Workshops
for 2009
1.
TINSMITHING I
June
8-12 (5 Days) Limit: 8
Students
Fee:
$440.00
An introduction to the art of tinning designed to provide a basic
working knowledge of the late 18th & early 19th century tinning tools,
construction techniques & pattern layout. The history of American tinning
is covered. Students construct several
pieces of tin ware based on traditional designs, using period tools &
methods.
William
McMillen, Master Tinsmith, Glenmont
NY
2.
SLATE ROOFING AND REPAIR Limit:6 Students
June 8 (1Day) Fee:$175.00
During this one-day session participants learn the basic history
of the use of slate roofing as well as the details involved in the actual
installation & repair. Students
work on a ground level mock up of a roof & actually get to properly install
the slates. They are taught to properly cut & make holes in slates using a
variety of period & modern tools. Following that task, they are instructed
in & practice the steps involved in repairing damaged slates in the
completed unit.
Don
Carpentier, Director of Eastfield Village, E. Nassau NY
3.
REPRODUCING & REPAIRING HISTORIC MILLWORK
June 15-16 (2Days) Fee:
$325.00
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the
original methods and materials used to produce historic millwork as well as
techniques for its repair. An in-depth survey of paneling, flooring, doors,
windows and moldings are discussed through the examination of Eastfield’s
extensive collection of period examples in order to help the student understand
appropriate marks & textures of the original methods used to produce
them. Through a combination of
demonstrations & class participation we use both period & modern tools to
repair & reproduce moldings, panels, door & window parts, etc. Students are encouraged to bring samples of
original millwork for discussion and/or class work.
Robert Adam, founder and special advisor North
Bennet Street School’s Preservation Carpentry program, Boston, MA
Don
Carpentier, Director of Eastfield Village, E Nassau NY
4.
TECHNIQUES FOR DATING HISTORIC STRUCTURES
June 18-20 (3 days) Limit: 12
students
Fee:
$425.00
Participants are guided through the difficult process of
recognizing architectural changes made during various periods in the lifespan
of a building. They learn to identify
the specific elements relevant to the dating process. This includes the
evolution of molding styles, hardware, window & door treatments,
fireplaces, timber-framing methods; also tell-tale signs such as saw, hand
plane & planer marks. Students gain a good sense of the amount of detective
work required to date a pre-1875 structure & will spend the last day of the
class investigating actual structures in the vicinity.
William
Mc Millen, Consultant, independent scholar & retired supervisor of
restoration at Historic Richmond Town, Staten Island NY & Don Carpentier,
Director of Eastfield Village, E. Nassau NY
5. OUT OF THE WOODS: A Staffordshire Family of Potters & Its Influence on 18th &
19th-century British Pottery
June 26-28
(3days) Fee: $465.00
Great changes swept across the British
pottery industry during the era of industrialization. Many of the designs &
innovations that propelled the advances were the work of members of the Wood
Family. Whether it was furnishing
models & molds for a myriad of items to other factories, designing &
creating beautiful ornamental figures, or expanding their ventures to other
countries, the Woods - Aaron, Ralph, John, & Enoch among them - were always
at the forefront of the industry in the Potteries. In the past few years, a
considerable number of new documents relating to the family have come to light.
Their contents, as well as continued research on existing pots and
archeological sites, have increased our understanding of just how important
their work was to this industry.
We
are fortunate again to have a large number of shards from several sites in
Burslem that are associated with the Woods. This also includes a number of
their marked pots. Shards include many from the 1831-35 deposit found at
Burslem Town Hall Site by the Time Team in 1999.
New Feature: The
schedule for this year includes something new. On Friday evening, we will have
a period dinner prepared & served in the Briggs Tavern for all attendees at
no extra charge. That evening will include an informal opportunity to display
& discuss pots & shards as well as an informal presentation on dipped
wares repeated from the 2009 New York Ceramics Fair Lecture Series.
Lectures include:
·
The
Wood Family of Burslem. Those
who missed Miranda's superb lecture, The Early Life of Josiah Wedgwood,
at the Ceramics Fair—based in part on newly discovered Wood family papers
acquired by the Potteries Museum—will benefit from her Eastfield lecture based
on those same sources. Miranda Goodby, Keeper of
Ceramics, The Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent.
