave shop to spin during picking in October.
Bee in a cotton flower
The cotton plant in the summer
The Farmer is at Ewing Field Wednesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Wednesday, and Friday through Sunday.
Gardener – Our carrot project is drawing to a close. Seeds were planted last year of Scarlet Horn carrots
and protected over the winter season with long straw. This spring, the carrots would no longer be edible;
the plant then goes into the cycle of producing seeds. We will have seed for years and are happy for the
opportunity to share this experience with guests.
One of three baskets of seeds saved. Inside of the carrot in the second season. No longer edible, the core
turns woody and bitter. All the energy of the plant goes to producing seed.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�We said goodbye to our intern Andrew last week. This image is of Andrew on his last day in the garden.
Reorganizing the two front quarters’ display of potted tuberoses and dwarf pomegranates, he swept the
brick clean and raked the front quarter smooth.
We continue to harvest cucumbers and melons. As July draws to an end, we begin the task of planning the
fall and winter garden.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Gunsmith – In the Gunsmith shop this last week, Darrin finished welding the wrought iron skelp into the
barrel tube with the assistance of Richard and Brad. It was welded from a really nice piece of iron which is
difficult to find these days. Many times, the iron will want to open up and split along the grain and ends up
not working out.
Here is a breech pin (plug) Darrin forged out and it is not usable. What appears to be a better grade of
wrought iron was located and the smithing continues.
The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Harpsichordmaker – From the harpsichord corner, greetings…
The Sigal Music Museum in Greenville SC has two more Harris family spinets: One by Joseph Harris, father
of our William Harris, and another by William himself made in 1765, the year after the date of his
instrument in Colonial Williamsburg’s collections. We hope we can soon visit there for a couple of days and
examine the work of father and son together, side by side. Considering that Joseph trained William and the
latter continued and took over his father’s business directly, chances are that William worked on his father’s
spinet as well. This will be a special opportunity, but for now, we will continue with our work here. But this
research is very much on our minds.
The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Thursday through Sunday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Masonry – This week in the Brickyard the crew is reveling in this cooler weather after quite a bit of heat
in the previous weeks. As we continue our production, we've also changed to a bigger mold intended for the
powder magazine. This change in brick size required a bit of a learning curve as changes in mold size often
do, which we will see again later in the summer. Currently the joiners are working on what will be the third
brick of the summer, a coping brick mold which will be for the magazine wall.
The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – The last few weeks have been very busy at the Margaret Hunter
Shop! Mistress Janea and Intern Ishbel have done some great work on reverse engineering new
construction styles for 18th century jackets, aided by a trip to collections to examine a few originals with
Neal Hurst. Janea has also finished her new white cotton bedgown, which has already seen a great deal of
use in the recent warm weather, while Journeywoman Rebecca is working on the same style of jacket for
Apprentice Emma at the engravers.
We have also been busy with planning meetings for our 2024 Symposium on Historical Dress: Collections,
Collectors and Collaborations. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to submit papers, not to mention to visit
the shop in the meantime to ask about what we are plotting and planning!
Apprentice Kate has been working simultaneously on some of her Apprenticeship and Professional
Development goals by taking on a few different stay-making projects. This week she patterned and made a
pair of baby stays. Our shop had a pair- originally made as a reproduction of Rhode Island originals by
Apprentice Doris several years ago- though many years of handling and examination have left them fairly
worn out. Practicing taking patterns from items in the shop is a critical part of our apprenticeship process as
it helps teach how to examine, study, and notate the details of extant items we are studying; Kate
immediately put that knowledge to use in her study of a 1790s pair worn by Anne Van Cortlandt Van
Rensselaer.
The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Wednesday through Sunday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Musket Range – This week at the Musket Range we replaced our old tarp with a new one. This is one of
our yearly tasks at the range. We had help from Alex from Military Programs and Justin our fearless leader.
We would like to thank them for the extra hands! The new tarp will be welcome on not only rainy days but
also provides shade for the upcoming Dog days of August. We continue to operate at capacity and look
forward to our new hire whose first day will be August 13th. After training we will be able to open to six
shooters per session. The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with
sessions at 9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Shoemaker – TVictoria is midway through a pair of slippers for Josh Graml of the Masonry Trades. She is
also working on building up a last for her first pair of turn shoe pumps. Tyler is at the same point with a pair
of slippers for stock. Nicole is closing uppers for a pair of fine pumps for Mark Hutter of the Tailor Shop.
This will be the last pair of shoes needed to completed before she begins the boot making portion of her
apprenticeship. Val is starting the second of a pair of shoes for Ron Carnegie, who portrays the later
Washington. The shop is gearing up for our filming which will be this coming Tuesday. The Shoemaker is
open Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmiths have been busy as ever working through their list of commissions and
retail restocks.
Megan has been busy planishing her matching mugs and chasing her tray.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Jacob has been busy making trade silver and lent a hand in pumping the bellows while Chris poured a gold
ingot.
Chris poured a gold ingot that will be drawn into wire for rings.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Bobbie has been working tirelessly on the 42 medallions.
Preston is continuing work on the large bowl as well as several smaller bowls, he recently finished a Gurney
bowl.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�George has been working on Hanoverian and Old English Teaspoons.
George and Chris also had the chance to visit The Chrysler Museum of Art to study the Norfolk Mace, the
only existing pre-Revolutionary symbol of civic authority of its kind in the US.
The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – Steve is back from a two-week research trip to London and Derby, partially funded
by a Mary and Donald Gonzales Field Experience Fund grant. The trip was a great opportunity to meet
interesting people, visit museums and of course, being in the presence of artifacts and works of art he had
only known in print (or virtually) until now. The focused research in the tinplate work trade was invaluable.
The formidable quantity and quality of museums also offered a window into various periods of history but
with a focus on the 18th century.
“From my hotel in South Kensington, I was able to simply walk to great museums like The Victoria & Albert
and with a bit more steps, even the Queen’s Gallery. Because a good part of any day is spent moving
around, and notwithstanding the threat of rail strikes, I also took advantage of a very efficient public
transport system. Here are the highlights of this trip:
On the 18th, went to the Guildhall Centre/Guildhall Galleries/City Centre
Identified paintings and objects review/Historic architectural review Collections Guildhall and City History
Exhibit and then meeting with Master Erica Stary of The Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers Alias
Wire Workers and Reverend Jeremy Crossly (Lord Mayor’s Champlain and Tinplate Workers’ Guild
Chaplain). We examined items and architecture/transformation of St. Margarets Lothbury, a Christopher
Wren designed church and the Tinplate Workers Guild Church.
19th, Wallace Collection, British Museum and Sir John Soane’s House. 20th, examined important tinplate
objects (lanterns, paintings and speaking trumpets) at the storage location for the National Maritime
Museum. On the 21st, Caird Library for a first examination of the Woolwich Arsenal “tin shop” “charge
making” watercolour. This was one of the most important goals of this trip because we base many details of
our recreated shop on this unique image. 22nd to 24th was mostly taken with museum visits: V&A, Tate,
National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Museum of Natural History but also Guildhall Library Research
for the History of Tinplate work and Workers Guilds/apprenticeship system. On the 24th I meet with both
Master Erica Stary and Master David Mortlock of The Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights for a visit of the
Ironmongers’ Hall. July 25th Heritage Crafts Association symposium in the morning and Installation Dinner
for Master John Swain at the Mansion House (Lord Mayor’s residence) in the evening. On this occasion, I
was admitted as a Freeman in The Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers alias Wire Workers. The
Company received its charter from Charles II in 1670.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�July 26th started with a visit to the National Maritime Museum / Queen’s House and to the Caird Library for
a second examination of the Woolwich Arsenal “tin shop” watercolour.
The 27th Derby / Museum of Making to see their efforts to revive tinsmithing in the UK.
Tinsmithing went from extinct to endangered last year and the workshops at the Museum of Making are an
effort in making the technique known to makers.
-Exhibition of works by Joseph Wright of Derby
The last museum visit on the 28th was at the Buckingham Palace-Queens’ Gallery and the Special Exhibit
“Dressing the 18th century.” The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – We have finally refined our indigo into a shelf stable and usable dye!
The 13lbs of raw indigo plants condensed down to .8oz of powdered dye. Judging by our calculations, this
means that our processed indigo is around 40% pure. This fits with 18th century primary source procedure!
As with any new endeavor we know what we'd like to change with future batches, but we're pleased with
the results overall. The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday
for two Workshops ONLY.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�Wheelwright – Last week we said Godspeed to our intern Ralph. He hit the ground running and didn't
stop until the end. Thanks Ralph. Keep in touch. The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Thursday.
Wigmaker – Hello from the land of hair! We have been kept busy with maintenance these last couple
weeks, which is good, as it means all those wigs that have suffered through the Summer heat on their
wearers' heads so far are getting some much-needed TLC. Edith and Debbie have created the outline to a
new wig for Robert W. to replace a wig that needs to be retired and will be getting help from JI Alexa and
Intern Stella. Everyone has been working on maintenance and the hand knotting of cauls. Stella completed
her hairpiece and Edith has been helping her style her hair each morning, using the piece. As always, please
feel free to reach out to us for any hair related needs or questions and stay hydrated out there!
The Wig Shop is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Ted Boscana
Contributors: Blacksmith – Broadus Thompson; Cabinetmaker – Bill Pavlak; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Farmer
–Ed Schultz; Gardener – Eve Otmar; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton; Shoemaker – Val Povenelli; Silversmith –
Megan Cantwell; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo ; Wheelwright –Paul Zelesnikar
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 27
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 27, August 4, 2023
Creator
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023-08-04
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Text
THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
July 23, 2023
Apothecary – We've been busy this week – but no one has been as busy as our Pharmacy Intern, Joy,
who's been compounding up a storm! She's made an infusion of foxglove; a syrup of ginger; and now (for the
first time in recent memory!), a batch of white pectoral troches, pictured below. Hoping everyone's staying
cool and hydrated out there!
The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Blacksmith –
If you wish your work to succeed,
A blacksmith is all that you need.
Though silver may gleam,
And pewter hold cream,
It’s iron to finish a deed.
Lately, the Shop has been centered on work for the Carpenters’ Yard. Their chisels are now getting tempered,
their steel both resilient and hard. Ken has some hammers to make and also a compass or two. A lock has
been brought in for fixing and cleaning out crusted-on goo. Though Mark has finished his lock mechanism, he
still has the door knobs to file. The piece functions nicely, and gives optimism, that the Bray will be furnished
with style. Clouts for the wheelers are his other task, with countersunk nails a mutual ask. Alex and Broadus
continue on chisels and studying some in Collections. When white hot, a bar will spark and will sizzle, but
always will yield to corrections. For Ewing Field’s gate, it’s Broadus’s fate, to forge out some coarse hooks and
hinges. Alex, meanwhile, has cleavers in hand, to send to Mt. Vernon’s old kitchen. Joshua, too, has gridirons
to do, and to finish he surely is itchin’. But now, it is time to finish the rhyme, and frankly this one is a handful.
Remember this spell, as we always tell, that all’s well that falls well at the foot of the anvil.
The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Bookbinder – Good day from the Bookbindery. I feel extremely lucky to report that we have the legendary
Bob Lyon volunteering with us at the Bookbindery. Mr. Lyon graduated from W&M in the spring of 1977 and
was hired by Mike Kipps to work in the Printing Office, where he worked for five years. In 1982, he went to
Sturbridge Village for a short stint in their Printing Office and then returned to the Colonial Williamsburg
Bookbindery, where he remained until 1987. In 1988, Bob moved to Sydney, Australia, to work at D.S. Murray,
a small hand bindery founded in the early 1900’s. Upon his return to Williamsburg, he has been a selfemployed bookbinder ever since.
Bob is a multi-faceted man of many talents! His bookbinding skills are beyond comparison, and his
gold tooling skills are second to none. He is a genius in the art of calligraphy – which he taught here during his
employ. Bob both builds and fixes his own tools, and if he does not know how to do something, he makes it
his business to find out. He is also patient, kind, and willing to teach anyone who is open to learn. Please join
me in welcoming the newest member of our little community back home!
Kickin’ It Old School with the Printers and Binders of Yore. From left to right: Peter Stinely, Bob Lyon, Rhonda Graves, Bob
Albergotti, Dale Dippre, Bruce Plumley, and Mark Howell.
Bob displays a knife Dale Dippre made for him when he worked here in the 1980’s (left), and a sewing lesson, colonial style (right).
The Bookbinder is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Cabinetmaker – This summer, each week begins with the Hay Shop’s “Plane Talk” program – a hands-on,
Family Workshop that gives participants a chance to learn about and try a variety of the hand planes that we,
along with the Harpsichordmakers, use in our work. We’ve been enjoying the chance to share our work with
the public in this way each Sunday morning.
As for projects, we’ve got a couple of big
ones going on, one nearing completion and the
other just beginning. John has been roughing
out walnut parts for his copy of a cellaret from
the Collection. Bill made and installed the
decorative brackets for his writing table and
completed the final fitting of its quadrant
drawer (essentially a drawer within a drawer).
The writing table dressed up with its "Chinese" brackets
The quadrant, snug in its proper place
John planing the walnut legs for his cellarette project
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters re-cut the studs on the Farm wagon shed walls. Now that they’re
installed, we can start working on the clapboards that will make up the gable-end walls. The clapboards need
a little bit more work before they can get installed on the wall. The Farm site gates are also coming along
nicely. Most of the joinery for them have been chopped and will, in coming weeks, get test fit.
The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
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�Cook – Summer has been shaping up over at the Palace Kitchen! Over the last few weeks, we have had
Donor visits, where two of our Donor families came in and spent time with us in the Kitchen, making spice
buns and picking, washing, as well as frying, potatoes. Both groups seemed to really enjoy their experience
and are looking forward to spending time with us in the future. Abbey and Dom have also had some exciting
developments in their apprenticeships. Dom has officially moved on to the second level of our five-level
apprenticeship, while Abbey has moved on to the third. We have found ourselves getting to venture down to
the Armoury a couple of times, with the tree removal happening at the Palace closing our regular operations.
As always, it is a pleasure to be down at the Armoury, seeing so many of our Trades colleagues and getting to
tell the other half of the 18th-century food story.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Coopers are currently working on a number of items to fulfill orders for other museums,
including buckets, tubs, and several cannikins. Cannikins are wooden tankards primarily used by sailors. The
handles are integral parts of the container and are a bit more involved in terms of shaping than usual. Below
are some images showing the shape of the handle, for the shaping of which, we borrowed a special saw from
our colleagues in the Cabinetmaker Shop.
The Cooper is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – We want to welcome Emma Allardice!! Emma is the newest Apprentice in the Engraving Shop.
She has begun her six-year Journey with us this week. Emma is quite the artist and has jumped right in. She
has been working on her exercise plates in copper and in pewter, getting a good feel for the burin, and
learning tool control. She has worked on some monograms, various drawings, and cutting some pattern work.
On Wednesday, she began learning the printmaking routine of our copper plates, with William as a good
teacher. They printed several plates including William’s latest ships and Fan prints for the Milliners. William
has been busy drawing out some floral themes on jewelry and drawing out inscriptions on bottle tickets. This
week, he has begun work on inside and outside ring practice. Lynn has been setting up several CW Foundation
jobs, drawing out a gorget pattern for presentation pieces, cutting a second copperplate with the CW seal for
printing, and getting Emma situated in her new position. Miss Emily, our Junior Interpreter, was with us on
Thursday, practicing her cursive writing and drawing with Emma. Busy week for all of us.
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�Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�The Engraver is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Farmer – Farmer Ed, Wigmaker Edith Broward Edds, and Weaver Joe Wixted, along with Farming Volunteer
Rachel West, pulled flax last week. Though it was laid down by heavy thunderstorms, we managed to save
about ten percent of it. Farming processes it into beautiful line flax during the fall, in which the Weavers spin
and weave into cloth, and the Wigmakers make wigs.
