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#1 ·
Paul Prybil, First Commerically Available Bandsaw

In June, I researched the history of Paul Prybil, who invented the first commerically available bandsaw. The video is posted at

Here was a man that made a lot of money in his lifetime. To see his story, see the video.

After I posted this video, I got a call from the great great grandson on Paul Prybil. He told him that his great grandfather lived in a wonderful life in Long Island, with many servants. After a dinner with J P MOrgan in the 1920s, the financier convinced him to invest everything in the stock market. The relative was convinced and sold all of the copywrights and the factory to others. In 1929, the family lost their ocean side manor. Mr Prybil remembers his grandfather telling him, "one day servants will call me to breakfast, and six months later, we would be lucky to have a breakfast.
 
#89 ·
Thomas Chippendale's Woodworking Lessons

This month, I have been researching the life story of Thomas Chippendale. I found he knew his way with a chisel and was a skilled craftsman and a hell of a businessman. If you like to see the story, it is now posted at
 
#95 ·
Tilman Riemenschneider, German Medieval Sculptor

Over the last month, I have focused on a woodworker in the 15th century that created religious carvings for the medieval church. If you were not a farmer, a soldier, or a priest, a woodworker would most likely create images for the church that dominated every communilty.

I focused on the german sculptor, Tilman Riemenschneider. His work was beautiful and stands above the church of the day because his carving showed so much emotion. Think of the pressure on this woodworker when they mounted his work in the church for all to see for years and years.

The video can be found at
 
#97 ·
Furniture's Race to the Bottom

This video attempts to capture the furniture building traditions in three eras: 1880s in Grand Rapids, Michigan; 1940s in Barrett, North Carolina; and 2010s in Longjiana, China. The video tracks a slow decline in craftsmanship, integrity, and pride, so wooden furniture is now classified as "household goods" - destined for a trash-can in ten years; and corporate responsibility is limited to a satisfied stock holder.

If you are blessed with a successful woodworking studio, teach your fellow citizens about your craft, its role in your community, and how you maintain woodworking standards

The video can be found at
 
#99 ·
Charles A Smith, Maker of Wooden Clocks - re-posted

Have made this woodworker tribute video to Charles A Smith for his mechanic ability and his ability to create the wooden works and case in a wooden pendulum clock in the 1930s and 40s. The video tells about his progress in making his first clock and follows the creation of an additional 613 clocks over the next 16 years of his retirement. The video can be found at
 
#104 ·
Tage Frid, Dean of American Woodworker

A few months ago, I was flipping thru Tage Frid's Teaching Woodworking series, and I realized how well those instructive textbooks have held up for the past 30 years.

So I did a little more research, and came up with a historic woodworker tribute on this great woodworking educator.. The tribute video can be found at

Hope you enjoy it.
 
#106 ·
Charles Honoré Lannuier - American Empire Cabinetmaker

Furniture Table Rectangle Art Font


Continuing my search of the best woodworker, I returned to the times of the American Revolution (i.e. competing against Duncan Phyfe); and researched a cabinet maker who captured the essence of ancient civilizations creating furniture in the Empire Style. My next historical video tribute is on the life and times of Charles Honoré Lannuier. Yesterday, I reposted this video at
 

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#107 ·
Charles Honoré Lannuier - American Empire Cabinetmaker

Furniture Table Rectangle Art Font


Continuing my search of the best woodworker, I returned to the times of the American Revolution (i.e. competing against Duncan Phyfe); and researched a cabinet maker who captured the essence of ancient civilizations creating furniture in the Empire Style. My next historical video tribute is on the life and times of Charles Honoré Lannuier. Yesterday, I reposted this video at
Thnx for the history lessons Tom
 

Attachments

#110 ·
Visual Impact of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Since Quora has ranked Charles Rennie Mackintosh as one of the ten best woodworkers, I have re-posted my earlier tribute video on this architect. If you would like to see it, it is posted at His designs for his chairs certainly should be considered as some of best in a public setting.
 
