Cobblestone articles from November 2001

Cobblestone archives from November 2001

Editor's note.(Editorial)
November 1, 2001... In the decades before the American Revolutionary War, Europeans settled into life in the New World. In time, permanent towns and cities replaced small settlements, worn paths became busy roads, and useful everyday objects gradually developed...

Stitches in time.
November 1, 2001... When the first waves of European settlers crossed the ocean to America, they brought very few material possessions. But they did bring plenty of knowledge, as well as skills that would help them survive in the New World. Needlework, or sewing,...

Chairman of the board.(colonial furniture)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2001... Have you ever been somewhere that charged for "room and board"? This means that lodging and meals are purchased for one set fee. In Colonial America, to sit "at the board" meant to eat. During the 1600s, people in the Middle Atlantic colonies...

Shades of long ago.
November 1, 2001... In Colonial times, shades, or silhouettes, were drawn to preserve people's profiles. Painted portraits provided more detail, of course, but they were expensive. Shades -- named for their shadow-like effect -- cost much less to have done by an...

Capturing life on canvas.
November 1, 2001... Photography as an art form did not exist in Colonial times. Portrait painting was the craft of Colonial limners, or painters. People in what would become the Middle Atlantic states used silhouettes and portraits to preserve likenesses for...

Philadelphia Pewterer: William Will.
November 1, 2001... BACKGROUND: William Will's mark was "struck" into the underside of a pewter dish that he created. A pewterer's mark is like a painter's signature to indicate his or her handiwork. RIGHT: These 3 pewter mugs were most likely created in the 2nd...

Harmony. (Quote of the Month).
November 1, 2001... While living in London, an American colonist attended a concert that featured a musician playing a set of wine glasses. The American gentleman later wrote that the musician "collected a number of glasses of different sizes, fixed them near each...

Did you know?
November 1, 2001... Men and women in the 1700s worked hard just to provide life's basic necessities -- a home, food, and clothing -- for their families. Colonial men, women, and children owned many handmade items, whereas today, a multitude of stores serve our...

The art of glassmaking.
November 1, 2001... Imagine life without glass. How would we live in a house with no windows? Out of what would we drink? For those who wear eyeglasses, how would we see? Most of the early American settlers did not have any glass products or the means to make...

The mighty Conestoga.
November 1, 2001... The Conestoga wagon was the tractor-trailer of the eighteenth century. It could haul freight over steep hills and mountains and along bumpy roads. Drawn by a powerful team of six draft horses, this boat-shaped, covered wagon could carry four to...

The Kentucky rifle.
November 1, 2001... People who live in the mountains of Kentucky say that when pioneer Daniel Boone and his rifle, "Tick-Licker," were standing up straight and side-by-side, they were the same height. Boone once told a friend, "If you can see the end of the...

Winterthur: an American country estate.
November 1, 2001... There is no better place to learn about Colonial arts and crafts from the Middle Atlantic states then at the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library in Winterthur, Delaware (near Wilmington). A visit to this famous estate is a journey through...

Who was who among colonial crafters?
November 1, 2001... People in the Middle Atlantic colonies relied on skilled crafters, or artisans, for many things. Can you match the job titles of these Colonial crafters with their descriptions? You may need to consult a dictionary or encyclopedia for help. ...

Brain ticklers.
November 1, 2001... Give your brain a little tickle to see how well you read and understood this issue on the arts and crafts of the Middle Atlantic colonies. If you believe the answer to be false, give yourself the ultimate test and see whether you can explain...

A final word.
November 1, 2001... Who could predict that a cloth with different practice stitches on it might become a collector's item two hundred years later? Can you think of everyday items in use in the twenty-first century that might be considered valuable or remarkable...

Pennsylvania rifle. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2001... The Pennsylvania rifle was used in the Revolutionary War by the Americans. It was very long and heavy. Its length made the bullet go faster and farther. The long barrel also made it more accurate. A spiral groove inside the barrel caused the...

A sampler. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2001... I am John Singleton Copley's daughter. My mother taught me how to do samplers. Samplers are pieces of cloth that I embroider with needlework, I make lots of samplers of the alphabet. My father taught me how to form letters and how to write...

Fall day. (Letters).
November 1, 2001... Fall day The cool, crisp autumn air ran its fingers through my hair. It loudly cried, "Leave me be!" But on I walked, for all to see. The squirrels, chipmunks, and wildflowers stared at me for hours and ...

Autumn. (Letters).(Poem)
November 1, 2001... Autumn Frigid and icy gusts of air blowing over here, swirling over there. Leaves frolic and trees waver, falling in an aristocratic manner. Landing swiftly on a pond, ripples fade and go beyond --...

John Singleton Copley. (Letters).
November 1, 2001... John Singleton Copley was a man who lived a long time ago. He was born in 1738, when the American Colonies were under English rule. He died in 1815, when America was an independent country. Copley had a daughter named Elizabeth. She and...

Books to read. (Digging Deeper).(about craftsmen in Colonial America)(Bibliography)
November 1, 2001... Colonial American Craftspeople by Bernardine S. Stevens (New York: Franklin Watts, 1993) explores the training of and work produced by such craftspeople as masons, carpenters, silversmiths, wigmakers, and more. The book describes how the...

On the web. (Digging Deeper).(Colonial America)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Visit www.winterthur.org/to find information on Henry Francis du Pont's home turned museum, garden, and library. From here, click on links describing special events, educational programs, and research opportunities at the museum. There is even...

Places to visit. (Digging Deeper).(Pennsylvania)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2001... Landis Valley Museum, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This rural life and culture museum contains collections of Pennsylvania German decorative arts, folk culture, and textiles. On-site historic buildings include a print shop and a harness shop. ...

From the archives.
November 1, 2001... America's Colonial era captures a loose confederacy of settlements on the verge of becoming a unified nation. COBBLESTONE has recognized the contributions of various people and events during this period in the following issues: George...