Colonial Craftsmen: And the Beginnings of American Industry (Paperback)

by Edwin Tunis (Author) "HAND CRAFTS changed little during the whole period here very loosely called "colonial," which, for our purposes, is extended from the first settlements to about..." (more)
Key Phrases: cat whipper, blowing iron, tilt hammer, New York, New England, Rhode Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Of great interest to historians of technology including blacksmiths... Tunis's work is a useful overview of tools and processes in the hand-craft era and the beginning of the industrial revolution... With their well-balanced blend of text and drawings they provide an interesting sampling of colonial craft practices, as well as a delightful 'flavor of the times.' We [blacksmiths] should all become familiar with this widely read book." -- John Austen, The Newsletter of the Blacksmiths' Guild of the Potomac

Product Description

The vanished ways of colonial America's skilled craftsmen are vividly reconstructed in this superb book by Edwin Tunis. With incomparable wit and learning, and in over 450 meticulous drawings, the author describes the working methods and products, houses and shops, town and country trades, and individual and group enterprises by which the early Americans forged the economy of the New World.

In the tiny coastal settlements, which usually sprang up around a mill or near a tanyard, the first craftsmen set up their trades. The blacksmith, cooper, joiner, weaver, cordwainer, and housewright, working alone or with several assistants, invented their own tools and devised their own methods. Soon they were making products that far surpassed their early models: the American ax was so popular that English ironmongers often labeled their own axes "American" to sell them more readily. In the town squares a colonist could have his bread baked to order, bring in his wig to be curled, have his eyeglasses ground, his medicine prescription filled, or buy snuff for his many pocket boxes. With the thriving trade in "bespoke" or made-to-order work, fine American styles evolved; many of these are priceless heirlooms now -- the silverware of Paul Revere and John Coney, redware and Queensware pottery, Poyntell hand-blocked wallpaper, the Kentucky rifle, Conestoga wagon, and the iron grillework still seen in some parts of the South. The author discusses in detail many of the trades which have since developed into important industries, like papermaking, glassmaking, shipbuilding, printing, and metalworking, often reconstructing from his own careful research the complex equipment used in these enterprises.

The ingenious, liberty-loving artisans left few written records of their work, and only Mr. Tunis, with his painstaking attention to authentic detail and his vast knowledge, could present such a complete treasury of the way things were done before machines obliterated this phase of early American life.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (June 17, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801862280
• ISBN-13: 978-0801862281
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #94,523 in Books (See Bestsellers 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 Classic history/reference book, April 11, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Colonial Craftsmen and the Beginnings of American Industry (Hardcover)

A wonderful history/reference book for those interested in colonial era crafts as well as the artist/craftsman looking for vintage design styles and techniques. If possible, get the early hardbound edition that includes elements deleted in later softcover printings.

5.0 out of 5 stars A how-to-do-it book of Colonial trades, February 22, 2008

By	Bret Coelman - See all my reviews

During the past years, I have extensively studied the Colonial period in Amrerican history. I devoured all the material I could find on the subject but, as of yet, have found no other book that can compare to this one. It brims with information, much of which could be practically applied, if one so chose. Colonial Craftsmen takes a deep look at each trade of this era, and developes a strong history behind each, as well. We come face to face with Paul Revere as he is casting bells, and watch with suspense as Samuel Casey disapears from history after committing a serious crime. During all of this, we also learn these men's trades. We cast a silver tankard, shape a Windsor chair, and pump our bellows under the chestnut tree with "smithy". If anyone is interested in "common man" kind of history, then this book is for him. I find it especially delightful that as I read, I can relate to what I would be doing in that time. A must read for all history enthusiasts from eight to eighty.

5.0 out of 5 stars An Exploration of Colonial Material Culture, February 16, 2008

By	Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Colonial Craftsmen and the Beginnings of American Industry (Hardcover)

Most of us have no idea of how the objects we use on a daily basis were made. In Colonial times, people were much closer to the processes and people that produced their consumer goods. In "Colonial Craftsmen", the noted illustrator Edwin Tunis has produced a beautiful book that explores the techniques used by early American craftsmen. If you were ever curious about how candles were made or shoes sewn in the Eighteenth Century, this is the book for you.

Edwin Tunis was one of the great author/illustrators of young adult non-fiction. "Colonial Craftsmen" is brimming over with beautifully intricate pencil drawings. This is the type of fascinating book, in which a young person can lose themselves. Along the same lines, the other great author/illustrator of American material culture is Eric Sloane. Any book by these two prodigies will be loved by all those with an interest in American history and its material manefestations.