·
Comparison
of wasters to extant examples of dipped wares & attribution to the firm of
Wood & Caldwell. Jonathan Rickard, collector and author, Deep River CT
·
Discovery
of a waster pit in Burslem, ca. 1800, with an extraordinary array of
engine-turned dipped wares. Don Carpentier, Director of Eastfield Village, potter,
& lecturer, E Nassau NY
·
American
views on transfer-printed earthenwares from Staffordshire.
Ted
Gallagher, attorney & collector, NY
·
Expanded
information on the connection of the Woods to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Louise Richardson, research associate, Strawbery Banke Museum,
Portsmouth, NH.
·
Evidence
of the importation of Wood & Caldwell and Enoch Wood products to Alexandria
VA. Barbara Magid, laboratory
director, Historic Alexandria Archaeology, Alexandria VA.
·
Staffordshire
figures & how various members of the Wood family contributed to their
development & manufacture. Miranda Goodby
·
The
Enoch Wood & Son wasters (1831-35) from the Burslem Town Hall Dig in 1999
& an array of similar extant wares with matching characteristics.
Don
Carpentier.
·
Demonstrations of early British pottery
manufacturing techniques including hand & machine jiggering, jollying,
lathe turning & decorating, press molding, sprigging , etc. This is a rare chance for participants to
see the complete series of processes in the manufacture of a number of items
from the period.
Stephen Apisa &
Don Carpentier
6. Early American
Fireplaces, Bake ovens & Cooking Equipment: 1650-1840
Aug.10-11 (2 Days) Fee:
$295.00
The heart of the Early American home was centered on the fireplace
that was used constantly for heat, light, & cooking. Until the advent of stoves & furnaces,
all rooms were essentially built around a fireplace or chimneystack. Many
regional characteristics defined fireplaces from New England to the
Mid-Atlantic States. Construction details can vary widely from town to town. In
this program, we examine in detail many of the changes that have occurred from
Maine to Pennsylvania in fireplace & oven construction during the period
1650 - 1840. We take a detailed look at evolution of fireplaces as fuel sources
dwindled & new designs were introduced to increase efficiency. We explain
how fireplace cooking equipment changed over time as well as an array of items
currently used as historic fireplace furnishings that in fact were not used in
period fireplaces at all. There is a
large selection of original materials available for examination – bricks,
lintels, lug poles, oven mouths & doors, hearth tiles, cranes etc., as well
as a large collection of period cooking equipment.
William Mc Millen & Don Carpentier
7. EARLY AMERICAN TRADITIONAL WOODCARVING
August 17-19 (3 days) Limit: 6
Students
Fee: $425.00
Designed for novice-to-intermediate students, this workshop
emphasizes the tools & techniques for relief woodcarving used in the
creation of Early American carvings. It gives beginning students a good
foundation in traditional woodcarving & intermediate students the
opportunity to build on their skills. Through demonstrations, exercises &
individual hands-on instruction students
learn to adapt & transfer a historical design; the various uses of
woodcarving tools, how to get & keep them sharp; the proper use &
control of tools for incising, setting in, grounding & surface modeling,
plus wood types & finishing options.
Wood, basic tools & prepared designs are provided.
Intermediate students are invited to bring their own tools & to speak with
Deborah in advance if they would like to work on their own designs. Because
class size is limited & our setting informal, Deborah can respond to each
student's goals & instruct them one-on-one. We have ample inspiration
surrounded by Early American buildings and furnishings! Deborah Mills, Brooklyn
NY-based custom woodcarver with over 18 years of professional experience.
8. HISTORIC PAINTS, PIGMENTS, & PAINTING
TECHNIQUES
August 21-23 (3 days) Limit: 15
Students
Fee:
$425.00
Participants learn the basics of making traditional linseed
oil-based, milk (or casein)-based, & distemper (animal glue) paints.
Pigments are ground by hand both on a muller & slab & in antique paint
mills. Rudimentary pigment making is demonstrated. Illustrated lectures on the
history of pigments & paint varieties & techniques precede each working
session. Participants should wear clothing that can get dirty or bring
coveralls, smocks, or aprons. All participants are required to bring HEPA- and
VOC- (volatile organic compound) filtering respirators as we will be working
with some solvents & pigments that are known to be hazardous. All work with
hazardous materials is carried out in a thoroughly informed & careful
manner. Christian Goodwillie & Erika
Sanchez Goodwillie. Involved in the making & installation of traditional
paints at Shaker sites, private homes, Metropolitan Museum of Art, & other
venues.