#112 ·
Charles Lathrop Pack, Father of Forest Education

This month, I have been researching Charles Lathrop Pack, a lumberjack who finally saw a problem with acre upon acre of tree stumps and became a nature conservative - urging all citizens to plant a tree. This life story is now a YouTube Video and can be seen at _
 
#115 ·
Andre Roubo, 18th Century Marquetry Educator

Over the last two months, I have spent some time reviewing a book by Silas Kopf and Lost Arts Press translation of Andre Roubo book "to Make as Perfectly as Possible". I attempted to summarize the life story of Roubo and his Art of Marquetry in a YouTube Video. It can be found at

His clear straight forward writing style emphasized the woodworking which is very precise. I came away with admiration for the craft. Hope you enjoy.
 
#116 ·
Nice little video. There are many of us who still do marquetry the same way even now. We owe much to the ébénistes of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. They produced the most amazing furniture ever made.
 
#119 ·
Gustave Baumann Spark of Wooden Puppets

Taking my grandson to his first puppet show inspired me to research the life of Gus Baumann.

This is a tribute video to Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) and his woodblock prints and his pursue of wooden puppets. This German American sought out a peaceful life as a woodworker and embraced local traditions in activities his whole family could enjoy.

This video was done just for the fun of it.

It can be found at

 
#120 ·
If I recall correctly, Antiques Roadshow had an episode where someone showed up with either 1 or 2 original Gustave Baumann woodcuts and they did a short bit on who he was.

I have 4 Gustave Baumann prints hanging in our bedroom. I made different frames for them and posted them on LJ. I really like his works.

I wasn't aware that he also had an interest in wooden puppets.
 
#121 ·
The Romance of the Mahogany Tree

Today, I just completed another woodworking tribute video. This time, I looked at the discovery and harvest of the Mahogany Trees in the 18th Century from the Caribbean to the Western World. The video gives praise to Jonathan Card and his wood-cutting crew. It is also a celebration of Reggae music. You can find it at
 
#129 ·
Israel and Albert Sack, Godfathers of Early American Furniture

This historic woodworker tribute video flashes back to the days when the price of antique furniture was always going up, and Americans loved early American furniture. The video focuses on the most prolific antique firms in the county, Israel Sacks, Inc., and that family's ability to secure higher prices and more value for wooden furniture. IF you are curious about these life-stories or just like Antique Roadshows, click on my latest video at
 
#130 ·
John and Thomas Seymour, 18th Century Federal Cabinetmakers

Three days before the big holiday, I wanted to publish another historical woodworker tribute on a father-son team of cabinet-makers who created some of the finest Federal Furniture - John and Thomas Seymour. They made furniture in Portland Maine and Boston MA.

You can find the video at

Over the years have made a long series of tributes and feel I am coming to the end of this series. When you at the YouTube Hoosierwoodcraft, Please subscribe.

Thank you and Merry Christmas
 
#131 ·
I guess I am your number one fan. You've done a great job. Editing and photographing as well as the other tasks are time consuming. My friend CharlieK was lost his enthusiasm for interviewing YouTube woodworkers as it didn't get a big response.

Told my wife you are the Ken Burns of Woodworking!

Merry Christmas
 
#135 ·
Leslie Garland Bolling created dignity and beauty in award winning wooden sculptures

In the last three months, I have researched and put together a video tribute to another woodworker, the 56th in the series. This video focuses on an African American sculptor in the 1920s named Leslie Garland Bolling. He captured the dignity and beauty of his family and friends in small eight-inch wooden carving. The research pulled me into the Harlem Renaissance - which was a joy and revelation for me.

This video can be found at Hope you enjoy.
 
#137 ·
Historic tribute to a Japanese carpenter

In 1893, America celebrated Columbus Day with a World's Fair in Chicago. The Fair represented the first time that most Americans (at least 8 million citizens) had ever seen Japanese carpenters at work, observed their tools and precision, and walked thru a Japanese building to see different construction techniques. The year 1893 represented the first time most Americans began to respect Japanese woodworking.