The Farmer is at Ewing Field Wednesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – Great job to all of our Corps members and fellow performers for an amazing set of
performances at the Fourth of July celebrations! The Corps took part in four different ceremonies over the
course of the day. The Fourth also marked our Corps' official 65th anniversary! We are fortunate to have an
active and engaged Alumni Corps, who gathered on the weekend before for several marches, jam sessions,
and a special banquet to mark this milestone in our history. Now we turn our attention to graduation
marches. Last week, we celebrated Riley Schwartz, Fizz Waldron, David Degaraff, Isabel Kantor, and Peter
Zickel's graduation from the Corps with a special program in place of/in addition to our normal 4:40 pm
performance. The marches were longer than normal and featured the favorite tunes of the graduates, who
each got to lead their section for the last time. We will have another grad march on Friday (July 28th) to
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�honor Spencer Johnson and Duane Bradley, so feel free to come watch if you are able! While all of this is
happening, the adult staff have started interviewing candidates for our next Recruit class. It's been fun to
meet these excited aspiring musicians! While we haven't had anybody rise in rank over the last month,
several Junior Corps members were issued their uniforms and had their first of many marches in the Historic
Area.
A Duty Pair for the Recruiting Party program playing music with a young Guest (left). Some Corps members enjoying the 4th of July
fireworks (right).
The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market Square, Saturday
at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the Play House
Stage.
Founder – This week, the Founders have been busy molding and casting CW seals for Donor gifts. We just
found out our order of sixteen has increased to thirty-one.
The Foundry is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Gardener – The combination of rain and heat has seen substantive growth in the Historic Garden, especially
among the weeds. Sunflower, China aster, and celeste rose have all bloomed in the last week. Efforts to
support plants during summer downpours continue through strategic placement of trellises and sticks.
Helianthus annuus, Callistephus chinensis, and Rosa x alba
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�Intern Will builds a trellis about a Scotch bonnet pepper (Capsicum chinense) in order to prevent rain from knocking down the
growing plant (left). The season’s first early frame melon (Cucumis melo) sliced in twain (right).
The Historic Cooks have been the recipients of much produce including okra, carrots, beets, onions, and Swiss
chard as well as pole beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), and cayenne peppers
(Capsicum annuum).
Abelmoschus esculentus, Daucus carota, Allium cepa, and two varieties of Beta vulgaris before the trip to the Kitchen (left). Intern
Andrew selects a beet (right).
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmiths have a few projects going on, as usual. Richard just finished a beautiful
hammer pole tomahawk for a customer. The wrought iron and steel bit has a silver oval inlay on one side and
is finely engraved all over. The handle was shaped out from a stunning piece of curly maple, stained with aqua
fortis.
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�Darrin has been welding a barrel tube from a nice wrought iron bar. A couple more hours of smithing
and the tube should be ready for reaming. Once it's reamed to size and filed, it will be cut in half to make a
matched set of barrels for the pistols.
The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker – Greetings from the Harpsichord Corner! The Harris Spinet is coming along nicely.
Ed’s recent work on the internal support structure is largely complete, and while there is still a bit of veneer
décor to come, Melanie has made up all of the molding for what will be needed, rounding out much of the
case assembly. On to Part Two. Musical and mechanical components are up next. We’ve already prepared
the keyboard of white pine and laid out the key heads. With the register in place, we can now lay out the tails
of the key levers and saw them out. Once prepared, the levers will be capped with bone for the natural keys
and the decorative arcades, and ebony capped pear for the accidental key covers. The jack parts are
prepared, but we must still assemble and fit them to their individual slots. It won’t be too long before we can
prepare the soundboard, which is always an exciting step. Stay tuned!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Joiner – Summer marches on and at the Joinery, we’ve been making progress on a number of projects. This
week, Scott painted his Finney House mantle. Previously, it was eye-catching for its use of four different kinds
of wood, but now that it’s been painted, the contours of the molding and frieze are on best display. Most
Joiners’ trim work (like this mantle) would have been painted in a range of fashionable colors.
Peter continues to plane, chisel, chop, and fit together parts of his Menokin portico. A common
misconception is that the curved pieces that make up the top of the arched doorway are bent into shape, but
Peter actually cut them out in that shape. Similar technique can be seen on other arched finish-work.
Brian also continues on his own long-term project: a foot-treadled lathe. More parts are taking shape,
and the oak they are made of is an unusual sight in the Joinery. Our most commonly used woods are yellow
pines, like longleaf and loblolly. Oak is suitable for a large tool like this lathe, as it is strong and dense.
Laura was excited for the arrival of new poplar stock to begin planing parts for a new toolbox for the
Engravers. Over the last few weeks, she’s learned how to design and draw plans for the box. Now, it’s time to
put the plan into action!
The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Leather Breeches Maker – This week, we are bidding a fond farewell to our Intern, Ever. Ever joined us
in May and jumped right into learning the Shop Interpretation, engaging with Guests, and beginning to work in
dressed leather for the first time. When we were sure they had their fill of covering buttons, they moved on
to putting together a pair of breeches for one of the Carpenters. Though Jay helped with cutting pieces, all the
sewing was done by Ever. And they have completed that pair of breeches this week! Their work has helped
us add to the number of leather breeches in the Historic Area and increase awareness of the Trade to our
Guests. While Ever's background has been mostly theatrical costuming to this point, they were glad to be able
to dip a toe into the world of museum and historical trade work. We are excited to see where their path takes
them as they head back to school and continue to explore what museums/trades work might mean in the
future for them. Ever has been an amazing part of the Breeches Making Team this summer, and we are glad
they could join us!
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Masonry – This week found the Brickmakers doing what they do best: making brick and cursing the
rain. An afternoon shower isn’t bad, just annoying, and adds an extra day or two to the bricks’ drying
time. Nor’easters, super storms, or confusingly early
hurricanes would wreck our production, but a three o’clock
storm isn’t that disruptive. Plus, who doesn’t love a little
extra humidity?
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Our new Supervisor has started. We welcome Dr. Terrence Christian to Military
Programs. We have made it through our July Holiday Programming mostly intact, though unbelievably
sweaty. We are once again trying to spruce up our Guardhouse to make it more of a Guard “home”. Ren has
been hard at work on various projects to add to our table display and improve our visual interpretation. They
have been finishing blankets made for us by the Weavers – thank you, Weavers – as well as blanket slings to
hold the beautiful blankets. The blanket slings are being used to enhance the Light Infantry demonstrations
created by Matthew and Kevin for one of the variations of our “The Necessity of Order in Battle” Program, the
look being modeled by Kevin below. Ren would also like to thank the Department of Historical Clothing &
Dress for their new nickel-free glasses as pictured below. We are all hard at work on our goals for the
year. Ren is working on their 71st Highland impression, which they hope to have completed by the end of
August. Kevin, Matthew, Alex, and Ren are starting their long-awaited hunting shirt project. Working through
the Neal Hurst Hunting Shirt Workshop, we hope to be resplendent in our new hunting shirts by next summer.
Alex is setting to work on his required transcription project to advance in his curriculum.
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – Quite a lot has been going on
with the Milliners and Mantua-makers in the last few weeks!
Apprentice Kate spent a week in Lambeth working with The School of
Historical Dress on making a mantua based on an unpicked 1690s-1710s
mantua they recently acquired for their collection. Kate was selected
from a large pool of applicants to come in, examine the original, and
work to create a reproduction based on the stitch patterns and pleats
observable on the original. From Monday to Friday, she was kept busy
studying, stitching, and taking as many photographs as possible. The
finished reproduction mantua will be displayed on a mannequin
alongside the flat original pieces at the upcoming “Our Collection in
Blue” exhibition at the School. Kate learned so much from this
opportunity and is so excited to be back and sharing that information
with her colleagues. Feel free to come by and ask – she will gladly talk
your ear off!
On Wednesday the 19th, the Shop’s first real Research Day of the summer, we took a field trip to SWEM’s
Special Collections, thanks largely in part to the help of our summer Intern, William & Mary student Ishbel.
We were primarily there to examine the account book of John Morton Jordan, where we were specifically
looking for records concerning the Strachan sisters of Richmond, who were both Milliners in that city. We
were able to find a great deal in that account book and also were invited down to see the storage facility of
Special Collections. There we were able to see the original Frenchman’s Map, as well as a few other really cool
texts!
Here in the Margaret Hunter Shop proper, we have a number of different projects going on. Janea is
making progress on her new jacket designs for the Department of Historical Clothing & Dress, Rebecca is
making excellent progress on her stays, Kate is working on a child’s pinner apron for the Mary D. Doering
Exhibit, and Ishbel just finished an orange-striped jacket and petticoat.
We hope everyone has a great week!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is working hard through the summer at maximum capacity for nearly
every session. Alex and Andy have been enduring the hot temperatures, continually exceeding customers’
expectations.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Shari Monaco for all her hard work continually making
this publication available for everyone! Thank you, and you will be missed!
The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – Just this past week, David Wilson placed the next form of Clementina Rind’s Virginia Gazette in
the press. These pages contain a letter from Mrs. Rind to her subscribers and the House of Burgesses
lamenting her husband’s death. We intend to sell these newspapers at William Prentis Store once the
supplement is completed. This is our first six-page Gazette we have ever reprinted from the Rind family.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Our Guests this past week left with a keepsake featuring “The new Song” that Charlotte Larsen had set this
past spring.
New Song hand bills drying
Newspaper pages two and three from September 2, 1773
The Printer is open Sunday through Thursday.
Shoemaker – Tyler continues making slippers; presently, he is working on two pairs for the Tailor Shop.
Nicole just finished a pair of slippers and is currently closing a pair of uppers, for a fine pair of pumps. Victoria
is working on a pair of slippers for the Masonry Trades and learning how to make a pair of dancing pumps.
Since this is her first pair, she will be making them for herself. Val is working on a pair of welted pumps and
will soon start on a pair of common shoes for himself.
The Shoemaker is open Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday.
Silversmith – Greetings from the Silversmith Shop. Megan has been filing some cast salver feet that the
Foundry was kind enough to pour for us. These feet will go on a large, eleven-inch silver salver, one of
thirteen we’re making. Our Intern this summer, Jacob Van Buren, has been piercing some letter charms for
the Golden Ball.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – In the Tailor Shop, Percy, our Intern for the summer, is
finishing up a pair of lightweight summer breeches. He is currently
stitching on the garters and will only have to add buttons and
buttonholes to finish them. These breeches are made out of a cotton
dimity. Dimities were a range of figure woven linen or cotton fabrics that
were commonly used for men’s summer breeches, waistcoats, and coats,
as well as gowns for women.
The Tailor is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Shop is currently working diligently on a large order of tinware for the
kitchen at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Steve and Jenny have been making items such as colanders,
coffee pots, baking moulds, a reflecting oven, storage canisters, dish covers, and (coming soon) a spice box.
Steve also completed and painted two large watering cans for The Old Barracks in Trenton, New Jersey. Last
month, Jenny completed and submitted her research paper, a requirement for the apprenticeship, on the
value and cost of tinware in the eighteenth century using primary sources, with a focus on Williamsburg. This
month, Steve is traveling to London to meet with the Worshipful Company of Tin-Plate Workers and to visit
sites within the English Heritage Crafts network. Jenny will be traveling to New England next month and plans
to stop by Old Sturbridge Village for a brief visit with the tinsmiths there. Steve will be teaching the Tin 3 class
at Historic Eastfield Village at the end of August.
The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – This week, we got a fresh crop of
indigo from Farmer Ed! We have already weighed, washed, and
submerged the plants in water. We predict that from the thirteen
pounds of raw indigo, we will generate less than an ounce of dye. Now
we will monitor the vats and watch for just the right level of
fermentation. If it's overdone, it will be ruined; then the rotted plant
matter will be removed and discarded. The water that remains will be
left to settle multiple times until a sludge forms at the bottom of the
container. The sludge will then be compacted into cakes and dried out.
These cakes are also called junks! Hopefully, everything goes just as it
should, and we can dye some of our handwoven fabric with locally grown
indigo.
The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It
will be open on Monday for two Workshops ONLY.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Wheelwright – We apologize for our absence
as of late, but we have been quite busy! Murphy
continues on the velocipede, with the installation
of the saddle and the creation of the pattern for a
bushing for the wheels, provided by our
colleagues at the Foundry. Paul continues with
the repair of the wagon, and Ayinde is beginning
a Tinker's barrow! Ralph continues on a
wheelbarrow, and Ayinde and Liam have
completed the workboard for the Leather
Breeches Makers! Come on by!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Thursday.
Wigmaker – The Wig Shop has been busy lately with regular
maintenance and projects! Intern Stella and Edith have
completed Robert W.'s new blonde wig. The wig took
approximately 81 hours to complete and is made from a blend of
human and horsehair. This is the first time one of our Interns has
worked on a large-scale project like this.
Wigs waiting to be styled after washing and drying
Robert W.’s new wig
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
The wig, ready to be styled
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Adult Volunteer Marie and Junior Volunteer Alexa have been working on hairpieces for themselves.
Marie's outlines
Alexa's woven hair
Hand knotting has also been practiced extensively lately. The cauls
that we're creating today would have been imported in the
18th century, but no one makes them for us, so in between major
projects, we've all been working on making cauls for future use.
Benton knotting
Stella knotting
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Four pieces in various stages
Volume 9, Issue 26
�As always, please feel free to reach out to us for any hair-related needs or questions.
The Wig Shop would also like to take this opportunity to thank Shari for all her assistance and hard
work over the years. Whether it was making travel plans (sometimes in a pinch), scheduling us all, ordering
supplies for us, putting together the Adviser, or just getting us answers to pressing questions, Shari has
always been professional and reliable, and we greatly appreciate everything she has done for us. Best
wishes in your future endeavors, Shari!!
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
As Founding Editor of the Mechanick’s Adviser, it has been my honor to
chronicle the magnificent accomplishments of the Department of Historic Trades and
Skills. This edition marks my last, and I wish to thank the readers for their
supportive comments over the years. I also wish to express my gratitude to all of the
talented Artisans who have brought these pages to life and wish them every continued
success. Shari Monaco
Shari Monaco in the Governor’s Palace Dining Room playing the Serinette (bird organ).
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Blacksmith – Alex Hinman; Bookbinder – Barbara Swanson;
Cabinetmaker – Bill Pavlak; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Cook – Abbey Shoaf; Cooper – Jon Hallman; Engraver Lynn Zelesnikar; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Fifes & Drums – Rebecca Sterner; Founder – Drew Godzik; Gardener –
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�Marc Nucup; Harpsichordmaker – Melanie Belongia; Joiner – Laura Hollowood; Leather Breeches Maker –
Emma Cross; Masonry – Joshua Graml; Military Programs – Ren Tolson; Milliner and Mantua-maker – Kate
Hargrove; Musket Range – Jeffrey Thomas; Printer – Peter Stinely; Shoemaker – Val Povinelli; Silversmith –
Bobbie Saye; Tailor – Michael McCarty; Tin Plate Maker – Jenny Lynn; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela
Russo; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 26
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 26, July 23, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-07-23
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
July 15, 2023
Apothecary – The Pasteur-Galt Shop is excited to welcome our newest Pharmacy Student Intern, Joy
Morrow! Joy comes to us from Campbell University; her focus is oncology, but her interests extend to
psychiatric medicine (so Sharon and Margaret are doubly excited.) In addition to compounding a variety of
medicines, Joy will be conducting an original independent research project relating to 18th-century cancer
treatment. Stop in and say hello - she'll be here through the end of July!
Stephanie just finished the surgery component of her Level 1 apprenticeship track. Margaret has been
working on more hospital material, prepping research for a CW Innovation Studios video in advance of the
anniversary. Sharon continues to cross-reference Galt-Barraud material while precepting our pharmacy
program. Hoping everyone in Trades is staying cool and hydrated!
