Master of Mahogany: Tom Day, Free Black Cabinetmaker (African-American Artists and Artisans) [Hardcover]

Mary E. Lyons (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: African-American Artists and Artisans

Examines the life and work of master cabinetmaker Tom Day, a free, literate African-American craftsman whose distinctive furniture was much prized in antebellum North Carolina.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-A concise biography that places the master craftsman center stage and spotlights the tenor of 19th-century Virginia and North Carolina. Tracing Tom Day's evolution from apprentice, journeyman, to an independent cabinetmaker and one of the largest furniture producers in North Carolina, the author outlines the complexities of his life. He was a free black man and a slaveholder, a wealthy man whose children could not legally attend school, and was witness to increasing racial tension and the imposition of oppressive discriminatory laws. Clear, finely detailed photographs delineate a visual legacy of his superb sculptured carvings. Exhibiting a fine use of language, Lyons writes of the woods in which "whiskery old pines whistled hello" and people were "hysterical with hate." She states at the outset that many details about Tom Day are unknown and must be surmised. A factually stimulating blend of biography and history emerges as a portrait not only of a man, but also of an era. Readers are subtly assailed by a barrage of facts in the guise of rich language; annotated, documented photographs; and an artist's vision. An arresting cover illustration graphically conveys the fine attention to detail apparent on every page.
Joanne Kelleher, Commack Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Lyons uses the life of Tom Day, a North Carolina artisan, to discuss the skill involved in woodworking and to examine the place of free blacks in eighteenth-century American society. Little is known about Virginia-born Day's early life, and the blanks are filled in with suppositions and fictionalizations that, though vivid, are occasionally distracting ("Tom winced every time a proud tree cracked to the ground"). The book is at its best when quoting from Day's diaries. Through these personal accounts and other historical documents, Lyons paints a picture of what life was like for a free black man: uncertain, unfair, and sometimes dangerous. Yet as a master woodworker, Day had a life far more successful than many whites, measured both by his wealth and the love of his large family. The numerous black-and-white and color photographs are terrific. You can really see the details of Day's work in his beds, chairs, tables, and newel posts--and be awed by both their utility and their beauty. An excellent addition to nonfiction collections, this will be used in myriad ways. Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (October 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684196751
• ISBN-13: 978-0684196756
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,767 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved everything about it, January 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Master of Mahogany: Tom Day, Free Black Cabinetmaker (African-American Artists and Artisans) (Hardcover)

I grew up in Milton, N. C. and my father was Mayor there for 16 years. He introduced me to Tom Day furniture when I was a child. I have several pieces and value them highly. A copy of your book is on the coffee table in my living room and I prize it. I am so happy that you wrote this book, because I had told my children for years how valuable the furniture was and purchased a copy of your book for each of them.The beauty of his furniture and the history behind it is expressed well in your book. Thank you.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A fine place to begin..., May 22, 2011

By 

J. C. Collier "jcees" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Master of Mahogany: Tom Day, Free Black Cabinetmaker (African-American Artists and Artisans) (Hardcover)

The book is long on description and short on showing. The quality of the photos that are here are okay but no one will confuse them as anything more than faithful representations of what remains of Mr. Day's work. This is a treatise on a man's life and work and it's a good one. I'd just prefer a bit more and better photography. As a visual person and a woodworker I learn and appreciate the showing more than the telling. Still this book is a great primer on what it meant to be a free person of color AND industry.