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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-
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 9, March 4, 2023
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Department of Historic Trades and Skills
Publisher
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Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2023-03-04