The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Blacksmith – Little has changed in the Blacksmith Shop since last week. Tools for the Carpenters, kitchen
utensils for Mount Vernon, and hardware for the Bray School are still underway. We had a very busy Fourth of
July with over 2,800 Guests on site! We would like to thank our Carpenter colleagues for installing the gate on
our site this week. We are happy to have that entrance available again for coal deliveries. Lastly, some tools
and hardware were made this week for the Tinsmiths to make "Tin Kitchens" for Mount Vernon.
The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – This past week, Bill finished some letter carving for a special project, which is not
something we get to do a lot of. He's now continuing on with making the knee brackets for his writing table.
John has recently visited Collections to study his next project, a Tidewater cellaret for storing your wine and
liquor bottles in style. He'll be getting to work shortly with the saw and plane to rough out the needed parts.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Carpenter – In the last few weeks, we’ve completed the roof of the Farm site’s wagon shed and gotten
some work done on the gates for the Farm site, too. We hope to get prepared for the siding installation.
The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – This week, the Engravers were continuing current projects. William has been working through
required repair jobs as well as drawing monograms. We worked through a review of his apprenticeship and
did some planning towards his next Level. Lynn has been working on monograms, too, drawing cursive writing
with Emily and introducing her to watercolor tinting the prints. Lynn has also been working on the
Wheelwrights print as well as sketching some new designs. Emily and Lynn took some labels that William
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�drew over to the Wheelwright Shop and affixed them to their paint pigment containers. All in all, a steady
week of getting things done.
The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Farmer – Field work doesn’t stop when it’s hot. Thriving depends on water and a hat.
A jug of water keeping cool in the shade of pumpkins
A good straw hat toasted under the Virginia sun
The Farmer is at Ewing Field Wednesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – After a very busy July 4th week, the Founders are glad for a quieter time to get some more work
done. Leading up to the Holiday, Apprentice Drew managed to finish the pewter ear patterns for buckets we
can use in the future. Apprentice Leanne has continued to work on the seals in pewter and bronze that we've
mentioned before. She has also finished a preliminary FAQ sheet for the Shop for quick reference should
anyone need to know Foundry basics. Upcoming research is shifting to core-making as several upcoming
projects require the skill. Special thanks to Silversmiths Preston, Megan, and Jacob, as well as Engraver
William for helping at the Foundry while Drew has been on vacation!
The Foundry is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Gardener – Since the last issue of the Adviser, Journeyman Gardener Teal returned from a research trip to
England and France to study surviving and restored 18th-century gardens. She is in the process of organizing
her photographs and reflections from the trip, which she hopes to share sometime in the near future. Back on
this side of the Atlantic, temperatures have climbed, and the summer plants in the Historic Garden are
growing wildly. The vining plants such as cucumbers and beans have reached the tops of their trellises and are
producing harvestable food. The other vines, including sweet potatoes, melons, bushel gourds, and squash,
are quickly covering any available ground. In the American Indian food plot, the large leaves of the squash
vine are encouraged to grow along the ground where they will prevent weed growth and help retain soil
moisture. A number of flowers are currently blooming in the Garden; the most recent include purple
coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum), and chaste
tree (Vitex agnus-castus).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�Journeyman Historic Gardener Teal admires a specimen of Echium pininana at the Chelsea Physic Garden in London (left). The
elaborate gardens in front of the Orangerie at the Palace of Versailles (right).
Cucumbers, onions, and beans harvested at the Historic Garden
Echinacea purpurea in bloom at the Historic Garden
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, Friday, and Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker – From the Harpsichord Corner, greetings. For the Harris Spinet project, we have
finished the assembly of the case walls and now focus on the internal support structure. Melanie has really
moved through a large amount of the veneer decorations, inside and outside. It’s going to be a very
handsome casing. Once the casing is finished, we will move back to the dozens of parts and steps that will
make the musical and mechanical action. That will be Part Two, but we have to finish Part One first, and well.
Come see how the work is progressing.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�Veneer decoration in progress
Clamps installation interior work
Front panel and bass cheek finished veneer
Interior of the Spinet
The Spinet, so far
The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Masonry – The Brickyard remains as busy as ever! We’re working with the First Baptist Church descendant
community to memorialize past members of this important congregation. Many thanks to Archaeology’s
Crystal Castleberry, Nation Builder James Ingram, and Coach & Livestock’s Adam Canady for helping spread
the word!
Apprentices Nick and Madeleine, meanwhile, got to spend another week at the Bray School, learning
the various ins and outs of being part of a big CW project. Under the watchful eye of Ray Canetti, the Master
Bricklayer that mentored the previous and current Masters of Colonial Williamsburg’s Brickyard, Nick and
Madeleine are gaining the skills to one day handle these sorts of projects on their own. Ray even gifted them
each one of his notorious handmade joint rakers, useful for getting mortar out of the hard-to-reach spots in
brickwork. “I’ve really learned a lot in the last two weeks,” Nick said. “I wish I hadn’t squandered so much of
my youth on playing Magic: The Gathering.”
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, and Thursday
through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions
at 9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemakers are re-acclimating to our Shoe Shed behind the Blacksmith Shop. Our
Summer Intern, Tyler, has completed his first pair of slippers and has started on a second pair. This style of
slipper is made with turn shoe construction – the upper and sole are stitched together inside out and turned
right side out.
Victoria has also been working on turn shoes, but before she can start her next pair, she needs to modify the
last she’s using to make it the right size. Adding “pins” of leather to lasts is one of the ways Shoemakers utilize
scrap leather and accommodate customers with less-common foot sizes. Once the leather dries to the last, it
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�can be blended in with a knife and rasp to get the appropriate size without changing the heel width or toe
shape.
Nicole has also been doing prep work for her next pair of shoes. One of our biggest challenges today is
sourcing the leather we need. When it arrives, it’s not always dressed the way we need it to be. Using a
combination of fish oil and tallow, Nicole has been dressing the grain out leather to make it suitable for the
channel pumps she’s making for her apprenticeship. Val has completed a pair of shoes for Tim Logue and a
pair for Madeleine Bolton. He’s started on a pair for Ron Carnegie.
The Shoemakers got to spend some time in the Archaeology Lab on our Research Day to study original
shoes. Tyler was a natural at sketching shoe fragments. Victoria was particularly interested in a child’s shoe
found at the Wetherburn’s site. Nicole just scratched the surface in studying a rare surviving half boot in our
Collection that she’ll use as a basis for the pair she’ll make to start the boot portion of her apprenticeship.
Thank you to the Archaeologists for hosting us, and we hope to see you again soon!
The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�Silversmith – The Silversmiths have been busy as ever working through their list of commissions and retail
restocks. Intern Jacob has been hard at work learning saw piercing and ring making, while Megan is raising her
cups and chasing her first silver tray.
Chris continues to work on chasing her tray, and Bobbie has cut 44 discs and 88 buttons for trade silver
medallions.
Preston continues to raise his large silver bowl. George has repaired the handle to our favorite raising
hammer. We’d like to thank our friends at the Blacksmith Shop for giving us a piece of hickory for the new
handle.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Wednesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Work continues on the tartan! We are marching along through the
thirty yards of colorful wool warp. It's an easily recognizable textile and provides an excellent segue to discuss
how ideas of fabric may change over time. We are looking forward to seeing all the wonderful things it will
become in the capable hands of Ren Tolson.
In other news, Annie has officially finished the first of four overshot coverlets required by their
apprenticeship. With the green finished, a lovely blue and yellow is now in progress. These will end up in
Prentis Store for the public to purchase. It’s always heartwarming to speak to Guests who have purchased our
fabric in the past and still cherish it to this day.
The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday for two
Workshops ONLY.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright is open Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday.
Wigmaker – The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Blacksmith – Joshua Rachita; Cabinetmaker – John Peeler;
Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Engraver - Lynn Zelesnikar; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder – Leanne Bellouny;
Gardener – Teal Brooks; Masonry – Joshua Graml; Shoemaker – Nicole Boileau; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell;
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 25
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 25, July 15, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-07-15
-
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
June 24, 2023
Apothecary – It's been a busy week at the Galt Shop. Saturday brought the first Summer Workshop of the
season, and participants made an excellent conserve of orange peel as well as demonstrating proper
bandaging techniques.
On Monday, in addition to welcoming Guests celebrating Juneteenth, we officially welcomed our new
Apprentice, Stephannie Scott. We're excited to introduce Stephannie to the world of the Apothecary and
equally excited to see her flourish in compounding work and history of medicine. If you see her out and
about, say hi!
Also last Monday, we hosted a Teacher Institute workshop for STEAM educators. Teachers
compounded black pectoral troches (licorice-based cough lozenges) using their math skills to reduce the
dispensatory's recipe by 1/32nd.
The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Blacksmith – The Anderson Shop participated in Colonial Williamsburg’s Juneteenth programming by
hosting Master Blacksmith Darryl Reeves from New Orleans, who specializes in restoration of historic ironwork
in the French Quarter and for public and private buildings throughout the city, and his apprentice, Karina Roca.
Our day focused on demonstration of ironworking in the Shop, a display of publications that highlight African
ironwork and ironworkers, and discussion of African American participation in, and influence on, American
ironwork.
Outside of agriculture, the iron industry was the largest employer of enslaved African labor where
great physical work was necessary to process fuel and iron ore into refined iron. It is also well documented
that enslaved Africans were given positions of trust and responsibility in operating smelting furnaces, as
furnace operators, forge men, and hammer men, all of whom have enormous influence over the quality of the
finished product and ultimately on the success of the commercial enterprise.
Ironworking traditions run deep within African culture, with many surviving examples of early-African
ironwork exhibiting not only forms of artistic beauty but also of great technical achievement. Many of these
objects are cherished symbols of power and authority within African communities as well as objects that
connect the living with spiritual presence of ancestors and the world’s “Life Force.” Blacksmiths in African
Society hold an elevated status as intermediaries within that interchange of earth and spirit. You can see
examples of this work in a recent exhibition from the Fowler Museum in California:
https://africa.si.edu/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/striking-iron-the-art-of-african-blacksmiths/.
Elements of African culture appear in significant architectural ironwork in cities like New Orleans and
Charleston, where African laborers – both free and enslaved – were involved in production of the monumental
works for which these cities are known. You can learn a bit more from this exhibit put on by the HermannGrima + Gallier Houses exhibit: https://hgghh.org/exhibitions/artistry-in-iron.
This African influence on American ironwork has been an interest of mine for some time, and one that I
hope to continue to pursue in hopes of finding similar examples of African influence in iron of the Chesapeake.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Ken, Master Blacksmith Darryl Reeves, and Apprentice Karina Roca in the Anderson Shop for Juneteenth
Darryl and Karina at work on Juneteenth in the Anderson Shop (left). Karina engaging a young Guest in our Juneteenth program
(right).
The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – This past week or so, John has been learning the ins and outs of slip seat upholstery for
his side chairs, working with linen, horse hair, leather, and of course, lots of tacks. Bill has been constructing
the small quadrant drawer for his writing table. He created a bending form to bend the curved side of the
drawer that will allow it to rotate into place. So far, so good, but he will let it set a few days more before it is
fully dried out from its soak before the bend.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Carpenter – The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday,
weather permitting.
Cook – We have had a few busy weeks in the Kitchen as we change to our summer schedule. Barbara will
start being down at the Anderson Armoury Kitchen during the week with our summer Intern, Winston. She
was also accompanied this past Sunday by one of our lovely Volunteers, Doris, who will be joining the Armoury
team this summer. Up at the Palace, Frank had a beer-based interview with The Washington Post and is also
getting ready to launch our latest collaboration with Ale Works, the newly named “Windmill Wheat”.
Our days off have changed to Monday-Tuesday, but this past Monday, the Foodways staff was here
onsite in order to lend our hands to the programs that were held in honor of Juneteenth. For the day, we had
three different Kitchens open with special programming, all of us making African, West Indian, and Carib
dishes that would have been brought to Virginia by the enslaved men and women working in the kitchens of
both affluent households and businesses here in town. At the Randolph Kitchen, Dom was with Mrs. Janice,
doing pigs feet, pork ribs, and a chicken gumbo. At the Armoury, Barbara and Winston did Johnny Cakes, Ash
Cakes, and a rabbit stew. At the Palace, Frank and Abbey moved their operations from the Kitchen to the
Scullery, where they did a West Indian Pepper Pot Soup and Black-eyed Pea Fritters. We also experimented
with Sorghum, a native African grain that would have been used like rice or barley. It was important for us to
give recognition and attention to the foods of the enslaved here in Virginia, as it was crucial not only to their
personal survival, but also crucial in keeping their culture and heritage alive here in the colonies.
The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – Greetings from the Engraving Shop. This week, William has completed another custom order!
This is a pewter plate, made by the Foundry, that he has engraved with a Masonic symbol on the face and a
custom monogram on the back. Part of the apprenticeship does involve lots of monogram practice. It’s not
always easy to combine certain letters and get them to balance out. Here, he has done a good job with the
monogram “A.J.L.” The “L” in the center is the last name and drawn in a larger size, typical for a traditional
monogram. William has also produced the first test print for his Ships copperplate! It turned out wonderful!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�There will be some areas to tidy up and Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Trades mark to still engrave, but a
huge Huzzah! to William. This plate took a lot of work, and he pushed himself on lettering and the cartouche
design.
This week, Emma has been working with Emily on drawing basic shapes and shading, getting her feet
wet with more Engraving tool control work, and producing some stunning conte’ crayon sketches.
Emily has been working on lettering, figure shapes, and shading. She and Emma share a love of horses,
so they have found common ground in their artwork. Lynn has been doing mid-year meetings for Goal
reviews, repair on the Boston Massacre plate, a Brickyard project, and reading up on Paul Revere and William
Byrd II.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The Engraver is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Farmer – The Farmer will be at Ewing Field Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – Apprentice Founders Drew and Leanne have completed their first cast iron pours. Everything
went well, and we cast two Colonial Williamsburg seals and have begun the cleanup work necessary to turn
those rough castings into finished pieces to be used as Donor gifts by our Development Team. In other work,
Drew finished the Musket Range’s order of 500 musket balls, and Leanne has continued the finishing work on
the bronze pieces as mentioned in the last update. We had wanted to do some silver work this week, but with
all the rain, we will need to postpone it until we have more favorable weather conditions. As you know, we
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�can’t pour any metal while it’s raining – the rain water simply comes down our chimney and can fall right into
the molten metal.
We also heard from Journeyman Mike a few days ago. He will be leaving the physical therapy facility
this coming week and will be heading back home where more physical therapy will continue. He’s doing well
and can’t wait to be back at the Foundry.
The Foundry is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Gardener – The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday
through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, and Thursday through
Saturday.
Masonry – This week, the Brickyard has felt rather sloomy in recent days with the onset of our humid, and
rather rainy, weather. With production stalled, the Summer Crew was able to roam the town and, most
importantly, have a viewing of The Last Brickmaker in America, featuring the impressive Sidney Poitier. They
returned with a new appreciation for the work and a zest for life.
Otherwise, this week, our Apprentices were able to retrieve the tiles that were fired at William & Mary.
These tiles will give valuable insight into how these tiles may fire in the kiln and how they handle water.
The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Sunday through Friday, and
Saturday (9am-12pm and 2-5pm).
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – Keeping with tradition, we hosted the 30th year of our “Gown in a
Day” Program on Wednesday. One of the goals of this event is to try to reproduce 18th-century working
conditions as closely as possible: we come in at 7am and work until 6pm to see how much stitching can be
done within that "average" workday. For that reason, we always schedule the program for the longest day of
the year, hoping to take advantage of maximum daylight hours. This year, unfortunately, nature had other
ideas and decided to grace us with the darkest, rainiest, windiest day of the season...but we persevered and so
did our Guests!
This year's "theme" celebrated Juneteenth by focusing on the material culture of the Bray School.
