Helen Gibson holding a carved crucifix, c. 1990. Brasstown Carver Helen Gibson has been carving since she was a child. She began learning from her mother, Dorothy (Dot) Payne McClure (1922-1958), and from her neighbors Fannie Ivester and Martha…
This essay was written by Bessie Lee Blauvelt in the 1940s or 1950s and describes her work with natural materials such as seeds, nuts, burrs, and cones. They tell about her early interest in nature and what can be done with natural objects. She…
This montage or "nature plaque" was made Bessie Lee Blauvelt during the 1940s. It is composed of natural materials such as seeds, nuts, burrs, and cones mounted on a masonite board. Blauvelt enjoyed collecting local seeds and pods, which she used…
This photographic postcard shows two women (left) making splint baskets and a third feeding fiber on to her spinning wheel. There are numerous baskets about the porch and ceramic items on the shelf in the background. This postcard was produced by…
This photographic postcard depicts a woman putting the finishing edge on a small basket, while other baskets are displayed beside her on the porch. This postcard was produced by the Blue Ridge Weavers most likely for tourists visiting the region in…
This photographic postcard depicts a woman in a rustic cabin working the edging on a decorative basket. This postcard was produced by the Blue Ridge Weavers most likely for tourists visiting the region around the 1920s. Blue Ridge Weavers was…
This brochure contains descriptions and photographs of work produced and offered for sale by Daniel Boone during the period his forge was located in the Industrial Department at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. Boone was an instructor in…
This double scroll was created by Daniel Boone, VI from wrought iron. Although made in the 1950s, this is typical of the work Boone was creating in the 1940s. Boone was a fifth generation blacksmith, trained by his father Kelse Boone of Burnsville,…
This wrought iron cooking fork features a spiral shaft and a leaf curled handle and was made by Daniel Boone VI of Spruce Pine, N.C. This tool has "Daniel Boone" inscribed just above the fork. Although made in the 1950s, this is typical of the work…
This wrought iron cooking fork features a spiral shaft and a leaf curled handle and was made by Daniel Boone VI of Spruce Pine, N.C. This tool has "Daniel Boone" inscribed just above the fork. Although made in the 1950s, this is typical of the work…