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An artisan is someone skilled in a trade, especially one that involves making things by hand. There are many artisans on hand when we visit New Harmony.
paper marbling
Paper marbling is a method of surface design, which can create patterns similar to smooth marble or other stone. The patterns are the result of color floated on water and then carefully transferred to paper or fabric. Through several centuries, people have applied marbled materials to a variety of surfaces. It is used for book covers and stationery. People seem to like paper marbling because each print is different.
wood carving
Kitchen utensils were very important in every home. Handmade wooden spoons, and other kitchen utensils were carefully carved for everyday use. Hardwood is selected for it’s color and grain and using a few basic tools, the cooking tools are carved, sanded, and oiled. Cooks could ask for specific designs and sizes to make stirring and serving food easier.
bee keeping
Bee keeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies that live in hives. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect their honey and other products that the hive produces including beeswax, pollen, and royal jelly. Bee also work to pollinate crops, trees, and flowers.
silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsman who sculpts objects from silver. They make dishes, bowls, cups, candlesticks, vases, urns, silverware. For special occasions, they made household silver, church offering plates or sculptures. Some may also make of jewelry. The silversmith at New Harmony sometimes makes small whistles!
scherenschnitte
Scherenschnitte means "scissor cuts" in German. It is the art of paper cutting. The art work often has symmetry within the design. It is popular to use for silhouettes, valentines, and love letters. The art tradition was founded in Switzerland and Germany and was brought to Americain the by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania. Those immigrants later moved to other areas of the country, including New Harmony, Indiana.
oxen keeper
Oxen are used for plowing, for transport (pulling carts, hauling wagons and even riding), for threshing grain by trampling, and for powering machines that grind. Oxen are usually yoked in pairs. Light work such as carting household items on good roads might require just one pair, while for heavier work, further pairs would be added as necessary.
candle making
It was common to light homes with candles made from beeswax or tallow. Tallow candles were made from beef fat, didn't smell very nice so beeswax was preferred. It took 500 dips for each finished candle. Dipped candles were made of heated animal fat. Wicking was tied to a candle cradle and dipped repeatedly in the tallow. Tallow had to remain a constant temperature; too hot and the previous layer of tallow would melt, too cold and the candle would not be formed straight nor burn well. Making candles was an annual chore, but an experienced candlemaker could make 200 candles a day this way.
pottery making
This folk art embodies a passion for life with its birds, hearts, tulips. Perfection was not a requirement to the makers but the joy was! The style comes from the German ancestry of the Harmonist. The potter scratches through a layer of white earthenware clay to the red clay beneath to create traditional designs. The pieces are made entirely by hand from red earthenware clay.
broom making
Brooms were an essential tool in every home. Dirt streets and paths meant a lot of dirt was tracked into the home. Wood, stone, and even dirt floors needed to be swept many times daily. families also kept a small broom by the fireplace to sweep back ashes and soot from the fire. Brooms were made from straw. Straw was easy to find if you live on or near a farm, and you could easily gather twigs and branches from the woods to make a handle. If you were a very good broom maker, you could make many to use or to trade.
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