Together with Nicole Brown, we developed a hands-on program that invited Guests to intimately engage with
the lives of the Bray students and their teacher. Ishbel and two of our previous NIAHD Interns had created
several sets of clothing appropriate in size, textiles, and styles to the garments that would have been worn by
the young girls who attended the school. These were left on the counter for visitors to explore. A set of
workbags were also available for handling, reproduced from a British instruction manual for creating charity
clothing. Each bag includes a printed label with the name of the girl - Nancy, Hannah, and Mary Ashby - who
would have stitched it and to whom it would then belong. Inside each bag, we put items specific to the child
to help to individualize her experience; based on collaborative primary research, we assembled things like
slates, marbles, and sampler pieces to tie each child back to documentation that speaks to her unique
interests and personality.
Virginia cloth Bray student gown
Osnaburg Bray student gown
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Bray student workbags
In many ways, we were able to recreate one of the primary 18th-century functions of a millinery shop:
that of a social space where people gathered to visit together, catch up on news and learn new things, sit and
relax, and simply enjoy being in the company of other members of a community. All the while, Mrs. Wager's
gown took shape on the periphery of the space, with four to six people working simultaneously on various
pieces to get it all done. This year's gown was a beautiful white satin weave worsted wool with a narrow
purple stripe that was chosen for its year-round utilitarian functionality – and to spark an intentional
conversation about fiber properties and textile choice (wool in summer??!!!). The style Janea cut was
appropriate to the first half of the 1760s, based on two extant English gowns, and was designed with the
comfort and range of motion a teacher would require when chasing after her active young students. Going
through the process of having her gown cut to her body quickly made Nicole realize the primary benefit of
18th-century mantua-making: clothing is made for the person, with her body, deportment, and lifestyle all
taken into account. She's thrilled to have a garment that will allow her to drive her riding chair, kneel to talk
to children, and stand comfortably in summer heat – all without having to change her clothes to
accommodate differences in range of motion or activity level.
Cutting to the body
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�By 5:53 pm, we succeeded in meeting our goal: the gown was finished and presented to the twenty
persistent Guests who had remained or returned, despite the rain, to see its completion. Our “customer” was
most pleased, and as soon as the millinery is ready (it needs a tucker and some elbow ruffles), we'll share a
formal portrait. In the meantime, we want to say thank you most sincerely to Nicole for her company, her
expertise, and her most gracious interpretation throughout the day. A thank you is also due to the Tailors for
lending us their intern, Percy (thanks, Percy!), and to Mathew and HC&D for sending a chain of helping hands
throughout the day (thanks Kristen, Joey, Sydney, Aileen, Gretchen, Jenn, and Megan!). Now on to plotting for
next year's adventure ... If anyone has suggestions for next year's "theme" or “customer”, please don't
hesitate to share them!
Mrs. Wager’s completed gown
The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Musket Range – Andy recently attended the WKU/NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar in Bowling Green,
Kentucky. While there, he took part in a six-day class in constructing a kit rifle. He learned skills in wood and
metal finishing, inletting, and more, to enable him to work on and maintain the Musket Range's firearms.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday through Thursday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmiths have been quite busy with a multitude of projects these past weeks. We’ve
also added a new member to the Shop. Stop by and meet our summer Intern, Jacob!
Megan is raising her mugs, making rings, and working on chasing for her tray. Bobbie is continuing to raise her
sweetmeat basket, making tray rims, and cutting out discs that will become medallions. Chris has been
resizing client rings and working on her tray.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Preston has been raising a large bowl for a client. George continues to hammer out spoons, seamed cups, and
ingots.
The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – Journeyman McCarty has begun a coat for the summer, made from a worsted wool. Wool,
especially worsted wools, having a greater evaporation rate than cotton, is a great choice for the heat and
humidity of the Tidewater. Linens, silks, wools, and cottons of the thinnest and thickest varieties were
available to 18th-century Virginians. Lightweight fabric, often shades of white, was the common choice for
summer clothing. Tailors would pattern men’s summer clothes with more ease, described as “loose and
light.” These garments also required sturdy construction to deal with the regular laundering that sweatsoaked summer clothing necessitate.
The Tailor is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – This month's Dye Day will be the 30th! We have been spinning up a
woolen storm and have nine skeins of Leicester Longwool yarn destined for the dye pots this month. The
skeins have already been scoured and mordanted, and all that's left for Dye Day preparations is to cook down
some dyes. This process involves simmering dyestuff in water for several hours to extract the proper
chemicals for dyeing. The dye material is then strained out, and the liquid is stored until we are ready to
dye. The whole process can take several days, even weeks, which is why we only do a Dye Day once a month.
If you have anything you would like dyed this month, please bring it to us no later than 12:00 pm Sunday.
The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday for two
Workshops ONLY.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Thursday.
Wigmaker – This week, maintenance continues as usual. Edith has made great progress on the new wig for
Robert W. and has employed the aid of Junior Interpreter Alexa with some stitching of the base. Benton
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�continues to work on his silk netting and has been elbow deep in Full Bottom wigs for our Evening Programs.
Intern Stella has nearly completed construction of her first hairpiece and will learn to style it this coming week.
Debbie has been working on maintenance items and her netting, as well. She also met with some of our
esteemed Librarians, so they could go through several boxes of old files from the Shop breakroom to see what
may be archived and what should be disposed of. Please note, Edith will be away from the Shop for the next
week, so we ask for a little grace in the turnaround times for some items. As always, please feel free to reach
out with any hair-related needs or questions.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Blacksmith – Kenneth Schwarz; Cabinetmaker – John Peeler;
Cook – Abbey Shoaf; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Founder – Drew Godzik; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton;
Milliner and Mantua-maker – Rebecca Godzik; Musket Range – Andrew Prochnow; Silversmith – Megan
Cantwell; Tailor – Michael McCarty; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 24, June 24, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-06-24
-
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Text
THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
July 1, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Tuesday through Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Blacksmith – In the Blacksmith Shop this week,
Mark is nearing completion of his lock, needing only
to make the keeper and the doorknob shank. Ken
finished up a handrail. Alex and Broadus have
hammered out a mess of chisels, socketed framing
chisels for Alex and paring chisels for Broadus. Josh
carries on with gridirons, now preparing to assemble
his third, halfway through the six that he needs. As
always, all's well that falls well at the base of the
anvil!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – The Cabinetmakers are moving
toward the finish line on two current projects. John
is neatly stretching and tacking the black leather
show cloth onto the slip seats for his chairs. Once
that’s done, only a couple of coats of wax stand
between his chairs and completion. Bill, after
bending some oak for the quadrant drawer of his
writing table, is ready to dovetail the curved piece
to the rest of the drawer structure. In the photo,
you can see the drawer parts that will ultimately fit
into the small rectangular cutout in the larger
drawer side beneath them. Bill and John have also
been guiding Volunteers Chris and Sarah through
the process of cutting mortise and tenon joints.
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Carpenter – The Carpenters are working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday,
weather permitting.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday, Tuesday (9:00-2:00), and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Farmer – The Farmer will be at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:45 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at
1:15 pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Gardener – This week saw the first substantive rain in some time. For most plants, the rain was a welcome
relief from the dry conditions. But for some of the Garden residents, the sheer volume of water knocked them
over and necessitated the use of ropes and stakes to right them. Corn (Zea mays), yarrow (Achillea
millefolium), asparagus (Asparagus officinalis), and carrots (Dauscus carota) all required support to keep the
plants off the ground and out of the pathways.
Carrots in bloom knocked down by an inch (!) of rain and laying amongst the Welsh onions (Allium fistulosum) (left). Carrots held up
by ropes and stakes (right).
With the rain, weeds sprouted quickly, and most of the Gardeners’ time this week (outside of interpretation)
was spent pulling wayward vegetation. A few other tasks were completed, however. Interns Andrew and Will
improved upon the hoop trellises for tuberoses (Agave amica) based off illustrations from Thomas Hill’s The
Gardeners’ Labyrinth. The very popular flowering Canterbury bells (Campanula medium) finally reached the
end of their season and were replaced by potted chili peppers (Capsicum). Finally, the first cucumbers of the
season were sent to the Historic Cooks.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Andrew and Will discuss the art of flower trellising.
A row of potted chilis greet Guests to the Garden.
Two varieties of Cucumis sativus along with their blossoms before heading off to the Palace Kitchen
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday
through Saturday.
Joiner – Hello from the Joiner Shop! Last week was action packed at the
Joiner. Last Friday, Laura, Brian, and our Junior Interpreter, Will Kester, went
over to Bruton Heights tool storage where Erik Goldstein showed us around.
We were looking at small toolboxes as prototypes for one Laura is making for
William from the Engraver. Erik took the time to show Will Kester some
unique items in the Collection such as a pistol owned by Lord Dunmore,
Williamsburg’s last Royal Governor.
On Monday, we hosted a group of NIAHD students (National Institute of American History and
Democracy) from William and Mary’s Pre-College Program. We took them through cutting a Mortise and
Tenon joint. That afternoon, we went over to Packet’s Court to look at some of the artifacts pulled from the
Bray School. As part of the Joiner Shop’s contribution to the restoration, we’ll manufacture some doors as
well as chair rail moulding.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The “Dutch Master’s” examining an interior door from the Bray School (left). Painting by Jan De Bray (right).
The Joiner is open Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Makers got to spend a little time in Collections,
thanks to Neal Hurst’s generosity with his time. We made some interesting discoveries about some of the
breeches in our Collection and came away with even more questions. Information gleaned from this trip is
already being incorporated into the Shop interpretation.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Masonry – This week, the Brickyard crew was split between the Yard and the Bray School restoration,
leaving Master Josh and Journeyman Kenneth to hold vigil over the Yard. Apprentices Nick and Madeleine are
learning valuable skills as they observe and work alongside the modern masons. To ensure that there are
some base level skills to build upon, they constructed a few practice walls with the bricks from last year's
production.
Back in the Brickyard, production has improved after the excessive rain of weeks past, which leaves us
with over four thousand bricks in our drying shed.
The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Programs is gearing up for the July 4th weekend. We will be looking
forward to creating new Guest experiences through our drill programs at 12:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday,
as well as July 4th programming we are participating in, to include “The Salute to the States”, the reading of
the Declaration of Independence, and the evening festivities just prior to fireworks. Hope to see you there!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Also, earlier this week, the official announcement of our new Supervisor was posted. Dr. Terence
Christian is joining us from Miami, bringing with him a rich background in Military History and Conflict
Archaeology. His academic background includes a Bachelor’s Degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master's
and Doctorate from University of Glasgow, as well as a position as a post-Doctoral Fellow at Temple
University. His background has led him to international places, exploring both military history and
archaeology, as well as helping bring about adventures for guests of Silversea Cruises. He has occupied such
rolls as researcher, historian-in-residence, lead investigator, lecturer, and consultant. Dr. Christian is moving
to our neck of the woods in the coming weeks with his family and will be starting with Military Programs on
July 10th. We look forward to an exciting future with him at the helm of the Military Programs!
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Sunday (9am-12pm and 2-5pm), Monday (9am5pm), Tuesday (11am-5pm) and Wednesday through Saturday.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, Tuesday, and
Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range has been sold out most of June. Large numbers of shooters equal
needed gun repair. Luckily for us, Andy just returned from the Western Kentucky University/National Muzzle
Loading Rifle Association Gunsmithing Seminar. Andy was sharing some of his newfound knowledge with
Alex. Alex is working on his first ramrod. Andy also showed Alex a fix for the fowler. Alex has also recently
received his first 5-star Google review.
The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday through Thursday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – As of right now (Thursday afternoon), everything is set for our first
summer Dye Day! As long as the weather holds, we are looking forward to a successful Dye Day. This month,
we will be dyeing with fustic (yellow), logwood (purple), cochineal (red), and the ever-faithful indigo. With this
range of colors, we will be able to get all manner of green, orange, and black, in addition to the base colors of
each dye. A dyer's skill is in mastering the chemistry behind each dye, mordant, and fiber. And while we
strive for mastery, we enjoy experimenting!
The Weaver is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. It will be open on Monday for two
Workshops ONLY.
Wheelwright – This week, we have finished the repair of the cart for the staff of the Market House. Intern
Ralph and Junior Interpreter Liam pose with the result of their labor.
The Wheelwright is open Sunday, and Tuesday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�Wigmaker – Hello from the Wigmakers! With Edith away for the last week, Debbie and Benton have
concentrated on maintenance items. Intern Stella has made great progress on Robert W.'s wig, having woven
several wefts and attaching them in the order Edith had laid out for her. Junior Interpreter Alexa continues to
work on her hairpiece and is getting the hang of interpreting to an ever-changing rotation of Guests each day.
Debbie has finished her silk netting for future use and has only to decide whose head it will end up on. Benton
has been progressing nicely on the linen netting he's been working on, as well. As always, please feel free to
reach out to us with any hair-related needs or questions.
Stella working on Robert's wig
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Blacksmith – Broadus Thompson; Cabinetmaker – Bill Pavlak; Gardener – Marc Nucup; Joiner –
Brian Weldy; Leather Breeches Maker – Jay Howlett; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton; Military Programs – Justin
Chapman; Musket Range – Jeffrey Thomas; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright – Paul
Zelesnikar; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 24
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 24, July 1, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-07-01
-
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Text
THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
June 17, 2023
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Monday, Wednesday through Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Blacksmith – This week in the Anderson Shop, a variety of different pieces took shape. Mark has
continued his work on the Bray School lock and installed new brackets on the anvil stump. Chains, which hold
the anvil down firmly and prevent ringing, are fastened to those brackets. Our ears are very grateful.
Broadus, Aislinn, and Josh beat out a smattering of staples. Broadus and Alex continued their chisel making
(firmer and socket respectively). Josh is finishing his second grid iron and looks forward to starting a third. As
ever, all’s well that falls well at the foot of the anvil.
The Blacksmith is open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through
Saturday.
Carpenter – The Carpenters will be working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and
Saturday, weather permitting.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – This week in the Engraving Shop, we would like to welcome Ms. Emily, our Youth Interpreter!
On her first day, we jumped right in on basic parts of lettering. She will be
starting off with what a lot of 18th- century students learn, Penmanship.
Today, we started off with script writing (cursive). It may not be used as
much these days, but it’s a wonderful skill to have and to be able to read it
on primary source documents. We will keep you updated on her progress.
William and Lynn have been steady on ongoing projects and adjusting to a
new schedule and workflow in the Shop. Many projects are going on right
now.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�The Engraver is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Farmer – The crops are doing pretty well at Ewing Field. The corn is about waist high, and the barley has
formed heads and is standing well. Tobacco is doing okay. The soil brought in is low in nitrogen, so it has
struggled some. Also, the soil has a fair amount of clay, which requires us to keep it loose with both hoe and
plow. We are so grateful to the Carpenters who are building the “wagon shed” for us. Shade!!!
Keeping the soil loose with a hoe plow
The blade of a hoe, the Farmer’s friend
The Farmer will be at Ewing Field Wednesday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Founders have been keeping busy the last couple of weeks. Apprentice Drew has nearly
finished filling the next order of musket balls for the Musket Range, and Apprentice Leanne has been carrying
on with finishing work on some of the bronze pieces we’ve mentioned in past updates. Last week, we decided
to start casting pieces of a brass candelabra. Starting with a couple of the bobeches, the molds came out well,
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�but unfortunately, the castings didn’t follow. Both ended up with holes and cold-shut casting flaws. But as is
the case in Foundry work, we’ll melt them down and try again soon! It was not all lost, though. This casting
was Drew’s first-time pouring brass into an actual mold (rather than ingots), so at least he’s got that under his
belt. Speaking of new skills being gained, we’re both anticipating completing our first iron pours on Saturday.
We shall update next week on how those turn out!