9. MODERN AMERICA: A DECADE OF REMARKABLE CHANGE
1840-1850
August 24-26 (3Days) Fee:
$425.00
The
beginning of the American Renaissance lies in the industrial revolution that
slowly changed the way we Americans lived & worked for most of the early
decades of the 19th century. It wasn't until about 1840 that all of these
social, technical, scientific & economic segments merged into a remarkable
new American culture that was the beginning of our modern times. To understand
this decade in history we must look at all aspects: social, scientific,
architecture, material culture, class, design & politics.
We will examine three
different situations - a rural family farm, a tradesman in a town, & the
urban household of a wealthy manufacturer & see what life was like for
these different families.
There is a special
session on Monday evening for the presentation of Dan Mattausch's lecture on
historic lighting. The lecture is held in the 1836 Universalist Church. This
evening session is preceded by an included dinner at the 1793 Briggs Tavern
prepared by chef Chip Leis, specialist in open hearth cooking.
Lectures include:
·
Age
of Experiment, Invention, & Reform
An overview of social
& material changes derived from new technologies in printing,
manufacturing, & communication, as well as the impacts from religious
experiments, intellectual movements, mass migrations, & increasing
urbanization that helped transform the nation. Jill & Jon Maney,
authors, collectors, & independent scholars, Cooperstown NY
·
The
Age of Technology in American buildings
New framing systems
& an explosion of designs in rural & urban homes increased the speed at
which communities developed & created a whole new generation of commercial
buildings. We will examine additional developments in heating stoves &
furnaces, and sanitary improvements from water closets to showers that were
just part of the changes created by the impact of technology for the home. John
I Mesick, Restoration Architect, & Partner & Jeff Baker, Restoration Architect,
Mesick, Cohen, Wilson, Baker Architects, Albany NY
·
From
Fashion to Furnishings
Advances in textile
production increased the availability of inexpensive clothing, American Ingrain
carpets, draperies, & upholstery materials, which were made by both
independent fancy weavers in rural settings, as well as the explosion of power
looms and mills for textile printing in urban areas. This substantially
increased the production of many new complex goods for the wealthy. Rabbit
Goody, textile historian & owner of Thistle Hill Weavers, Cherry
Valley NY
·
Burning
Down the House: the Challenge of Illumination from Lard Oil to Camphene and Gas
As whale oil became
scarce in late 1830's, new forms of lamps were developed to burn less expensive
fuels which in turn allowed the growing middle class to stay up evenings,
extending their family hours for the first time. Cheap lighting in factories,
commercial buildings & homes changed Americas work and sleep habits
forever, but explosive new fuels required new lighting technology. Dan Mattausch, Smithsonian, National Museum
of American History, Washington DC
·
The Beginning of Now: Food in the Mid-Nineteenth
Century
Advances in technology
had an enormous impact on the American food culture - in not only the way it
was prepared, but also the way that plants and animals were developed,
harvested, stored, transported, & packaged. We will learn who was eating what & where it came from. This
decade saw an unprecedented increase in printed recipe books & self-help
manuals that encouraged even the lower classes to strive for the niceties of a
good meal & well laid out dining table. Sandy Oliver, food historian,
publisher of Food History News
& author of numerous cookbooks on historic foodways.
·
Horticulture:
A Growing Business
While the common kitchen
garden continued to define horticulture for many families, an expanding number
of households took up gardening with ornamentals as evidence of their
education, refinement, & prosperity. They planted dooryard flower gardens
& created elaborate "pleasure grounds". Advances in
manufacturing, printing technology, & transportation brought an explosion
of information, tools, seeds & plants. Garden centers and nurseries
blossomed in urban centers. Wealthy gardeners competed with one another to
collect rare & exotic plants for their heated parlors, conservatories &
greenhouses. Newly organized horticultural societies & public gardens promoted
these fashionable indulgences & became popular social venues for the elite.
