Maude Welch home

Maude Welch home

Artisans

Arts and crafts movement

Cherokee women

Handicraft

This photograph from the 1940s shows the home of Maude French Welch (1894-1953), a renowned Cherokee potter. Upon close inspection, Welch can be seen shaping pottery on her front porch at the far left of the house. In the center of the photograph, in front of the house, is a sign that reads, "Indian Pottery Made-Sold Here." Welch was born near Cooper's Creek in the Bird Town section of the Qualla Boundary. Her pottery was formed and carved from local clay, using no wheels, molds, or instruments other than small knives in its shaping. At the time of this photograph, she had been making pottery for 28 years. She turned out pieces entirely by hand, polished them by burnishing, dried them in the sun or her cooking oven, and then dropped them in a firebox to give them color. Welch was the aunt of another prominent Cherokee potter, Louise Bigmeat Maney. This photograph was taken by Vivienne Roberts.

Roberts, Vivienne

Photograph Collection

Hunter Library Digital Collections, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723

1940/1949

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

jpg;

photographs

StillImage

11104

https://southernappalachiandigitalcollections.org/object/11104

2009-01-13

All rights reserved. For permissions and use, contact Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, NC 28719;

Qualla Boundary

Appalachian Region, Southern

8.25" x 9.75"(dimension)

Cherokee Traditions