Also, this week we got to enjoy the fruits of our office move labor: Leanne started compiling a list of
Shop FAQs and their answers, if ever needed as a reference, while Drew has been reading some modern
Foundry texts and comparing them to our techniques in the Shop (all in our air-conditioned office).
The Foundry is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Gardener – The Garden has been very dry.
Currently, we are below our normal rain
totals. Many a watering can has been poured
out onto the dry earth, and filling the cistern is
a daily activity. Like anxious expectant
parents, we are happy to announce that our
Venus Fly Trap has finally bloomed. A small
spider has quickly taken up residence in the
blooms, rendering the plant even more deadly
to unwary insects.
Venus Fly Trap in bloom
With a cool spring, plants are undersized, but that is soon to change. A few days of good heat, and the
crops will double in size in short order. The front bed has been reorganized and decorated with Tuberoses and
dwarf pomegranates after the endive was dug and moved to another quarter. Symmetry won over, and a few
days of shade for the endive has assured us that they have survived their move. When the endive blooms,
they will be six feet in height and covered in blue flowers. A sight worth waiting for.
Waiting for an unsuspecting insect
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�Intern Will cleaning out the cistern
Marc and Andrew fitting up the tuberoses with plant supports.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday and Monday.
Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday
through Saturday.
Joiner – Greetings from the Joiner Shop! As we move into the summer season, the Joiners are busy with
various projects. Brian finished a dovetailed box this week for the Wigmakers to hold interpretive items for a
program. He is continuing to work on a treadle lathe for the Shop. Laura completed construction on a cratestyle step stool for the Tin Plate Workers and is beginning to draft a drawing of a tool chest for the Engraver
Apprentice. The step stool is nailed together, including clinching the nails for attaching the handles. Peter is
continuing to work on his arched doorway from Menokin. Scott is building a twelve-light door for the corner
cupboard he’s been constructing. He is busy chopping mortises, cutting tenons and coping the muntins.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�The Joiner is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday
through Saturday.
Masonry – This week in the Brickyard, the Summer Crew is hitting their stride as they become more
comfortable with the process. Currently, we have just above two thousand bricks in the drying shed, of which
around eighteen hundred are for the First Baptist Church project.
Otherwise, this week, work on the tile making process continues. Apprentice Nick has created some
shelving in the drying shed to increase our storage and drying capacity. On the tile front, we always enjoy a
collaborative project, and this has become just that. We would like to extend our thanks to Apprentice Alex
from the Blacksmith Shop and Master Farmer Ed for their help in our ongoing experimentation. Alex has
created a hoe from historic illustrations, which should help us process the clay, and Ed is generously providing
a handle.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�The Brickyard is open Daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Programs has a new Supervisor! We will make the formal announcement
soon but are very happy to be at the end of our search and eager to move on to bigger and better things. We
look forward to a bright future in the next few years. Military Programs has also recently received new
buckets from the Cooper Shop to help in our ongoing artillery programs, which will be of a great help. Along
those lines, MP also owes a big thank you to the Blacksmiths and Mark Sperry, specifically, for creating new
plugs for our barrier around the perimeter of the Magazine Site. If you happen to see any of our plugs out and
about, they keep migrating to other places, so we'd love the help in getting them back. In addition to more
plugs, we have also installed more stanchion sleeves in the ground, both to fix some that had become filled,
but also to create a new smaller barrier area for “The Necessity of Order in Battle”, enabling audiences to get
closer to the action as we demonstrate military technology. Finally, we have returned to demonstrating Light
Infantry as part of our regular rotation of Military Topics normally covered during the week. We hope to see
you there sometime!
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, Wednesday (8:00
am-6:00 pm) and Thursday through Saturday.
Musket Range – The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions
at 9:30am, 11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemaker is open Sunday through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – This week in the Shop, we had the first Beginner Workshop of the year.
Our six modern looms were loaded up with white cotton warps for folks to come and try their hand at
weaving. Each person makes a standard-size dish towel in two hours that they may take home and show off
to all their friends. The Workshops went quite well, and we enjoyed getting to share our Trade with
passionate people.
In other news, the upholstery fabric is off the loom! Next, it will get hemmed, washed, and sent off to
the proper people here at the Museum. We have already begun setting up the next project: tartan for
Military Programs. This first warp is thirty yards, so this will keep us busy for the next few weeks. Pictured is
the finished upholstery and the tartan being beamed off the warping mill.
The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday for two Workshops
ONLY.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�Wheelwright – We’ve been busy, busy at the Wheel and Wagonworks on Prince George Street! The
Carpenter's cart has been completed and delivered by Paul, with new wheels and axle! Paul has also
completed new seam rubbers for the Leather Breeches Makers! Newly minted Journeyman Murphy continues
to work on the Velocipede, bending elm for the wheel well. Intern Ralph has finished and delivered a new
wheelbarrow for the Carpenters. Paul is beginning an extensive repair of what Colonial Williamsburg calls "the
Virginia wagon," with a new set of wheels, lighter running gear, and repair of the body. She'll also get a new
paint job! More to come!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�The Wheelwright is open Sunday through Thursday.
Wigmaker – Greetings! This past week, we have concentrated on getting hair ready for some of our Nation
Builders. Edith has begun a new wig for Mr. Wythe and will be assisted in her endeavor by our Junior
Interpreter, Alexa, this summer. Benton continues to work on his netting. Intern Stella has begun weaving
hair to match her own and will be making a set of curls. Debbie also continues to work on a netting project for
future use. Maintenance continues as usual, so please bring in your hair for some TLC as the heat rises. Also,
please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any hair-related needs or questions.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Blacksmith – Alex Hinman; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder – Leanne
Bellouny; Gardener – Eve Otmar; Joiner – Scott Krogh; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton; Military Programs –
Justin Chapman; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar; Wigmaker –
Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 23
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 23, June 17, 2023
Creator
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023-06-17
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
June 3, 2023
This week’s Trades Talks at 4:30 pm in the Hennage Auditorium:
On Monday, June 5th, Masonry Trades will present, “Who Designed This Place?” Join Master Bricklayer
Josh Graml as he explores how 18th-century buildings were designed and built as gentlemen architects plied
their trade in Virginia. Where did they get their design inspirations, and how did they translate English
architectural forms to Virginia-born tradesmen?
On Wednesday, June 7th, the Wheelwrights will present, “The Road MORE Travelled”. Williamsburg is
known as a sleepy, quiet southern town, but what did it look like in its heyday? Join a Colonial
Williamsburg Wheelwright as they take you onto the colonial Capitol's streets to discuss what was rolling
and who was driving.
On Saturday, June 10th, Alex from Military Programs will present, “Defenses of the Delaware”. A nation's
capital is always of paramount importance for governance and morale of an army. Philadelphia was the De
Facto capital of the United States, and as such, a prime target for the British. In 1777, General Howe set his
sights on it and sailed with the British Army South. Given the power of the Royal Navy, the fear was an
approach by water through the Delaware River. Come learn about American attempts to fortify the river
and their fierce defense as the Royal Navy desperately tried to push its way towards Philadelphia.
********
Two weeks ago, Ken Burns’ production company was in town and did some shooting at the Blacksmith and the
Weaver. Shelly Polansky from HAPS provided the following pictures.
Master Weaver Karen and filming crew
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Mistress of the Millinery Janea filming at the Weaver
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Filming at the Blacksmith. Left to right, Master Gunsmith Richard, filming crew, Journeyman Blacksmith Mark, and Master
Blacksmith Ken.
********
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Blacksmith – We Blacksmiths remain busy this week at the Armoury. Ken is working on several pieces,
including a handrail, winged compasses, and some bolts for our gate. Aislinn works on fireplace tongs. The
three Apprentices are all occupied with Kitchen implements: Alex with a salamander, for top browning highend dishes; Broadus with flesh forks; and Josh with gridirons. As always, all’s well that falls well at the base of
the anvil.
The Blacksmith is open Daily.
Bookbinder – Good day from the Bookbindery. We have been busy
with research. Recent findings tell that the first group of men in the
Williamsburg Printing Office were generalists and performed a variety of
services, to include binding books. For instance, John Stretch, who is
listed as a Journeyman Printer, was also paid for binding. Other people
who show up in the record as binders are Joseph Johnson Senior and
Junior, and Edward Cummins. It also shows that William Hunter bought
bookbinding tools from a man named Robert Stevenson. The
information was found as part of a larger book, in a chapter called
Scottish-American Bookbinders. I often envision them in our workspace
as I seek to bring their profession and stories to life. Pictured on the
right are two members of my own family. If my Grandparents were still
in the world, they might have been able to tell me who these men were.
My takeaway as I seek to plug the missing holes in the history of my
Shop: take the time to write your family history down for that relative in
the future who would love to know the story of their ancestors.
The Bookbinder is open Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Cabinetmaker – It was another week of small victories in the Cabinet Shop as both Bill and John made
some progress on their respective projects. John got his seat frames joined up and sized, so he'll turn his
attention to upholstery in the days ahead. These chair seats will be stuffed with curled horse hair and finished
out with black leather – both common materials for finer chairs like this in the period. Bill got the adjustable
writing surface made and working well for his table's writing drawer. That gave him a chance to get a glimpse
of how the whole complex table will look upon completion. Next, he'll make three small drawers for the
larger writing drawer. Two of them will be secret, so we'll say no more for now...
John's Chairs
The writing table with all of its adjustable surfaces in place
The adjustable writing surface for the drawer
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Carpenter – These last couple of weeks at Ewing Field, we raised the wagon shed frame and started to get
the roof installed. The lath should be up soon for the shingles to be installed. The rain in the recent days has
slowed our progress, but it’ll get done soon enough.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�The Carpenters will be working at Ewing Field Sunday through Wednesday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Cook – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. On Monday, their Workshop
will be held 10:00-11:00 followed by “Secrets of the Chocolate Maker”, 11:30-2:30.
Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraver is open Sunday through Tuesday, and Thursday.
Farmer – Farming is so close to all of us. It could be our parents or grandparents or further back, but it’s
part of who we are. The Guest in this picture shared this with me through a gift of the tobacco variety that his
grandfather grew in Maryland. This type, called “Maryland 609”, is not grown any more. As Historic Farmers,
we focus on the 18th century, but we need to know the cultural traditions that came out of it. I will grow
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�some of this tobacco off site, so that I know it. Then I can share a broader spectrum of understanding to our
Guests – because I know it.
The Farmer will be at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – Another Drummer's Call is in the books! Despite the brief rain scares, the weather
was near perfect for every event. We started out with the “Successful Campaign” Concert on Friday, with our
Senior Corps and Grand Republic Fife and Drum Corps performing music showcasing the evolution of fife and
drum from military to folk traditions. It was especially fun to hear Grand Republic, an 1890's-themed group,
play music that we don't get to hear much of at Colonial Williamsburg. The next day was the Grand March
and Review with all seven of our visiting Corps. This year, we had Grand Republic, Mountain Fifes and Drums,
our wonderful Alumni, The Old Guard, the Fifes and Drums of York Town, Field Musick Virginia, and William
Diamond Jr. Every group showcased all their hard work and did a fantastic job! That evening, we hosted the
torchlit march and jam session, the favorite event of the weekend for many. It was great to see some of our
colleagues join in the jollification and make music with us! Our Senior Corps also took that opportunity to play
“Black Bear” in honor of our (soon-to-be)
departing Fife Instructor, Emily Luck. On
Sunday, we had an open house for the
visiting Corps, and then all went home to
collapse after the busy weekend! Thank you
to everyone who helped make this event
possible! We can now step back, take a
deep breath, and work on music for the
Williamsburg/James City County graduations
at the Hampton Coliseum, Independence
Day, and graduation marches for our seniors
starting the week after. Last but not least,
congratulations to James Reynolds for
passing up to Lance Corporal during all this
craziness!
Both the Junior and Senior Corps warming up before the torchlit march
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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�The Senior Corps about to step off for the torchlit march on Saturday night
Grand Republic and the Senior Corps waiting to start the Friday night concert
The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in Market Square, Saturday
at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1 pm on the Play House
Stage.
Founder – Since our last update, Apprentice Founders Drew and Leanne have been busy working on orders
while seeing increased visitation by Guests. We finished and delivered a pair of ears/brackets and a handle in
bronze for our Coopers, who are making a water bucket for the Cannon Crew. Before drilling the holes in the
ears, we made a mold with them and cast it in pewter so we can have patterns in case more are needed in the
future. We also made molds and cast a pair of bronze seals for the Development Team for use as Donor gifts.
We don’t know how many they will need this fall, but thought we’d best get a head start on making them
anyway. Some progress has been made on an order of 48 tray feet for the Silversmiths, as we made molds
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�and poured silver, too. Andrew from the Musket Range came by and picked up an order of 500 musket balls
and placed an order for 500 more. They have been cast already, and we are now in the process of getting
them all cut off and filed. We also made a couple of pattern molds and cast them in pewter for our Engravers.
If you haven’t heard, our office will be moving from the back room of our Shop to the Levingston
Kitchen, which will allow us to open a second interpretive space from which we plan to do our mold making
and lathe work. We’ve made a dent in the move, but we still have more work to do on that front. We’ve also
just begun looking into new research sources for buckle and chape making. If you have some research you’d
like to share, please don’t be shy.
We also have an update from Journeyman Mike. He would like to tell you all that he is doing fine and
his physical therapy is coming along. He has achieved all the goals they have set for him, and he should be
coming home soon with continued physical therapy at home. So far, he has lost 100 pounds and he’s not
planning on stopping there. He’s looking forward to coming back and seeing everyone again. We all wish him
well and can’t wait for him to return.
The Foundry is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Gardener – The month of May was extremely dry in our area, and
the Historic Gardeners were very thankful for the rain showers over the
weekend. All of our tender warm-season plants have returned to the
Garden from their winter home with the Landscape Department. Thank
you to the Quarterpath Greenhouse staff for taking care of them all
winter, and to Coach and Livestock for delivering our largest potted
citrus trees. This week we were joined by Will, our second Intern of the
season. Welcome aboard! The cooler weather of the last few weeks
was great for both our flowering plants and our spring vegetables. We
harvested shelling peas, broad beans, garlic scapes, herbs, and edible
flowers for the Historic Cooks at the Governor's Palace Kitchen. The
corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers sown in the American Indian
Garden are off to a great start for the season. The vegetables sown in
the Sankofa Heritage Garden all prefer a hot climate and are noticeably
smaller, but, as the season warms up, they will grow to cover the entire
space with lush greenery. Flowers in bloom this week in the Historic
Garden include several of our North American native species: common
milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Carolina lupine (Thermopsis villosa), and spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana), as
well as a number of ornamental flowers introduced by English gardeners: Maltese cross (Silene chalcedonica),
day lily (Hemerocallis fulva), and London flag leek (Allium ampeloprasum).
A basket of peas, edible flowers, and broad beans on their way to the Governor's Palace Kitchen (left). Young vegetable plants
growing in the American Indian Garden (center). The bloom of a common milkweed plant growing in the Historic Garden (right).
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Harpsichordmaker – We are at last getting past the manufacturing of parts and beginning the assembly
of the new spinet case. The tuning wrest plank, register, and front soundboard support liner have been glued
up, now attached to the front riser supports. We began with a small, veneered wall to the left of the keyboard
area and will proceed shortly with attaching the case walls around this new inner frame.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�The gods are not favoring us when making bentside walls. A new oak board soaked and bent still
suffered some cracking (we see this in original instruments, amazingly!), but not nearly as bad as the first one.
We may be able to salvage this one. We are learning from our mistakes … that’s what we do in Historic
Trades.
Beginning the week of June 11th, Melanie and Ed will be interpreting their work at the “Making Music”
exhibition at the Art Museum every other Tuesday afternoon through the summer. We hope to make that
exhibit come alive. Come visit and see how we are faring.
First veneered piece installed and finished (left). Full front mechanical assembly complete (center). Gluing jack guide to tuning
wrest plank (right).