Christie
Higginbottom, research historian, specializing in horticulture &
landscape, Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge MA
·
The
Grecian Plain Style & Related Furnishings in America
Much of the furniture
produced in the two decades prior to 1850 has long been dismissed by scholars
& collectors alike as poorly designed & lacking quality. Through
examination of newly developed
manufacturing practices, social & economic conditions of the time,
as well as objects made in the Grecian Plain Style, we will endeavor to
understand & perhaps better appreciate this much-maligned furniture. John Kovacik, Conservator/Restorer, Fort
Plain NY
About the Workshops at Eastfield Village
We continue to offer
workshops & symposia in the traditional trades & domestic arts. Our
goal is to maintain the highest educational standards. In these difficult
financial times, it is important for many homeowners to be able to deal with
the issues of historic home maintenance & restoration on their own without
hiring contractors to do the work. Even
for those who can still afford to hire contractors, it is important that they
be aware of the processes involved in the work to insure they are getting the
highest quality workmanship on their projects.
There are a great number
of research & restoration projects in the works at Eastfield & as
usual, students may be involved in many phases of these projects.
Preservation Laboratory -
Eastfield's collections are not available to the public. Workshop participants
taking classes at the Village have access to more than twenty buildings &
can study the collection of thousands of architectural elements & typical
artifacts from the daily lives of early America.
In some courses students
are involved in actual preservation work & have the experience of working
first hand with the tools & materials of the trades being taught. The depth
& detail of the courses are unique to Eastfield, since many of the courses
are five days long. The emphasis is not only on lectures; many programs include
extensive hands-on work. The craftsmen who teach these courses are available
& happy to answer your specific questions & problems.
Unique experience - Students
at Eastfield Village have come from as far as London & Alaska as well as
from all over the U.S. & Canada. Museum professionals representing large
institutions like Williamsburg, Cooperstown, Sturbridge, Upper Canada Village
& numerous other restorations & museum facilities have also studied at the
Village. The mixture of novices, whose interests are their own old houses,
& museum professionals, who are looking to expand their specific skills,
provides a dynamic opportunity to learn.
The lure of Eastfield is
more than its curriculum. Students who take the classes at the Village are
encouraged to live there during their courses. This offers a special
opportunity to understand the daily lives & work of the tradesmen of the
pre-industrial age. Meals may be cooked in the late-18th century kitchens. Accommodations
are rope beds with straw & feather ticks. Eastfield offers an opportunity
to be with others - students and teachers - of similar interests. Most evenings
there are gatherings in the Briggs Tavern & lively conversations in front
of a warm fireplace. We hope to have
some rudimentary hot showers this season for the use of those staying at the
Village.
Eastfield Origins - Eastfield
Village is home to its creator, Donald Carpentier & his family. He moved
the first building, a blacksmith's shop, into his father's "east
field" in 1971.
In the years since, Don
has amassed a collection of buildings & artifacts & established the
nationally known Workshops. The stated time period is 1787 – 1840 & all the
buildings date from those years. They include a towering Greek Revival church,
a thirteen room 18th century tavern & many smaller buildings devoted to the
individual trades, including carpentry, tinsmithing, printing & shoemaking.
Lodging at Eastfield
Village - One of the most
intriguing facets of Eastfield's workshops is the experience of living in the
Village during the class. Eastfield's taverns are available FREE OF CHARGE for
those wishing to stay as our guests in early 19th century accommodations. The
only requirement is that each person choosing to stay at the taverns supply 10
ten-inch white candles.
Eastfield is
located in southern Rensselaer County, near the Massachusetts border.
Registration Information
and Policy - Registration
is on a "first come - first served" basis. A non-refundable deposit of
50% of the tuition must accompany the registration. The remainder must be
received by Eastfield no later than three (3) weeks prior to the commencement
of the workshop. Exact traveling directions will be mailed upon receipt of
registration. No refunds will be given after six (3) weeks prior to that
particular workshop. (Registrants from outside of the United States are asked
not to send personal checks. Please send a cashier's check or money order in
U.S. funds). The fee may also be paid using PayPal( see registration form).
Eastfield reserves the right to cancel any workshop if minimum subscription
levels are not met. In this case, a full refund is given.
(518) 766-2422 Email:
dcsapottery1@fairpoint.net
Please detach, enclose with a check & send to:
Eastfield Village n Box 465 n Nassau NY 12123
(518) 766-2422
REGISTRATION FORM
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Address ____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Phone ____________________ Occupation ________________________________
Email Address ___________________________________
PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to receive your coming year’s brochure early in electronic form,
please forward your e-mail address to dcsapottery1@fairpoint.net
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WORKSHOP (ü) FEE
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NOTE: Payment via PayPal is accepted.