Today, I have captured that event with a video on the life-story of Koun Takamura, the carpenter, who was most responsible in convincing his Emperor and nation to develop this international pavilion (a true timber framing masterpiece) and how he created a few decorations that Americans loved. His efforts results in the first awards that Japan had ever earned in international fine art recognition.

So if you are curious about Japanese woodworking, here is an opportunity to see hand tools in action. The video can be found at
 
#140 ·
The Adventures of Lemuel Chenoweth to create timber-framed covered bridges

The last few months I have been researching the science and techniques to create a timber-framed covered bridge using the techniques of the 19th century. If you are curious about how woodworkers built a wooden bridge in the 1840s, click on the link below.

 
#141 ·
Always enjoy your historic videos Tom. I've always been amazed by covered bridges. Seen a lot of them in my travels on my motorcycle throughout my life. Each one is so beautiful with their looks and their engineering.
 
#145 ·
The Origin of the Black Forest Carvers in Brienz Switzerland

Thought you would like to see this re-post of a historic video tribute to the wood carvers in Brienz Switzerland and their one-hundred-year-old tradition to carve wooden animals and folklore souvenirs for the English tourists coming to see the Alps. On hot days like this, thinking of folk who sit in a cool basement creating chips from a linden block sound like a bit of heaven.

If you to see click on
 
#146 ·
Francis Trumble - One of America's first Windsor Chair Makers

This month, I have been researching one of the first American Windsor Chairs - our first national and most democratic styles to emerge from the eighteenth-century Pennsylvania colony. The video also focuses on the life-story and work of Francis Trumble who created the chairs used for the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. To see the video, please check on
 
#147 ·
Sir Ambrose Heal, Arts and Craft Retail Furniture Designer

Today, am releasing my historic woodworker tribute on Ambrose Heal, the furniture designer, manufacturer, and retailer who successfully marketed arts and craft furniture well into the 1930s.

I also created this video because I was fascinated with Mr. Heal's business plan and his intrinsic ability to become a showman for his furniture and his retail store in downtown London.

You can see his video by clicking on
 
#151 ·
Gus Baumann with the Spark of Wooden Puppets

This is a tribute video to Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) and his woodblock prints and his pursue of wooden puppets. This German-American sought out a peaceful life as a woodworker and embraced local traditions in activities that his whole family could enjoy. I am reposting this video because it brings me joy.

In the end, it is hoped that you see Gus Baumann's talent as a total artist. In this age of online avatars, quarantine, and computer fantasy games, Baumann's life was refreshing to see the woodworker set aside his profit-making and pursue the pleasure of a puppet performance in his New Mexico community - teaching his neighbors a small lesson in morality.

You can see the video by clicking on
 
#152 ·
The Vintage Tales of the Village Carpenter

Because we are all cut off from relatives this Thanksgiving, I thought I would share a short tribute video on the ideal woodworking experience where one could thrive on fellowship, honesty, and craftsmanship. It is the kind of life-story that one would share at the communal meal. I hope you enjoy.

I believe that experience was best captured by Walter Rose in his memoir on the Village Carpenter. So, my video is my illustration of woodworking in a small village long ago - based on Mr. Rose memoir.
To view on the link below.

 
#155 ·
How did the Tar Heels Woodworkers save the Royal Navy with pine resin & turpentine in 1700s

Learn the inside story of how the citizens of the colony of North Carolina distilled tar and turpentine from the great pine forest in the 18th Century and shipped it to England, and how those naval stores kept his Majesty Royal Navy afloat in many a storm. My tribute video on these woodworkers can be seen by clicking below.

 
#157 ·
Samuel Bentham creates power tools for the wooden Royal Navy in the Age of Sail

This is my historic video tribute to Sir Samuel Bentham.

This is the life-story of an upper class gentleman, Samuel Bentham, who became a woodworker and a shipwright just before England's war with France, and improved wooden ship construction with new techniques and designs. He used steam engines to manufacture wooden block pulleys - one hundred years before Henry Ford "invented" the assembly line. He is known as the father of woodworking machinery.

You can see it by clicking on

Do not miss the woodworking history of Portsmouth Block Mill in Chapter 3 starting at 11:04
 
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