Gluing soundboard support liner to jack guide
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Parts placed in situ simulating case assembly
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Re-sawn oak for new bentside
Second bentside on form
Trimming veneer back for later fittings
The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – Friends, please help us welcome our Summer Intern, Ever Brooks. Ever
comes to us from Arizona. They are jumping right in with both feet. I think it's going to be a great summer.
Please stop on by the Shop and say Hello.
The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Masonry – This week in the Brickyard, the newly employed and nearly fitted Summer Crew joined us for
another highly anticipated summer of production. This spry group of youths will keep us young while learning
the ins and outs of brickmaking. With our Crew at full strength, our production can start to increase and
eventually reach twenty to twenty-five thousand by the end of summer.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Otherwise, this week, the Apprentices visited a Ceramics professor, Mike Jabbur, at William & Mary to
hand off some roof tiles to test fire. This will help us understand where the tiles should go in this fall's kiln
firing.
The Brickyard is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,
and Saturday.
Musket Range – This week, Andy has been preparing for the
upcoming National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association/Western Kentucky
University Gunsmithing/Longrifle Seminar. He will be working to
assemble and finish a "1760's Colonial Rifle." He has been working on
developing a basic skillset in wood- and metalworking that will help him
be successful. A big thank you goes out to Bill and everyone at the
Cabinetmaker who took the time out of their busy days to teach him
how to properly sharpen chisels, gouges, and other tools he will need.
The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Shoemaker – The Shoe Shop has started preparing the Armoury shed for our summer move. We thank the
Leather Breeches Makers for hosting us this past winter. Nicole is working on a pair of fine stitched pumps to
further her apprenticeship. Victoria is working on two pairs of slippers and once finished, she will begin work
on dancing pumps. Val is working on a pair of common shoes for Madeline Bolton (Masonry) and another pair
for Tim Logue (Tailor).
The Shoemakers are working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday through Saturday.
Silversmith – The Silversmiths have been quite busy with a multitude of projects these past weeks. Megan
is still raising her mugs and has soldered the rim of her first tray together, and Bobbie is continuing to raise her
sweetmeat basket and working on trade silver.
Chris has made a batch of mourning rings, resized a number of older rings brought in by customers, and
chased the detail of her tray.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Preston has been raising a large bowl for a client, while George continues to hammer out spoons, seamed
cups, and ingots.
We would also like to thank the Blacksmiths for repairing our andirons! They’re fantastic!
The Silversmith is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Sunday (12:00-5:00), Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (11:30-5:00), and
Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – This week, we've been very busy behind the scenes and in our public
spaces. Annie has gotten their overshot up and running on the countermarch (pictured). This is a particularly
complex textile, so be sure to wish Annie good luck if you see them! Behind the scenes, we have been
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�working on setting up six modern looms for our Summer Workshops. This class is a great introduction to
weaving, and we can't wait to meet all the participants!
The Weaver is open Monday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – Busy, busy! Our yard is beginning to look like a proper Wheelwright Shop with various
jobs, both new and those with repairs underway! Speaking of items underway, the velocipede is finishing up
within a few weeks; Murphy is moving along with the front fork and now working on the wheel well on the
rear. We hooped wheels for the velocipede and Carpenters cart last week!
Ralph is almost done with his wheelbarrow and is halfway through the wheel. This is destined for the
Carpenters Yard. Speaking of Carpenters, their cart has arrived and is going to receive a new running gear.
Thanks for bearing with a wordier-than-normal post. Please come by our little corner of Prince George
Street and say hey!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�The Wheelwright Shop is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – Hello from the world of 18th-century hair! These past couple of weeks, we have caught up on
maintenance needs and are looking forward to starting new projects soon. Hand knotting is the name of the
game these days, as each one of us is working on perfecting our skills with the needle and gauge. While we
have a bit of "down time" between projects, we're working on stocking up on some netting to be utilized in
the future.
Benton has just begun to practice with silk thread, as well. Speaking of Benton, he would like to extend
his appreciation for his new workman's cap from our Milliners across the street. We have learned that the
fabric used was woven by Mistress Janea herself some time ago. As always, please feel free to reach out to us
with any related needs or questions, and please remember to bring in your hair more often during the
upcoming increase in warmer weather.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Benton in his new cap
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, and Friday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Blacksmith – Broadus Thompson; Bookbinder – Barbara Swanson; Cabinetmaker – Bill Pavlak;
Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Farmer – Ed Schultz; Founder – Drew Godzik; Fifes and Drums – Rebecca Sterner;
Gardener – Teal Brooks; Harpsichordmaker – Edward Wright; Leather Breeches Maker – Jay Howlett; Masonry
– Madeleine Bolton; Musket Range – Jeffrey Thomas; Shoemaker – Val Povinelli; Silversmith – Megan
Cantwell; Wheelwright – Paul Zelesnikar; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Debbie
Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 21, June 3, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023-06-03
-
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Text
THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
June 10, 2023
The Summer will feature the following Historic Trades Workshops:
Sunday, Family Workshop: Cabinetmaker – Join us for an in-depth, hands-on tour and demonstration
of hand planes–one of the traditional woodworker’s most indispensable tools. When Williamsburg
cabinetmaker Edmund Dickinson died in 1778, he was inventoried as having “81 planes of various sorts.” Such
a variety of tools would be suited for many tasks like making boards flat and smooth, creating precise
structural joinery, and making shapely moldings. We will demonstrate the breadth of work done with these
tools and give guests a chance to plane away some shavings themselves. Limit of 16 participants.
Monday, Beginner Workshop: Weaver – Try your hand at weaving in this two-hour class for all levels
of experience. You will learn the history behind weaving in Williamsburg during the Revolution to spark your
patriotic homespun spirit. Taught on pre-warped modern looms, on which you can pass the shuttle back and
forth, this class will build a cotton tea towel to take home. This Workshop will provide all necessary supplies,
including care instructions for your handwoven towel. Limit of 6 participants. Not recommended for young
children.
THIS WORKSHOP WILL BE OFFERED TWICE ON MONDAYS: 10 am-12 pm AND 2-4 pm.
Saturday, Family Workshop: Apothecary – Do you have what it takes to be an Apprentice Apothecary?
Participants will compound a medicine, identify medicinal ingredients, learn their uses, and practice applying
bandages. Limit of 8 participants.
**********
Apothecary – The past two weeks have been bittersweet at the Shop – while we're looking forward to the
summer, we also bade farewell to Mark. The Apothecary staff are sad to see him leave but appreciate him
endlessly for the hard work he's done and incredible strides he's made in his apprenticeship. We'll miss you,
Mark! We're gearing up for Saturday Summer Workshops beginning next week.
The Apothecary is open Wednesday through Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Blacksmith – This week, the Blacksmiths have been hard at work making tools for the Carpenters. Broadus
is making firmer chisels which have a tricky but very interesting process for forging the integral bolster. The
historic precedent for this style comes from a pristine chisel in the CW Collection. This chisel was part of the
Hewlett tool chest and was made in the 1770s. The object number is 1957-123,8 and is on the emuseum for
anyone interested.
Alex has also been making chisels, but some of the socketed type. Rather than having a tang that
inserts into a wooden handle, this type has a hollow cone that accepts a tapered wooden handle. In both
cases, the handles are held on with only friction as a chisel is not used in a manner where the head would be
struck from the handle. The rest of the Shop is continuing our normal course of work. Josh has been fitting up
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�gridirons, Ken is making building hardware, Aislinn is working on fireplace tongs, and Mark is getting close to
finishing his lock for the Bray School.
The Blacksmith is open Daily.
Bookbinder – The Bookbinder is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – The Shop bid farewell to two Shop icons this week. First was the desk and bookcase
reproduction, which is on its way to its new home. It was a significant presence in the Shop. In its absence,
more light has filled the Shop from the southeast window which has been obscured by the desk’s presence for
several months now.
The second departure is Jeremy, who has also spent several
months obscured by the desk and bookcase. Jeremy has been
working in the Shop for 3 ½ years, completing several furniture
pieces including the desk portion of the desk and bookcase. Earlier
this year, he and his wife welcomed another baby into their home,
and after much consideration, Jeremy has chosen to become a fulltime dad, a job he has hoped for long before ever picking up a
chisel or plane. “I am grateful to all the talented artists and good
people I have been able to work with and get to know throughout
the Foundation. I will especially miss my Shop mates who have
become like family to me. I look forward to bringing my kids
around town to visit, and staying in touch with things that are
going on. Thank you to all those who helped make my time here
so memorable. It was fun.”
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday (11:30-5:00), Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters have completed the lath installation and started the shingling.
We’ve got a few thousand shingles to put up, so we’ll be on this step fit a while. Stop by and see the progress.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�The Carpenters will be working at Ewing Field Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Cook – As we close in on the last few weeks of the spring season, over at the Palace Kitchen, the team has
been buckling down to knock out the remaining projects of the Spring. After wrapping up the latest recipe for
Trend and Tradition, we have been asked to get together what we would like to see as the recipe for the next
issue. The secret ingredient is peanuts, not something that would be found on the Governor’s table. Much
like the corn native to North America, these local Native plants were seen as beneath the English gentry, but
readily used by common Virginians, Free, Enslaved, or Native. With a few different recipes to choose from,
Frank experimented this week with a “new-to-us” dish of “Groundnut Cheesecakes.” The result was very akin
to a southern pecan pie, but with the switch in nuts. Frank felt the original recipe needs a little more tweaking
to get just right, so it is likely we will experiment with it a few more times before the next photoshoot. We
also completed our last Brew of the spring, where we did a nice English Porter. We have also wrapped up our
final spring Chocolate Program and the Spring Workshops as we launch into summer. Enjoy some pictures
from our last Workshop and Brewing days.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Cooper – The Coopers recently produced an artillery bucket with copper hoops and bronze hardware as an
experiment in how such a container will hold up with exposure to black powder residue compared to existing
buckets that we have supplied with iron hardware. We were assisted in the project by our colleagues at the
Foundry, who cast the bronze ears and handle for this experiment. We have very little information on artillery
buckets from this period, although we do know that the use of iron hardware was often avoided in the
manufacture of gunpowder casks and other items that came in close contact with gunpowder in this period.
The Cooper is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Engraver – The Engravers would like to introduce Emma Alldrice as our Summer Intern. She is currently
working with the folks over in Coach and Livestock. We are glad to have her here in the Shop, and we will be
looking closely at her artwork. There will be lots of drawing, and I’m sure her love of horses and livestock will
show up in her future work.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�William has finished the last of the cartouche drawing and has started cutting. Photos to come shortly. This
copper plate is nearly finished. He has also cut several Masonic square and compass designs on Foundrymade pewter plates. Some are for custom orders he is filling. Now, he is diving into his repair requirements
for his apprenticeship. Repair or removal of engraving involves the removal of metal. He will be scraping,
filing, stoning, burnishing, and using several polishing compounds. Repairs generally take much longer to do
than the original carvings. A good repair or removal takes patience.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Lynn has finished up the Sterling silver tray that the Silversmiths had brought down and is now beginning the
re-working of an 18th-century watercolor that will become a copperplate for the Wheelwrights. They will be
presenting this to the Worshipful Company of Wheelwrights when they visit this fall. The watercolor needs to
be redrawn to a pen-and-ink style to the size needed, then it will be reversed. The reversed image will be cut
on the desired-size plate then engraved. We are anticipating a good twenty-plus hours for this one.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�The Engraver is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Farmer – The Farmer will be at Ewing Field Wednesday, Thursday (10:00-5:00), Friday, and Saturday,
weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at 1
pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Gardener – The Historic Garden was full of activity this week. The bed formerly occupied by corn poppies
(Papaver rhoeas) was quickly turned, and two varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) were planted
alongside two rows of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and a few China asters (Callistephus chinensis). Broad
beans (Vicia faba) and marrowfat pease (Pisum sativum) were harvested and sent off with the Historic
Cooks. Hard neck garlic (Allium sativum) – planted way back in October! – was also harvested, bundled, and
hung to dry. Most of the garlic will, no doubt, find its
way to the Cooks as well, but several heads will be
retained for this fall’s planting. Into the cleared bed
went cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), pole beans
(Phaseolus vulgaris), and a row of cockscomb (Celosia
cristata), mirroring an existing planting of these three
varieties at the other end of the bed. This mixing of
vegetables alongside decorative flowers is one of the
cornerstones of 18th-century English gardening.
Intern Will raises mounds for sweet potato planting.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Intern Andrew divides up sweet potato chunks for planting.
Andrew and Marc assemble trellises for beans and cucumbers to climb.
Apprentice Marc hangs garlic to dry.
Cockscomb displaying its elegant bloom.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Sunday, and Thursday through
Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Masonry – This week in the Brickyard, production continues in full swing with our Summer Hires becoming
more confident with their molding prowess. While more bricks populate the drying bed, Apprentice Nick
continues working on the clay for tile making. Protecting this process is a key part of production for this
summer.
Otherwise, this week, the dream team of Apprentices Nick and Madeleine, Journeyman Kenneth, and
Dale "Daley" Trowbridge charged the lime kiln in preparation to fire. The new team of eager Brickmakers
joined us on a fun field trip to see the sights, and most importantly, historic brick houses.
The Brickyard is open daily, weather permitting.
Military Programs – Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – Preparations are well underway for our upcoming “Gown in a Day”
program on the 21st of June. This year, we'll be making a gown for Ann Wager and are thrilled to have the lady
herself joining us for the day. In addition to discussing summer clothing for adults and children more
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�generally, we'll also be talking more specifically about the kinds of garments that might have been worn by the
students attending the Bray School. Ishbel, our Intern, is making impressive progress on a new child's gown
that's being made of striped cotton fabric woven by the Weavers. This will be left on the counter during the
program, along with the linen gown and apron made last fall by two of our NIAHD Interns, to visibly
demonstrate the very young age at which these students were being sent to the School. Janea and Rebecca
have also made up some sewing samples for the team at HC&D, many of whom will be joining us for part of
the day of the project.
Summer clothing has been on our minds in another way as well: it's been a week of finishing and
beginning a handful of new bedgowns for our fellow Tradeswomen. Aislinn now has a new green linen
bedgown, and a blue checked one is well underway for Mary. Kate continues to work on the flounce for her
new cotton petticoat and has been investing her research hours in beginning an exciting new collaborative
project. After some mending, Rebecca is now back to stitching channels on her stays, which had been put on
the back burner in favor of more pressing priorities for several months. She's also working on a proposal for
the upcoming Contested Freedoms Conference. When not buried in paperwork, Janea is back to working on
the experimental jacket. Our Shop-wide summer project of completely reorganizing and rearranging our
upstairs space is also well underway, and anticipation is building to enjoy the end result of a new, more
functional layout.
The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Musket Range – This week at the Musket Range, Jeff began making replacement ramrods for our Fowling
pieces. The process is fairly involved and time consuming. Luckily, we started with a fairly straight piece of
hickory. Jeff straightened, tapered, fitted, sanded, and stained the wood to become a very nicely finished
ramrod.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Sunday through Thursday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemakers have moved back to the Armoury and are open Sunday, and Tuesday
through Thursday.
Silversmith – The Silversmith is open Sunday through Friday.
Tailor – The Tailor is open Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – The end of the blue upholstery fabric is in sight! For us, this means that
we can see the very end of the warp and are busy behind the scenes preparing for the next one, which will
also be wool. We work with a lot of wool in the Shop and for good reason: we've got so many sheep! Our
Leicester Longwool is a special breed in the sheep world: they were the first to have a breed standard, are a
dual-purpose breed (we get wool and meat from them), and they produce a long staple length that is high on
the luster scale. Shiny long wool is great for hand spinning and takes dye very well. While the yarn we spin on
our wheels hardly ever ends up on our looms, the act of spinning allows us to talk about many aspects of
everyday life in 18th-century Virginia. From illegal sheep to busy work, our spinning wheels help us roll
through topics and hypnotize Guests in the process. More than once, we have caught children and adults alike
entranced by the mechanisms of a spinning wheel.
