ABSTRACT
If asked to think about the preindustrial artisan, many of us would recall storybook images of butchers, bakers, and candlestick makers. And we might not think of the skilled work of female spinners of yarn. A better feel for the world of preindustrial tools is to spend a day at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Colonial Williamsburg, Old World Wisconsin, or one of the many fine state and city historical museums. That traditional way of life was more competitive and dynamic than we often presume, and craft work was more complex and arduous than we often imagine. While Americans inherited craft traditions from Europe, they also adapted their technologies to New World conditions. And though the social world of the artisan was static in comparison to contemporary factory work, it was from craftsmen that modern industry emerged. Moreover, though craft work was usually separated by sex, both men and women engaged in tasks that were often skilled if also often laborious. We will explore both, beginning with mostly male crafts.