The Weaver is open Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday. It will be open on Monday for two
Workshops ONLY.
Wheelwright – The Wheelwright Shop is open Sunday through Thursday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�Wigmaker – Greetings! This week, we will be working on our netting projects, and Edith has nearly
completed a linen netting to be utilized for a new wig for Robert W. as Mr. Wythe. She is adding some
additional rows to the nape section of the netting, to better ensure coverage of his natural hairline. Two new
wigs will be built for him in the coming months. Benton's silk netting is coming along well, and he is building it
for future use. Debbie has been concentrating on maintenance. We have two new Shop members, as well!
Stella is our Summer Intern and is already weaving up a storm of hair. Alexa is a new Junior Interpreter and is
gearing up to start interpreting soon. Please stop by to meet them if you haven't already and say hello! As
always, feel free to stop by or send us an email for any hair-related questions or requests.
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Apothecary – Margaret Perry; Blacksmith – Joshua Rachita; Cabinetmaker – Jeremy Tritchler;
Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Cook – Abbey Shoaf; Cooper – Jon Hallman; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Gardener –
Marc Nucup; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton; Milliner and Mantua-maker – Rebecca Godzik; Musket Range –
Jeffrey Thomas; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 21
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 21, June 10, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-06-10
-
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
May 20, 2023
This week’s Trades Talks at 4:30 pm in the Hennage Auditorium:
On Monday, May 22nd, Masonry Trades will present, “Who Designed This Place?” Join Master Bricklayer
Josh Graml as he explores how 18th-century buildings were designed and built as gentlemen architects plied
their trade in Virginia. Where did they get their design inspirations, and how did they translate English
architectural forms to Virginia-born tradesmen?
On Wednesday, May 24th, the Wheelwrights will present, “The Road MORE Travelled”. Williamsburg is
known as a sleepy, quiet southern town, but what did it look like in its heyday? Join a Colonial
Williamsburg Wheelwright as they take you onto the colonial Capitol's streets to discuss what was rolling
and who was driving.
On Saturday, May 27th, Alex from Military Programs will present, “Defenses of the Delaware”. A nation's
capital is always of paramount importance for governance and morale of an army. Philadelphia was the De
Facto capital of the United States, and as such, a prime target for the British. In 1777, General Howe set his
sights on it and sailed with the British Army South. Given the power of the Royal Navy, the fear was an
approach by water through the Delaware River. Come learn about American attempts to fortify the river
and their fierce defense as the Royal Navy desperately tried to push its way towards Philadelphia.
********
Apothecary – The Apothecary is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Blacksmith – This week, the Blacksmiths of the James Anderson Public Armoury have been active on many
projects. Ken has been making winged compasses for the Carpenters, Mark continues work on the locks for
the Bray School, and Aislinn is working on fire tongs for the School, as well. In the Apprentice corner, the large
order for Mount Vernon continues. Josh is locking horns with grid irons, Broadus has been making forks and
spatulas, and Alex has finished up a skimmer, as well as some hoes for Williamsburg’s Farmer and
Brickmakers. It’s simple to say and true every day, that all’s well that falls well at the foot of the anvil.
The Blacksmith is open Daily.
Bookbinder – Good day from the Bookbinders. The Bookbinders have been examining 18th-century
examples of books and paste paper with a particular focus on the items related to Williamsburg under the
tutelage of former Colonial Williamsburg Bookbinder Bob Lyon. Both examples feature paste paper of the
time and are associated with Williamsburg. We will be attempting to re-create.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�The Bookbinder is open Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Cabinetmaker – This week, Bill and John got John's chairs glued together, bringing the whole project
closer to completion. Next up will be applying a finish and making the slip seat frames. Bill has found success
with the brazilwood dye he has cooked up, and he applied the stuff to the parts of his writing table that
needed a little color. Check the picture of his drawer bottom that shows, from right to left, the bare white
oak, a single coat of dye, a second coat, and then the seedlac topcoat that gives the finished color.
The Cabinetmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�Carpenter – This week in the Carpenters Yard, we’ve finished the framing for the wagon shed at the Ewing
Field Farm site. We’ve moved the frame and shingles to the job site, as well as prepped for the raising. We
are aiming to raise the frame on Saturday, May 20th.
The Carpenters will be working at Ewing Field Sunday through Wednesday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Cook – Another week has come and gone over at the Palace Kitchen! As the temperatures warm up in the
Kitchen, Dom and Abbey have been making attempts to get some of the last puff pastry and pies we will see
for a few months out on to the table for their apprenticeship. Unfortunately for an 18th-century cook in
Virginia, the weather in the summer is too hot and too humid to attempt successful pastries that are
temperamental to the weather. These delicate sweets will literally melt into a pile of goo in the summer heat,
so we have seen the last round of those for the season.
We had yet another successful Workshop this week; and on Sunday, we will take on the last Brew of
the spring season over in the Scullery. This last beer will be a porter, rich in color and in flavor. This past
Tuesday morning, Frank was in the Shop early with our friends from Trend and Tradition, doing a photoshoot
for making raspberry jam, which will be included in an upcoming issue. The Colonial Gardens have continued
to grace us with their seasonal goodies, and our gardening staff over at the Palace has done a lovely job this
season of getting crops in the ground that can be brought over to the Kitchen and be used in recipes. Frank
was particularly excited this week to look out the window and see that our artichoke plant produced fruit this
year! Artichokes do well in this climate, but they take a couple of years from being planted to grow a viable
product. This time and effort that it would take to receive the fruits of your labor makes the artichoke an
18th-century gentry plant, with your average family most likely dedicating their garden space to food sources
that do not require years to mature. Last year, we were still waiting for the artichokes to mature, and it was a
wonderful surprise to see so many little “suckers,” as they are called, sprouting from the top of the plant.
With so many small chokes popping up, you can bet we will have a slew of artichoke dishes out on the table
this month.
The Palace Kitchen is open Monday (11:30-5:00), Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. On Sunday, the
“Arts and Mysteries of Brewing” will be held in the Palace Scullery, 10:00-3:45.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�Cooper – The Cooper is open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – This week in the Engraving Shop, we welcome William back from vacation. He jumped right in
on finishing the ships of his copperplate! All that is left to do is to design the cartouche and cut it around the
lettering on the bottom. He also finished up three bottle tickets for the Silversmiths.
We had a nice visit from a very happy Customer/Guest. She wanted to show off the ring Lynn
engraved. Chris from the Silversmith did a wonderful job on its construction. The Guest was overjoyed!
With the Fifes and Drums cups finished, Lynn moved back to the Bodleian Plate, then the Silversmiths
arrived with a beautiful sterling silver salver. Lynn has begun and is about halfway through the map engraving.
We will be welcoming our Intern, Emma, next week, so photos of her drawing will show up soon.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�The Engraver is open Sunday through Tuesday, and Thursday.
Farmer – The Farmer will be at Ewing Field Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Fifes and Drums – The Fifes and Drums will be performing Wednesday through Friday at 4:40 pm in
Market Square, Saturday at 12:30 pm starting at the Capitol and marching to the Palace, and Saturday at
1 pm on the Play House Stage.
Founder – The Foundry has been keeping very busy over the last couple of weeks. Apprentice Drew
finished up an order of pewter buttons for the Tailors and has gotten 2/3 of the water bucket hardware
finished for the Coopers. Apprentice Leanne is well on the way to finishing up the last bracket for the full set.
Buttons
Water bucket hardware
This week also had the ED Strategy Production Service (Media Department) in our Shop for filming. To
prep for their arrival, Leanne and Drew deep cleaned the Shop, and what a difference it made (the light color
isn’t actually a grout but sand, both from mold making and Guests’ shoes). The film crew was hoping to see a
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�high-temperature pour and some mold making, so we definitely weren’t going to waste the opportunity to get
some other projects done. Drew cast a couple more bronze seals, and Leanne made some tray feet molds.
Research-wise, Drew is continuing with some required reading for our apprenticeships, and Leanne began
compiling a digital inventory of the objects we make, along with how they’ve been referenced from our
Collections.
Filming
Shop hallway before and after
The Foundry is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Gardener – The Historic Gardeners undertook two notable harvests this week. The first broad beans (Vicia
faba) and garlic (Allium sativum) scapes of the season were sent to the Cooks at the Governor’s Palace. Both
plants overwintered, having been planted in December and October, respectively. The garlic, in particular,
benefited from the exceptionally warm winter, and bulbs will no doubt be harvested in the near future.
Broad beans and garlic scapes along with endive (Cichorium endivia) and spring onions (Allium cepa) before being sent to the Cooks
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�Grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) have gained some notoriety in Williamsburg gardens for carrying away
immature fruit. The Gardeners are experimenting with a potential solution by the judicious wrapping of thin
cloth about a tree branch to guard the fruit as described in John Abercrombie’s Every Man His Own Gardener
(London, 1767).
Despite this nectarine (Prunus persica) branch being partially covered in cheesecloth, the open weave allows sunlight to still reach
the leaves.
Apprentice Marc spent time transplanting this year’s sole tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and then building a
trellis about it. The trellis of sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is oriented horizontally in hopes the plant will
spread across the branches and the fruit will hang decoratively below. Last year’s attempt with two tomato
plants may have been too ambitious with the prolific stems intermixing. Here’s hoping with a single plant, the
project will turn out more pleasing.
An Amazonian tomato in its singular glory
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Volume 9, Issue 20
�The trellis, or tomato table, in place around the plant.
A five-lined skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) about the broken pots, or crock, and brick rubble in the Garden.
The Historic Garden is open Daily, weather permitting.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith is open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday (11:30-5:00).
Harpsichordmaker – The Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through
Saturday.
Joiner – The Joiner is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker is open Tuesday through Saturday.
Masonry – This week, the Brickyard crew laid the last few bricks to complete the paving for the drying shed
and secured tarps to protect the sundried bricks from the anticipated summer storms. We are also around a
week out from the arrival of our Summer Casual hires, who will learn the ins and outs of Brickmaking,
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�Virginia’s summer heat, and how much a human can sweat in a day. They will also likely be involved in the
building of the burn over kiln.
In other news, Master Josh got his 31st splinter of 2023, which is 5 less than last year at this time.
We'll need more data to see if this is significant.
The Brickyard is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Military Programs – The Military Staff is in the final stage of hiring for the new Supervisor and hoping
to have finalized hiring of the candidate this week. Now that the Guardhouse work has been completed, the
site has returned to normal operating. Interpretations are currently outside most of the time to
accommodate more Guests and for increased visibility. We are still doing drill at 11 am, Tuesday through
Saturday, and “The Necessity of Order in Battle” on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We would
like to congratulate Kevin Fowler, Matthew Luca, and Ren Tolson on achieving Level Two in the Military
Curriculum. Chris Grieb is preparing to depart for the NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar along with Andy
Prochnow of the Musket Range. He is taking a gunstock-carving class to increase his woodworking skills with
the goal of being able to repair stock damage that occasionally happens to reproductions being used for
demonstrations.
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – At long last, the promised pictures of Kate's completed linen jacket
and petticoat! She's already moved on to the next stage in the project, which involves making a second
version of this ensemble with some slight variations. A more expensive printed cotton has been chosen for
the new version, which requires the addition of some fashionable trim on the jacket and a deep flounce on the
matching petticoat. Janea has yet to decide whether she's going to strictly enforce the 40" of fabric parameter
on the jacket's trim, or whether she'll be kind and offer an allowance of an additional few inches to accomplish
the embellishments. Kate continues to stitch away while anxiously awaiting the verdict.
While we're on the subject of long-awaited photographic evidence...Edith is now in possession of her
newly finished "goose turd green" cloak; for her sake, we're hoping for a few more cooler days to give her a
chance to enjoy it before summer arrives. Rebecca and Kate spent some time in Collections on Thursday
documenting two recently-acquired figured silk short cloaks, which are next on Rebecca's list of cloak
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�reproductions. These won't be issued out to our fellow Tradeswomen to wear, alas, but we are definitely
prepared to entertain petitions for the position of model once they're each finished!
Utilitarian sewing has also been much in demand this week. Rebecca has finished several linen
drawstring bags; if anyone is in need of one to conceal a water bottle or to carry personal items across the
Historic Area, please stop by. She also made two work caps out of handwoven fabric for Joe and Benton,
which shall be delivered next week. Again, should anyone else desire to have one, just let us know, and we're
happy to make more. Janea continues to work on her experimental jacket, but has paused temporarily to
make another pocket, determined that not even the tiniest of scraps should go to waste.
Finally, here's our offering for your weekend amusement: In London's Public Advertiser of 21
November 1776, the birth of triplets was announced to a bricklayer's family in Petticoat Lane. The parents
proudly named their bundles of joy Hancock, Adams, and Washington. Sadly, Hancock died the day of his
birth, but the paper reports that both Adams and Washington are in excellent health.
The Milliner and Mantua-maker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�Musket Range – The Musket Range is currently working towards finalizing a contract to abate the lead in
the berm of the Musket Range site. This will not only facilitate Colonial Williamsburg's ongoing commitment
to environmental stewardship but will also give us the chance to “reset” the slope of the shooting berm back
to its original angle for the first time since 2015, when it was constructed. We anticipate removal of nearly
5,000 lbs. of lead captured in the hillside! Fortunately, this site was well designed to capture any runoff and
should be a very easy cleanup project for our contractor who specializes in range lead removal. We anticipate
this happening in late August, and it should shut down the Musket Range for about a week.
The Range is also preparing for Andy Prochnow to depart in early June, along with Chris Grieb of the
Military Programs unit, to attend the NMLRA Gunsmithing Seminar in Bowling Green, KY. Andy is endeavoring
to complete a 6-day class in building a colonial rifle kit, which will develop his skills in building and repairing
Musket Range equipment. We wish him good luck!
The Musket Range is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am,
11am, 1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer – The Printer is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Shoemaker – The Shoemakers are working at the Leather Breeches Maker Tuesday through Saturday.
Silversmith – The Silversmith is open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop has been busy this spring. The Shop has been closed on Sunday mornings for all but
a few lucky individuals that joined us for hands-on Workshops. The first set of Workshops introduced
common stitches and sewing techniques to young and more mature participants. The current Workshop
offered is a bit more challenging: Death’s-head and other thread buttons. Participants learn how to make up
gorgeous, unique, and useful buttons from silk and linen threads, metal rings, and wooden forms. The buttonmaking Workshop will be offered for the next four weeks. Tickets are required and can be purchased on the
ColonialWilliamsburg.org website or by calling 1-800-HISTORY.
Mr. McCarty, Journeyman, finished a pair of off-white silk satin breeches this week for a mannequin
that will also be dressed with an original coat and waistcoat that will be featured in the new costume gallery in
the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. Mr. Logue, Apprentice, has begun a mohair velvet waistcoat for
Mr. Zelesnikar, Master Wheelwright.
The Tailor is open Sunday (12:00-5:00), Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Tin Plate Worker – The Tin Plate Worker is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (11:30-5:00), and
Saturday.
Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – The bed rug is off the loom!! The last of the warp yardage was woven
in green and brown stripes and will likely be sold at Prentis Store as some form of blanket. The twill weave
structure that the blankets are woven with lends itself well to flexible draping, meaning a twill blanket will
nicely conform to your body to trap heat and keep you cozy.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�The Weaver is open Monday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – We’ve been busy, busy at the Wheel and Wagon Works! The velocipede progresses at a
rapid rate. Stay tuned.
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�The Market Cart is not far behind, with hubs freshly banded by the Blacksmiths (thanks again). We have
received other goodies from our friends at the Anderson Forge.
Welcome, Ralph Flanders, to our Shop! Ralph will be our Intern for the summer. He is in the midst of making
a wheelbarrow for the Carpenters.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�The Wheelwright Shop is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – Greetings and salutations! Everyone in the Shop is currently working on their hand knotting
skills. Benton has completed a couple square bases and will be moving on to the more complicated round
bases soon. Debbie and Edith have been working on netting for future projects. Edith has also been finetuning her comb-making skills by practicing with different types of wood and horn. The curls that Debbie has
been working on for Anna R. are ready for styling and should be out of the Shop soon. We also continue to
work our way through maintenance needs and would like to remind our colleagues to bring in their items
more regularly during the warmer spring and summer months. As always, feel free to reach out to us with any
hair-related needs or questions.
Examples of Benton's netting, with good progress
The Wig Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday, and Friday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�Contributors: Blacksmith – Alex Hinman; Bookbinder – Barbara Swanson; Cabinetmaker – John Peeler;
Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Cook – Abbey Shoaf; Engraver – Lynn Zelesnikar; Founder – Leanne Bellouny;
Gardener – Marc Nucup; Masonry – Madeleine Bolton; Military Programs – Justin Chapman; Milliner and
Mantua-maker – Rebecca Godzik; Musket Range – Justin Chapman; Tailor – Michael McCarty; Wheelwright –
Paul Zelesnikar; Weaver, Spinner, and Dyer – Pamela Russo; Wigmaker – Debbie Turpin
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 20
�
Dublin Core
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
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2015-
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Title
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The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 20, May 20, 2023
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
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2023-05-20
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THE MECHANICK’S ADVISER
January 13, 2023
Anthony Hay Shop:
Cabinetmaker – A lot has been happening around the Cabinet Shop of late. The big obvious thing is
the landscaping work outside the Shop to help control some of the water drainage issues, as well as just
sprucing up the grounds a little. We are all looking forward to seeing the finished work.
Inside the Shop, John has completed most of his preparations for his presentation in our conference
just two weeks from now and has returned to working on his set of four chairs. Bill is very close to finishing his
demonstration pieces, as well. Jeremy has been in and out this week, balancing his work on a drop leaf corner
table with helping to care for a newborn at home. This week, Jeremy completed work on constructing the
wooden hinge mechanism of the table, which we refer to as a knuckle joint. This joint will support the swing
leg which supports the drop leaf when open. The table is coming along quickly and should be standing by the
end of the month, while the baby is coming along slowly and may be standing by the end of the year.
The Cabinetmaker and Harpsichordmaker is open Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Apothecary – The Apothecary Shop will be open Sunday through Wednesday, and Saturday.
Armoury:
Blacksmith – This week at the Public Armoury, the Blacksmiths were abuzz with activity. Ken worked
on a chisel for the Joiners, screws for attaching H-L hinges, and hand axes. Mark spent most of the week with
the Wheelwrights in Boston, examining an early-19th-century hay wagon. Aislinn focused on bench hammers
and tasting spoons. Among the Apprentices, Alex began work on a gridiron and finished up some hoes for
Farmer Ed. Broadus and Josh both produced ladles and holdfasts, forging and filing alternately. We received
quite a few comments of appreciation for the Department itself and its capability to produce real, functioning
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�goods and structures. As one Guest put it, “What you do is really incredible, because you make the things that
make the world work.” We know they meant this for all our colleagues in Trades.
The biggest event for our group was travelling to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in
Richmond. There, we examined the collections of their Division of State Archaeology, including artifacts from
Kingsmill, right in our back yard, and Corotoman, a house built in Lancaster County by Robert “King” Carter,
completed in 1725. Corotoman provided some artifacts of particular interest because the building was
destroyed in a fire in 1729, giving us a four-year window of ironwork to document. Because of iron’s durability
and practical nature, it is rare for a site to hold such a specific window into historic usage. Typically, our Shop
must examine objects from a long period of occupation and try to work out the stylistic preferences of a
period based on clues outside of the archaeology itself, which is not always reliable. Even small things, like the
filed decoration of a hinge, can change with fashion, and so having such a specific context helps us determine
what character of hardware and tooling might be best for a site. We spent most of our time tracing,
photographing, and discussing the excavated pieces, and familiarizing ourselves with the collection, and are
deeply grateful to the Division of State Archaeology for the opportunity. But new or old, it must be said that
all’s well that falls well at the foot of the anvil.
The Blacksmith Shop will be open Sunday through Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday.
Tinsmith – The Tin Shop will be open Tuesday through Thursday, and Saturday.
Brickmaker – This week in the Brickyard, the crew received the “Betsy Ross Flag of Excellence”, which is
now flowing at the entrance of the Yard. This is an honor bestowed on the Trades Shop with the most positive
Guest comments. This symbol of merit will migrate monthly based on the quantity of positive comments
received. The crew is quite proud of their achievement and intend to continue committing themselves to the
highest standard of customer service.
Otherwise, this week, the unstacking of the kiln continued level by level. Soon the bricks intended for
the Bray School will be palletized and moved off property. We had a break in our usual activities in the form
of some early spring cleaning! Through friendship and brute strength, we cleaned up our Yard with some help
from the Carpenters and the ineffable Dale Trowbridge.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�The Brickyard will be open Sunday through Thursday, weather permitting.
Carpenter – This week, the Carpenters have gotten the clapboards to the next stopping point. We now are
installing the upper shuttered windows before continuing the siding. We also took one day to clean out the
Yard and organize the material for the next two frames. With help from Dale Trowbridge and the Brickmakers,
we moved eight loads of material out of the Yard. We’re very happy with the results of one busy day of
moving things.
The Carpenters will primarily be at the Carpenter’s Yard Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
Colonial Garden – Compost has been foremost on the mind of the Historic Gardeners this week; to wit,
the turning of the compost piles. We possess three piles of compost, each at a different stage of
decomposition. The initial pile contains a mixture of fresh horse and sheep manure, straw, and “vegetable
dung” collected from about the Garden. After a year’s accumulation, the pile is turned by spade into an
intermediate pile that begins to take on the consistency of soil. After a second year of exposure to the
elements, the pile is again turned and becomes the ready source of potting soil and fertilizer for amending the
Garden beds.
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�Turning compost from the first to second pile one spade at a time
A view of all three piles within the compost yard
The whitesmiths of the Tin Shop were good enough to provide horn shavings to be added to the burgeoning
compost pile.
More organic matter to be composted
Pruning season has begun in the Garden. The first two subjects of the Gardeners’ delicate attentions were
scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) and black willow (Silex nigra). The firethorn was decoratively pruned
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�flat against our laundry fence in a technique called espalier. The willow was pruned in a different manner,
coppicing. This pruning takes the plant almost all the way to the ground.
Bottom branches of pyracantha have been pruned, while the top branches await attention (l). Row of willow during coppicing (r).
Future wattle?
This week also saw the harvest of three varieties of winter radish: German Bier, Round Black Spanish, and
Long Black Spanish.
Table groaning under assorted Raphanus sativus.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�With the return of Research Days, a sampling of the Gardeners’ reading may prove of interest: The Gardener’s
Botanical by Ross Bayton, Flora Illustrata edited by Susan Fraser and Vanessa Bezemer Sellers, and Archeology
and the Colonial Gardener by Audrey Noel Hume.
The Colonial Garden will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, weather
permitting.
Cooper – One of the items we made recently in the Shop is a cannikin, or wooden tankard, based on similar
pieces recovered from the wreck of the Mary Rose. The Mary Rose was an English warship in the fleet of King
Henry VIII that sank in 1545.
The Cooper Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Engraver – The Engraving Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Foodways – The Palace Kitchen is open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Foundry – We kicked off this week by hosting
our first Winter Workshop; thankfully, we had
the chance to use the Roscoe Cole Stable for a
work area, as we were sold out, and it was chilly!
Apprentice Drew can finally truthfully call himself
a Brass Founder as he completed his first brass
pour, as well. It may have just been consolidating
scrap into ingots, but he was able to experience
the flare and smoke of white-hot brass. We
figured rather than waste the hot forge, we
followed it up with some fresh musket balls.
Rounding out this week, Drew and fellow
Apprentice Leanne made some molds for a silver
pour we hope to do this coming weekend. Inside
are two pairs of shoe buckles for the Milliner and
Mantua-makers’ March program, silver tray feet for the Silversmiths, and a couple different salt spoons.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�Drew molding
Workshop
Leanne molding
Molds
Musket balls
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�The Foundry will be open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Gunsmith – The Gunsmith Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, and Thursday through Saturday.
Joinery – With the woodworking conference fast approaching, Brian and Peter are buckling down in their
preparations of projects and presentations. As you may remember from previous entries, Brian is going to be
speaking on pilasters, an architectural trim that mimics columns, and Peter is going to talk about his
Journeyman project, recreating an arched portico from the house at Menokin.
Scott, while he is not presenting at the conference this year, also continues work on his Journeyman
project, an Eastern Shore corner cupboard. He will soon be working on pilasters of his own, showing how that
feature can be used large (to decorate the walls of a room) or small (on an individual piece of furniture).
Laura has completed her first dovetail joint! She’ll continue to practice and will soon be applying the
joint to boxes.
The Joinery will be open Sunday, and Wednesday through Saturday.
Leather Breeches Maker – The Leather Breeches Maker will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday,
and Thursday.
Military Programs – Military is currently working hard on establishing our goals for the year, with the
aim of developing skills and research to facilitate our new workshop coming in the fall. We will be hoping for
an experience detailing the many aspects of a soldier's life, lasting for 2-3 hours. We are also working on
future collaborations with the Virginia Frontier Culture Museum, both in programming and in upcoming CW
events. We are hoping to interview soon for the position of Military Programs Supervisor; and later this
winter, we are hoping to be hiring new staff to help fill out the staff. If you know of folks who might
potentially be a good fit, please tell them to apply!
Military Interpretation at the Guardhouse is open Daily.
Milliner and Mantua-maker – The Milliner and Mantua-maker will be open Sunday, Monday, and
Thursday through Saturday.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�Musket Range – The Musket Range would like to announce our new Supervisor, Jeffrey Thomas, and our
new Range Master, Scott Bradford! We are looking forward to hiring soon and are taking applications for the
Range as we speak. Later in the year, the Musket Range is looking forward to re-sculpting the shooting berm
and removing lead for the first time as part of our duty to steward the environment. While we've recently
started this process, we expect this to take place in late August if everything works out as planned.
For the moment, the Musket Range is booking sessions of two until we can hire and certify our new
staff, but we remain open on our normal schedule through the winter.
The Musket Range is open Sunday, Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday with sessions at 9:30am, 11am,
1:30pm, and 3pm.
Printer and Bookbinder:
Printing Office – The Printing Office will be open Sunday through Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Bindery – Good Day From the Bindery. Sometimes you hear a story that will not let go – it nags at your
mind and heart, and you must follow the call. I will be pulling together the complete history of the New York
Conspiracy, including how it ended up being bound here in Williamsburg for William Byrd II of Charles City
County. I have long wondered why the Salem Witch Trials were taught in most schools, but this historical
accounting is a surprise to most people who hear about it in our Bookbindery. Stay tuned, as I plan to present
my findings when completed. With 13 people burned at the stake, 18 people hanged, and 70 deported to
work on sugar plantations at the word of a 16-year-old indentured servant, in exchange for her freedom, it is
time for a reckoning. In my line of work, I talk about the process of making books, and many admire the
handiwork and skill that gold-tooling involves. In this case, quite frankly, the contents are the more important
story.
The Bookbindery will be open Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday.
Shoemaker – Nicole has finished building up a last with a leather pin for a pair of double soled common
shoes she is making for herself. These will replace the first pair that she made in her apprenticeship. The
Shoemakers made black ball cakes for the upcoming year. Consisting of tallow, beeswax, and bone black, the
mixture is heated and then poured into ceramic cups. Once cooled, the cake of blacking slides out, to be used
in maintaining staff shoes. The Shop also paid a visit to the Archaeology Department, where we spent a
morning drawing shoe fragments from the Custis site.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�The Shoemakers will be working at the Leather Breeches Maker Monday through Wednesday, Friday, and
Saturday.
Silversmith – Trays, trays, trays, is the name of the
game at the Silversmith Shop. Thirteen trays need to be
finished over the next few years, along with a host of
other projects. Megan has finished planishing her bowl
and is now working on cutting and filing wire for a tray
rim. Chris has soldered the feet to her tray and is
preparing it to be flattened. Bobbie and Megan finished
the bulk of the presentation box, and Bobbie is getting
ready to fit and solder the wire rim of her tray to the
silver sheet base. Preston has been busily working on
multiple bowls and has cleaned and polished most of the
silver on display in the Shop. George has finished
polishing a number of teaspoons and a ladle. Bobbie has
been deciphering more of Ann Craig’s will.
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Megan’s wire for her tray rim
Volume 9, Issue 2
�Chris’ tray is looking quite beautiful (l). Bobbie’s wire rim and the silver sheet it is being fit to (middle). Preston’s bowls are in
various stages of completion (r).
George’s ladle and one of his teaspoons
The Silversmith Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Tailor – The Tailor Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – While this past week has seen a noted decrease in Guests coming
through our doors, we remain as busy as ever. We are now nearly finished with the first batch of Dutch
blankets on the counterbalance loom. We can't wait to see them warm our colleagues and become
interpretative tools. Annie is continuing to persevere with the linen huck on our countermarch, and it's
coming along very nicely. The textured fabric is often a conversation starter on how we program a loom to
give us different woven structures. Joe has been spinning flax as finely as he can in preparation to spin for his
Journeyman project. He will need to spin for many months to have enough yarn to weave a replica from our
collection. I'm sure he's looking forward to this wholeheartedly and is not at all nervous. Meanwhile, I
have been working on dyeing some linen behind the scenes. The project was meant to build my confidence
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�with following these recipes and achieving the desired color. While I'm proud of the outcome, I now know
where my focus is needed for future projects.
The Weaving Shop will be open Sunday through Thursday.
Wheelwright – Earlier this week, the Wheelwrights (with a Blacksmith in tow) traveled to the North Shore
of Massachusetts to study a rare Salt Hay Wagon: a vehicle used to harvest salt hay, a marsh grass grown
from New Jersey to Maine for cattle fodder. This survivor was determined to have been built between 17801820, making it potentially one of the earliest wagons in the United States. We were also able to study a plow
and many wonderful artifacts collected over the years by our host and his friends. Our gratitude to the Donors
who allowed us to take such an important study trip!
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�The Wheelwright Shop will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
Wigmaker – The Wig Shop will be open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a publication of the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades & Skills.
Editor: Shari Monaco
Contributors: Anthony Hay Shop – Jeremy Tritchler (Cabinetmaker); Armoury – Alex Hinman (Blacksmith);
Brickmaker – Madeleine Bolton; Carpenter – Matt Sanbury; Colonial Garden – Marc Nucup; Cooper – Jon
Hallman; Foundry – Leanne Bellouny; Joiner – Laura Hollowood; Military Programs – Justin Chapman; Musket
Range – Justin Chapman; Printing Office and Bindery – Barbara Swanson (Bookbinder); Shoemaker – Val
Povinelli; Silversmith – Megan Cantwell; Weaving, Spinning, and Dyeing – Pamela Russo; Wheelwright – Paul
Zelesnikar
Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Volume 9, Issue 2
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser
Description
An account of the resource
The Mechanick’s Adviser is a weekly newsletter produced by the Colonial Williamsburg Department of Historic Trades and Skills beginning in September 2015 and continuing to the present. The word “mechanick” is an alternative spelling of “mechanic” and is used here in the more archaic sense meaning a skilled tradesperson or artisan. Some weeks the newsletter was not produced and there is a significant months-long gap in the 2020 newsletters reflecting the pandemic-related limitations and closures of the department. The newsletter relates employee news and the current work projects and research of the various trades’ shops belonging to the department as well as other groups described as “skills” including military, music, and dance programs.
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2015-
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
The Mechanick's Adviser. Volume 9, number 2, January 13, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-01-13